As the new academic year approaches, JRNU (Jewish Relief Network Ukraine) and LifeChanger UA have once again joined forces under the “Together to School” initiative to deliver new school backpacks to thousands of Jewish children in need across Ukraine. The principal beneficiaries are first-graders, although some older students facing urgent needs also received backpacks.

This annual campaign, serving Ukraine’s most vulnerable Jewish children and their families for nearly a decade, reflects a long-standing commitment to humanitarian and educational support, now more essential than ever amid the ongoing crisis.

“The school backpacks initiative,” says Rabbi Simcha Levenhartz of JRNU, “is only the tip of the iceberg. Our organizations, each focusing on different social and humanitarian aspects, provide holistic treatment to every single Jewish child in need and their extended family, ensuring they can grow up healthy, strong, and independent.” His sentiment echoes those of previous years—highlighting that these efforts are far more than one-off distributions; they are part of a sustained, multi‑layered support system.