A mother and her son in need of help. The extraordinary decision of the great-granddaughter of a Polish Resistance Movement fighter. Go behind the scenes of American Jewish Committee’s humanitarian mission to the Ukraine-Poland border crossings and refugee reception centers and discover what it’s really like to be a Ukrainian fleeing Russia’s invasion and find out how Poland and its citizens are giving a masterclass in welcoming refugees. Aldona Zawada of AJC’s Warsaw-based Shapiro Silverberg Central Europe Office shares the emotional story of how the AJC delegation helped a mother and son who were fleeing Ukraine, and how her great-grandfather’s experience in the Polish Resistance Movement in World War II informed her own family’s decision to open their home to refugees.

Then, AJC Director of Social Media Julie Lenarz recounts what images have stayed with her from her time at the border, and how AJC is using social media to assist refugees and hold Russia accountable.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Aldona Zawada

(15:40) Manya Brachear Pashman and Julie Lenarz

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Show Notes:

AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund

Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression

Listen to our latest episode: The Historical Irony of Jews Fleeing into Poland

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Clouded Futures and Big Hearts: What Life is Really Like for Ukrainian Refugees