World Builders

From the Diary of an Israeli EMT on the Ukrainian Border

Vitali and Me

by Dvir Adani

Dvir with Vitali and another Ukrainian refugee in a refugee center in Moldova

Dvir Speaks

Hi, my name is Dvir. I live in Israel in the center of the country and am a father of two children aged 10. My life is very busy, and I maneuver between life’s chores while making time to volunteer at United Hatzalah. Lately, the countries Russia and Ukraine have made headlines more than once, but for me, they are so identical and similar, and I tried to understand who was fighting with whom and what about.

“War in Europe.” This is how the headline appeared on the computer screen. The topic became the talk of the day, even taxi drivers began to discuss it. But for me, it felt different.

“United Hatzalah delegation to Ukraine” was the title of the message I received on my cellphone a few weeks ago. I hurried to sign up without thinking twice. Obviously, we need to be there. We cannot just sit idly by while others need help. It took a few days for the organization to have a space for me as volunteers who were already in Moldova were cycling out for newer volunteers going from Israel to assist.

At the airport, I met other volunteers who would be joining my contingent, and together we loaded medical equipment and humanitarian aid supplies onto the plane. We were on our way to Moldova, a country that shares a border with Ukraine to the west. It is a poor country without much infrastructure to help the refugees and without many other organizations on the ground assisting. As we set off from Israel to Moldova, I looked at my fellow volunteers and thought, “May we be privileged to do good and put a smile on the faces of as many people as possible who have fled the inferno.”

Vitali’s Story

when they came back, they’d pretend that everything was fine. Dad always walked out with a smile, and we’d sit down to eat dinner. This continued to happen until, one day, my classmates told me that the Russian army had invaded a nearby town. A war had started.

I did not understand what a war was. My mother said that we couldn’t go out to play because it’s too dangerous. We stopped going to school and heard the sounds of ambulance sirens sounding non-stop from the main street.

Then, one morning, I woke up in a panic. Our whole building was shaking. I heard screams from my friend Sasha’s house, who lived opposite ours. We were all scared. The war began to approach our neighborhood; we were bombarded with shelling and trembled with fear.

I remember Dad’s hug. He hugged, and hugged, and then hugged me again with all his might. He said that men are not allowed to leave the country and that Mmom will take care of me until it’s all over. I saw Dad and Mom wiping away tears from their eyes. Mom quickly packed me a bag with some clothes, and we fled.

We drove non-stop on broken roads and unofficial paths and switched cars once. Night came and we continued our journey. The whole time, I was really cold. I remember my mom taking off her sweater and covering me with it. I missed Dad a little.

A day passed, and another day, and we were still traveling. Every time I got hungry, my mom would buy me some food,

Dvir here.

One of the things that caught my attention as I landed in Moldova and was immediately thrown into working with the refugees was the children. I met Ukrainian children and their mothers everywhere I went – at the synagogue that was retrofitted to become our logistics and command headquarters for the entire operation which has been codenamed Operation Orange Wings; at the various refugee camps I visited with my fellow volunteers; and at the border crossings.

These children left their toys, their school, and their friends in the bombed-out Ukraine, and now they help their parents here in Moldova, in a new country where they don’t even know anyone. The fact that they can still find joy even in their current situation brings hope to their distraught mothers and grandparents. I see these children as real heroes. Many of these children are the same age as Chaim and Itzik, my children, so it’s very special for me to be able to help them and their parents.

I’m currently working on assisting many refugees who want to come to Israel

Hi, this is Vitaly again.

I just want to tell you that Mom and I crossed the border into Moldova, and I’m not cold anymore. We have been sleeping at night with many more Ukrainians who fled

The fact that they can still find joy even in their current situation brings hope to their distraught mothers and grandparents.

the wa, too. Right now, after lunch, I think I will go out looking for friends to play with while Mom rests.

Hi, we’re together – Dvir and Vitaly – and we’re in Chisinau.

We wanted to update you and tell you that it’s really fun here. There is plenty of candy, and we play together with a few other friends we met here.

In the meantime, volunteers are helping Mom so we can board the upcoming flight to Israel. We also want to say a huge thank you to United Hatzalah for this great project, which is on an international scale, for kibbutz galuyot (bringing the Jewish people from the Diaspora back to Israel), and for bringing hearts together. There is nothing like this in the world.

Hi it’s Dvir once again.

I wanted to share with you this photo of me and my new friends. In a moment, we will finish arranging what is needed, and they will be on a rescue flight to Israel tomorrow. In the short time I’ve been here, just a few days, I’ve made such a strong connection with Vitali and a few other children. I won’t soon forget this experience, and I am thankful to have been a part of it. Our team helped Vitali and his mother cross the border, we helped them again in the refugee center, and I helped them arrange the details of their flight so that they can be on their way and begin their new lives in Israel.

Before we said our goodbyes and Vitali headed for the airport, we hugged. Haveinu shalom aleichem.

Dvir Adani is one of more than 150 emergency medical service personnel from United Hatzalah of Israel who have volunteered for a minimum of two weeks each assisting Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. As part of Operation Orange Wings, the group of EMS volunteers was the first international aid team on the ground in Moldova and has to-date assisted tens of thousands of refugees at the border crossings, inside the capital city of Chisinau, at refugee centers in the country, and has provided more than 80,000 hot meals to refugees. The organization has also flown more than 2,000 Ukrainian refugees to Israel on chartered planes while delivering medical equipment, medication, and supplies to refugees both inside Ukraine and the surrounding countries.

Chesed Center CLOTHING DRIVE

The Chesed Donation Center picks up all your unwanted clothing & housewares items and distributes them to local Gemachs within the community. WE ACCEPT:

CLOTHING | SHOES | TOYS | HOUSEWARES | ELECTRONICS | ODDS & ENDS

THE CHESED CENTER PROVIDES TOYS AND CLOTHING TO OVER 6,000 FAMILIES.

THAT EXTRA CLUTTER SITTING AROUND YOUR HOUSE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE

IN OUR DONATION DRIVE!

shwekey