Galina Vishnevskaya is 96 years old. A Holocaust survivor, she has lived her entire life in the same small Ukrainian village where she was born. Her story is one of quiet resilience. She has survived war, poverty, and loss with dignity and grace.
As a child, Galina lived through the horrors of World War II. In 1943, her father was taken by the Nazis, leaving her mother to raise three daughters alone. “We were always poor,” Galina recalls. “Our family lived in two rooms with my grandmother. After my father was taken, life became even harder. I started working at a very young age.”
She spent her adult life laboring on a collective farm and later as a cook in a kindergarten. Now, in her final years, Galina finds herself alone. Her son, 73, is hospitalized after a stroke. Her grandson was severely injured in Ukraine’s war against invading Russia, losing an arm. Her daughter lives far away in Cherkasy. Nearing a century of life, Galina struggles with many health issues, while also struggling to afford heat during the brutal Ukrainian winters.
When volunteers from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews arrived at her home, Galina greeted them with warmth and courage. “I’ve lived through three world wars,” she said. “Nothing’s going to frighten me.” But behind her brave words lies the painful truth: she is cold, hungry, and feels forgotten.
Galina’s daily meals consist of little more than gruel made from water and wheat. “I didn’t know about God before,” she says. “But now, in the cold, hungry nights, I pray for food to the God I never knew.”
Galina’s story is not unique. Tens of thousands of elderly Jews across the former Soviet Union—many of them Holocaust survivors—are living in extreme poverty. According to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), over 80,000 elderly Jews in the region survive on pensions as low as $2 per day. Many have no family support, no access to adequate healthcare, and no means to afford food or heating.
These are the poorest Jews in the world. They are doctors, teachers, and engineers who once contributed to society but now struggle to survive. The war in Ukraine has only deepened their suffering, cutting off supply chains, displacing families, and driving up the cost of basic goods.
As one Jewish community leader put it, “The war never ended for poor, elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union.” For survivors like Galina, the trauma of the past is compounded by the hardship of the present.
In recent months, the world has watched with hope as the hostages from the October 7 attacks in Israel have been safely returned. It was a moment of collective relief and answered prayer. Now, as Israel begins to heal, The Fellowship turns its focus to other Jewish communities around the world that are still in desperate need of support. Now is a time for healing, unity, and most importantly, a time to remember those who have been left behind.
The Fellowship has long been a lifeline for elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union. In partnership with local organizations, The Fellowship provides food, medicine, home care, and heating assistance to thousands of vulnerable seniors. In 2016, The Fellowship pledged $52 million in aid to support these efforts. Today, that work is more urgent than ever.
For Galina, the food box she receives from The Fellowship is more than just sustenance; it is a symbol of hope. “Your visit has filled my heart with immense gratitude,” she told Fellowship staff. “At my age, I often felt forgotten, as though the world had moved on without me. But seeing you here, traveling all the way from Israel and the United States, has brought warmth to my soul.”
What makes The Fellowship’s work so impactful is not just the material aid it provides, but the message it sends: You are not alone. You are not forgotten.
In a world that often overlooks the elderly and the poor, this message is life-changing. It reminds survivors like Galina that their lives still matter. That their stories are still heard. That their prayers are still answered.
And it reminds us, too, of our shared humanity. Of the sacred responsibility we have to care for one another, especially those who have already endured so much.
As we enter a new season of rebuilding and renewal, we are called to extend our compassion beyond borders. The needs are great—but so is the opportunity to make a difference.
For just $25, you can help provide a survival food box filled with essentials for an elderly Jewish person like Galina. Your gift can bring warmth to a freezing home, nourishment to an empty table, and hope to a weary heart.
Now is the time to heal. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to stand with the forgotten and say, We see you, and we are here to help.
To support elderly Holocaust survivors like Galina, visit www.ifcj.org or call 866-338-IFCJ. Your compassion can save a life.