EnerJew youth movement participants raised over six thousand dollars this Chanukah to help a little girl from Nikolayev, Ukraine. 6,404 candles were lit by EnerJew members and their families, translating each candle into charity money under the fundraiser setup.

The fundraiser exemplified EnerJew’s overall shift from consuming to giving this year. “We moved on from the prize-winning competitions of previous years, which motivated participants to light Chanukah candles in order to win attractive prizes – to lighting and sharing, caring and giving, with no personal gain whatsoever, only a pure inner desire to share light and genuinely help a person in need, a young neglected Jewish girl, “ said Konstantin Shulman, EnerJew director.

EnerJew members across the FSU exceeded the highest expectations. A team of volunteers that searched the web for hours, counting each candle, was amazed by the project’s incredible reach and high response. Many thousands from beyond the EnerJew family were exposed to EnerJew and its spirit of giving and light.

“We are grateful to all the teenagers who participated in the campaign. Thanks to their actions we raised money for Sophia, our little heroine, who very much needs their help and support,” said Irina Chernobryvetz, director of LifeChanger FSU, a human services organization that is helping the little girl from Nikolayev and many other children in need in the area.

The resulting $6,404, provided by the fundraiser’s matching sponsor, have been transferred to LifeChangerFSU, where they will towards providing Sophia with the best medical treatment and help tackle a long series of cognitive, behavioral, social and economic problems experienced by Sofia and her family.

One of EnerJew’s core values is the transformation of Russian Jewry from passive to active, from receivers to givers, from inactive to involved. 2017’s Chanukah project illustrates clearly EnerJew’s great achievement in this respect, influencing its members, their families, and communities.