[[{“value”:”

Youth perform at a girls’ talent show organized by the Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Missions.

A Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Missions volunteer paints a child’s nails during a pre-Shabbat program.

The Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Missions volunteers took Tikva youth on a fun ski outing in Brașov, Romania.

Seventeen New Jersey teens and young adults spent their winter break bringing joy, love, and connection to 175 displaced Ukrainian Jewish orphans in Romania. Six sophomores from Heichal HaTorah in Teaneck, NJ and 11 women in their twenties from Lakewood, NJ participated as two separate contingents on a Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Mission to the Tikva Children’s Home.

Among the Heichal HaTorah students was 16-year-old Eli Reich from Springfield, who was excited to participate. “I realized this was an opportunity to do something special and make a real difference in the lives of these kids,” he says. “I jumped at the chance to spend a week fully focused on connecting with fellow Jews and helping where I could.”

That same enthusiasm was shared by Lakewood’s Chanie Frank and Tzirel Max, both in their 20s. “I was intrigued, having heard amazing things about the trip,” says Frank. “I researched and learned about the kids and teens at Tikva, who’ve been through a lot and just need love. I knew I had to go help.” Max adds, “When I was accepted to participate, I felt it was a sign that Hashem knew I was capable and ready to give my best. Opportunities like this don’t come every day, and I was excited to see where it would take me.”

Since 2005, more than 5,000 teens, college students, young professionals, adults, and retirees have participated in over 300 Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Missions in more than 25 national and international locations, from Israel and India to Rwanda, Kentucky, Texas, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico. This was the OU’s 13th mission to Romania to support Tikva, a shomer Shabbat orphanage that fosters 175 orphaned, abused, or abandoned Jewish youth from infancy to age 21. Founded in 1993 in Odesa, Ukraine, Tikva relocated to Romania in early 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Rabbi Ethan Katz, Director of the Fred and Rose Distenfeld OU Relief Missions, says the volunteers aimed to give the children a winter vacation to remember. “We travelled for 20 hours to uplift the kids’ spirits and convey that Jews around the world care about them,” he says. “Tikva is their home. They don’t leave for winter break. We have an obligation to take care of them, as the Torah commands. Being part of a Jewish community means ensuring that these refugees are cared for through our donations, missions, and acts of kindness.”

Throughout the week, the volunteers organized daily programming that began with davening and included sports, arts and crafts, baking, and creative activities like a carnival and glow-in-the-dark party. They led a ruach-filled Shabbat, hosted a barbecue with hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers brought from the U.S., and took the children on outings like laser tag and downhill skiing. At night, the volunteers recited Shema and sang Hamalach with the children at bedtime, an experience Reich recalls with fondness.

“We were with about 20 kids,” he says. “Some sat at the edge of their beds and sang with us. The beds weren’t more than two feet apart, but each was decorated with the kids’ unique bedding that seemed special to them. As we finished Hamalach, the children started saying their own prayer in Russian together.”

Frank and Max both bonded with two little girls. “A child showed me a drawing she had made for me with my name on it, which I loved,” says Frank. “I thanked her, then made her a bracelet out of rubber bands. She stood on her chair and gave me a huge hug and kiss. These children don’t just want to be loved; they are so loving. They taught me so much and I am very grateful.”

Max had a similar experience when she beaded a bracelet for another child. “The smile on her face and the hug she gave me will remain with me forever,” she recalls. “The bracelet was inexpensive, yet it was the most precious thing to the little girl. It showed how happy these kids are with whatever they are given.”

Rabbi Katz says that insight is exactly what participants gain from the mission. “When you go to Tikva, or work with similarly vulnerable populations, you see that life isn’t easy and it puts your priorities into perspective,” he says. 

All three volunteers returned home with valuable takeaways.

“Retrospectively, language wasn’t a barrier,” Max says. “We connected through a mix of Hebrew, Russian, a few English words, pointing, dancing, drawing, and hugs. Even a smile became its own form of communication. I also learned the importance of acknowledging every person. You never know how a simple ‘hi’, wave, or smile can make someone feel.”

Frank was moved by the children’s genuine joy, even after the hardships they endured. “One might imagine the children could be intense because they went through so much,” she says. “But at the end of the day, they are just young, pure kids. I expected the mood in the orphanage to be down, but everyone was upbeat and ready to have fun. I loved being part of that positivity and energy. People crave love and connection no matter who they are; you can never give too much.”

For Reich, the mission highlighted the strength and resilience of the Jewish people. “At the orphanage, I witnessed and developed deep connections,” he says. “The sensitivity that the children had for each other was really special. That level of perseverance was not something I had seen before; some of their backgrounds seemed overwhelmingly difficult, yet they consistently demonstrated deep compassion, empathy, support, and a sense of security toward one another. The sense of familial bond and love that Jews across the world feel with one another runs much deeper than I could have imagined.” 

“}]]|Read More    5 Towns Jewish Times