Washington Jewish Week - 07.24.2003

 

 

 

 

Washington Jewish Week

Putting faces on fund raising Moldova, Israel trip provide glimpses into donation use

by Teddy Kider 
WJW Intern 

Jocelyn Krifcher could not hold back the tears when, as she was leaving Gita Shapiro's small apartment in Moldova, the 89-year-old woman cried out, "You can't leave me. I have no family. I have no friends. All I have is what you give me." 

Krifcher vividly remembers entering the large stone building and walking up five flights of stairs to reach Shapiro's apartment, the apartment that the elderly woman has not left for 12 years because there is no working elevator. 

As the Potomac resident entered the apartment, she saw a "tiny, shriveled-up, wrinkled 89-year-old lady lying on her bed." 

That woman is the reason why Krifcher volunteers with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. 

Krifcher met Shapiro as a participant in the annual United Jewish Communities (UJC) Campaign Chairmen and Directors Mission, a July 6-14 trip to Israel and Moldova for 150 campaign directors and chairs. 

This year's mission marked the first time that the directors and chairs visited Moldova, a former part of the Soviet Union with 40,000 Jews, 60 percent of whom live in the capital, Kishniev. 

"Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova has been known as the poorest of all the break-away countries," said Krifcher. "There's tremendous poverty among the entire population, and there's no difference with the Jews." 

While staying in Kishniev for three days, the campaign directors explored the programs supported by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the organizations that feel the effects of campaign fund-raising. 

It was in Kishniev that Krifcher, co-chair of the Washington federation's Philanthropic Leadership Group, met Shapiro through the Chesed program, which provides medicine, food, clothing, heat and home care to 5,500 Jewish elderly clients. 

"The cost of living for one month in Moldova is $40. The average pension is $18. Chesed is an organization that helps to meet the difference between the $18 and the $40," said Krifcher, 42. 

She also explored a summer camp for Jewish kids, located an hour-and-a-half outside of Kishniev and supported by JAFI. 

Campers stay at the "beautiful" facility for one week, where they "are being infused with Zionism and Judaism, and pure joy," said Krifcher. "We never saw anyone smiling in the streets of Kishniev until we got to that camp." 

Arlene Kaufman, chair of the UJC Israel and Overseas Pillar and a resident of Queenstown, Md., described the camp as the most meaningful experience for her while in Moldova. 

"For the first time, these kids are finding out that being Jewish is a very positive and joyful experience," said Kaufman. 

On July 9, the campaign directors traveled to Israel, where they visited Israeli programs supported by JAFI and JDC. 

Krifcher remembers meeting a man named Simion, who made aliyah from Uzbekistan in 1991. He joined the Israeli army, but was later unable to find a job. 

Eventually, Simion moved back to St. Petersburg, where he began a carpentry business. He decided to give Israel another chance in 1998, but "he had no idea how to import the business." 

A JAFI-supported small-business development center advised Simion on how to bring the business to Israel and provided low-interest loans. Simion now has a "booming business" in cabinet building. 

Krifcher likes how the JAFI center, instead of finding temporary jobs, teaches immigrants the necessary skills to support themselves for the rest of their lives. 

"I was very impressed with the organization," said Krifcher. "It takes the long view of helping people, not the short, immediate view." 

Krifcher was also impressed with an organization that provides young Ethiopian immigrants, who are not disciplined enough to join the army and are on the road to crime and drugs, with the opportunities to become professional disk jockeys. 

"That which appeals to them is music," said Krifcher. "The kids are finding themselves through the rhythm that they grew up with in Africa." 

As in Kishniev, Kaufman enjoyed seeing the summer camps for children. The federation's Israel Emergency Campaign helped 100,000 Israeli children experience summer camp, rather than getting into trouble or being potential terrorist targets on the streets. 

In addition to seeing programs supported by their fund raising, campaign chairs were briefed by several top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Shimon Peres and Benyamin Netanyahu. 

But Krifcher said that the briefings were not the most important aspects of the trip. 

"One would think that meeting with the leaders would be exciting," she said. "But meeting with Gita was far more important and impressive for me personally." 

Kaufman believes that the trip will certainly help all of the campaign directors in raising money for programs across the world. 

"The more experiences that I can see firsthand," said Kaufman, "the more equipped I am to educate the community about the work that we're doing."