US Orthodox leader says community offering homes, funding for Ukraine refugees

Orthodox Jews in the US are raising funds, holding prayer sessions, and offering their homes to refugees in response to the war in Ukraine, says Rabbi Labish Becker, executive director of the Agudath Israel of America umbrella group.

The organization and its partners held a meeting with over 200 rabbis from across the US to coordinate a response on the first day of the war. It is running a campaign in synagogues and online to raise funds.

It is working with affiliates on the ground in Ukraine to help get people out of the country by distributing funds and working with Washington connections to advise on border crossings.

“We’ve got people calling offering their homes in the United States if they want to come, saying ‘Please, you can come stay as long as you want,'” he says.

Many community leaders partnered with Agudath are raising money, so it’s hard to know the exact amount, but it’s likely over $2 million so far, he says.

“It’s something that I think every Jew feels the responsibility of and wants to help,” he says. “We were shocked by how many people big and small donated.”

“All the [synagogues] I’ve been to, everyone is saying [psalms], everyone is [praying],” he says.