State orphanages in Ukraine are depressing, even in the best of cases. In the worse cases, they are places of neglect, abuse, malnutrition and decay.
A kind reader directed me to an alternative. A Jewish alternative.
This is Tikva Children's Home in Odessa:
Tikva rescues Jewish children from state orphanages and institutions. It saves them from the streets of Ukrainian cities. And it integrates them into a quality Jewish school where intact Odessa Jewish families are proud to send their children. It gives them the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. And it facilitates graduates to emigrate to Israel, where they can enjoy full citizenship without the social stigma of being Jewish, or of being orphaned.
A Light Onto the Nations. In action!
A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit Tikva, and also to meet Tikva graduates at the Hillel in Odessa and Kiyv, as well as here. While children are encouraged to make aliyah, they are also provided an opportunity to go to college/trade school in Ukraine and strengthen the Jewish community there.
ReplyDeleteWhile the orphanage is run by Orthodox Jews in an Orthodox spirit, they care for their children regardless of level of observance. I was really impressed by them!
Cool! Do you think that model could scale at all outside the Jewish community in Ukraine? Are there other private orphanages? How do they perform?
ReplyDeleteYes, there are. There is the often mentioned "evil priest", Father Mikhayil, then there is at least one smallish orphanage run by born again Christians, two Catholic ones and a Hungarian Reformed Church sponsored one near the Hungarian border. I do believe there are others. These are not very well known, because in Ukraine kids usually can't be adopted from private orphanages.
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