Falling in Love With Ukraine

My love for Ukraine began in the year 2013. I had recently been working as a photographer for a friend at the Tantur Ecumenical Center near Jerusalem, Israel. Before returning home, my friend asked me to consider joining him on his trip to Kyiv where he was to meet some friends. I had heard of the beautiful people and culture of Ukraine and it was not hard to convince me to come along with him.

That first visit to Ukraine captivated me and helped me fall in love with the Ukrainian people and their culture. I was so taken by the spirit, enthusiasm, creativity, and passion of the people, I could not keep myself from returning many times.

It was a sickening and sleepless night when the Russian bombs began falling on Ukraine in February of 2022.  It was a few days before I was able to contact my friends and when I finally was able to find out they were safe, I knew I had to do something.  I felt so useless so far away and I struggled to know what to do.  I wanted to be useful in anyway I could.  I wanted to go there and be with the people I had learned to love so much.  I wanted to do something to fightback against the cruel and hate filled Russians that had so cruelly attacked such a  beautiful and loving people.

The first thing I was able to do was to connect with a group who was trying to help volunteers in towns and villages where the battles where the most fierce. There was an immediate need for night vision glasses needed by partisan volunteers who went out at night and removed the visual markers the Russians had dropped from drones and helicopters marking targets to be bombed.

After sometime raising money for the different military needs, I felt a strong need to go there and help in person.  It was kind of a need to be in the same fox hole with my friends mentality and so I began to research the possibility.

I decided that, overing my services as a freelance photographer was the best way for me to help. In April of 2022, I began searching for groups who may need photographic help.  It was all pretty fluid at the time as the war was still unfolding and no one knew for sure what was really going on.  As things began to settle down and Ukraine’s defense began to prove itself, clear battle lines were emerging.  As things became more clear, I fell in contact with a group who were working with wounded soldiers, transporting them north for care.  Another group was in need of someone to help document war crimes.  Neither of these opportunities materialized But I kept trying.

I decided to just go there and find the needs when I arrived in Ukraine.  I was willing to do anything.  I settled on going in early June.  Photo needs came and went, but I was determined to go.  My thought was, I would be happy doing whatever was needed. I knew help was needed and I would find it once I arrived.

Without a concrete plan, the night before I was to fly out, I received an email from someone from the Rotary Club Kyiv Sophia who was interested in my help.  I agreed to meet them and do whatever they needed.  The Rotary Club is a volunteer organization, well known throughout the world, for their massive humanitarian efforts.  In Ukraine, the Rotary Club was intrinsically active and on the ground working with civilians who were suffering so much because of the war.  I couldn’t wait!  I was excited and determined as I boarded the plane to Warsaw….(to be continued…