EnerJew, the FSU’s Jewish youth movement, raised over $13,000 for charity this Chanukah in an annual ‘Giving Light’ fundraiser run together with the LifeChanger FSU humanitarian service. The money will benefit LifeChanger children in distress. 

This is the third year EnerJew is running the fundraiser, in which candles that the region’s Jewish teenagers light over Chanukah are matched by sponsors to become donation money for disadvantaged children in LifeChanger FSU’s project. LifeChanger provides all-encompassing support for Ukraine’s Jewish children in need, creating individual rehabilitation plans and following through with psychological, medical, humanitarian and pedagogical help. In the last two years the money raised through the Giving Light fundraiser covered rehabilitation for six children, while this year the funds will be used to help an entire family as well. 

“While lighting a candle may not seem like much, taking action and doing something good creates awareness that we are all responsible for one another and it is in our hands to make a difference,” said EnerJew director Konstantin Shulman. “Our teens get to see that it is their thoughts and actions that shape the future while helping others.”

EnerJew’s website recently published a video detailing how the money raised last year helped three children in Ukraine receive the help they needed and what progress they have made since.  This year the fundraiser was aimed to help little Vika, Zhenya, and Angelina – siblings from a disadvantaged family in the Mykolaiv region. The children are in dire need of individual rehabilitation and support and the money raised will go towards it.

This year’s fundraiser brought in $13,136 meeting the charity goal of $9,000 for the family – the additional funds will be used to help other LifeChanger children. This is almost $4,000 more than last year’s result of $9,640. The money donated is provided by the EnerJew fundraising partners.