A few words from Aaron
My name is Aaron Kahn, and I’m raising money for Ukrainian Jews who are urgently in need of help. To do this, I’m performing Kol Bayaar on piano, a traditional song that originated in the Jewish community of Ukraine. It is said that both the text and melody were composed by the renowned righteous man Reb Arye Lei, who was known as the Shpoler Zeide, having lived in the city of Shpole in Ukraine.
All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will be divided up between 3 charities specializing in helping Ukrainian Jews. The first is the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which is providing emergency aid to vulnerable Jewish communities in Ukraine. Another third of the raised money will go towards Rabbi Bleich, one of the chief rabbis of Ukraine, who has set up a donation site to raise funds for the evacuation of Ukrainian Jews and the creation of Jewish refugee camps. The third charity is The Survivor Mitzvah Project. This charity brings emergency aid to Holocaust survivors in Ukraine, many of whom have been unable to evacuate due to health problems and need support.
More information on these charities can be found in these links:
- https://www.ifcj.org/
- https://www.charidy.com/HelpKyiv/Rabbibleich
- https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/world/ukraine-holocaust-survivors-cnnheroes/index.html
