The Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic has begun to plan and coordinate help to refugees arriving in the Czech Republic since the very beginning of the crisis in Ukraine.
In an initial phase, it allocated the accommodation capacities in the various Jewish communities across the Czech Republic, and organised volunteers to help with either interpreting or psychological support and established an emergency team.
The Federation is in daily contact with Jewish communities in the neighboring countries as well as with the Czech government for better coordination of the aid.
In total, individual Jewish communities in the Czech Republic have assisted about 200 refugees. The biggest influx has been to Prague. The Jewish community in Prague has activated a team of professional community social workers and volunteers who have been in daily contact with the refugees for the past 6 weeks.
Community members offer temporary accommodation, provide meals, material help (clothes, basic hygienic supplies, household goods etc.), assistance with applying for temporary protection status, social counselling incl. medical care, transport and accompaniment and assist with finding a longer-term accommodation.
The Lauder school in Prague opened two classrooms for children of kindergarten and primary school age. At the same time, the school hired two Ukrainian teachers who are also refugees. They additionally started an afternoon social club for Ukrainian teens.
This help would not be possible without community volunteers who have been helping selflessly, whether with donating household goods and clothes, providing logistics support or organizing leisure activities for refugees.
Members of the community have provided shelter to individuals and family groups of refugees in their own homes. The younger generation also got involved in helping.
A team of madrichim is organising a Pesach lunch for teenagers, combined with an outdoor game.
The community helps both Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during this difficult time.
This Passover, Czech Jewish communities invited refugees to a Seder so that they could celebrate freedom and peace together with all their Ukrainian friends.
