On August 21, 1998 in the ancient city of Lviv appeared Hesed, the first in Western Ukraine.  It has been given a courageous name – “Lion”. In translation from Hebrew “hesed” means “mercy”, consequently “mercy in Lviv”.

Within 9 years of its existence “Hesed-Arieh” assists needy elderly Jews, members of their families and the Righteous Among the Nations.

Its first 450 customers currently turned into more than 5000 people form big communities of  Boryslav, Drohobych, Sambir, Stryy, Ivano-Frankivsk and other small towns and villages. 

Social assistance to the needy people is not the only goal of our Foundation.  Its activity is also intended for the cultural revival of Jewish community, preservation of the huge Western Ukrainian Jewish cultural and historical heritage. Numerous Jewish festivals, exhibitions and conferences are organized within the atmosphere of mutual understanding and tolerance. Following  our first steps in the field of communal-cultural activity, currently we can boast of six festivals of Jewish book (2000-2006), communal festival of Jewish applied art ”Flamed-mane Lion” ( 2005) and three International festivals of Jewish theatrical art “Constellation of Lion” (2002, 2004, 2006), scientific conference “Andrey Sheptitskiy.  The dialema of choice under the conditions of totalitarian regimes” and the international inter-confessional students’  camp “The Ark”, etc.

We extend our deepest thanks to those who provide the financial means to make all this work possible: the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) which programs are supported primary by contributions to the annual campaigns of the Jewish Community Federations throughout North America in partnership with UJC. Our welfare programs are carried out with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and major ongoing funding is provided by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews; World Jewish Relief (UK); the 1998 settlement of class action lawsuits between victims of Nazi persecution and the Swiss Banks and ICHEIC restitution funds.

Additional Jewish renewal activities have been made possible thanks to the support of the Posner family through the United Federation of Greater Pittsburg; the Schusterman Family Foundation; Last, but certainly not least, on behalf of the children, we thank Edward and Carol Kaplan for having the vision and generosity to provide the initial funding for the Children’s Initiative in Ukraine, as a result of which so many Jewish children-at-risk are, for the first time, beginning to experience some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

We will be very grateful for your donations which will be used for the development of the programs of Our Jewish Home.
Your donations are always welcomed at our bank account:

Lvov Regional Jewish Charitable Foundation “Hesed-Arieh”
Acc.  2600201013839  in  the 2nd Lvov Branch JSC “Kredobank” MFO 385372,
ACC. 55059307  JSC “KREDOBANK”; LVOV, UKRAINE; SWIFT: WUCBUA2X
Intermediary bank:
Bank of New York (New York, USA); SWIFT code: IRVTUS3N
IBAN  number: 25552210

Amos Avgar was delegated by “Joint” to former Soviet Union in 1992 when former socialist countries experienced a real threat of hunger. The first decision was immediate distribution of food packages. The first 20 thousands of food packages were distributed by 14 representatives from Israel.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the largest international Jewish humanitarian assistance organization in the world. Established in 1914 by an ad hoc coalition of North American Jewish groups to channel funds to starving Jews in Palestine and Europe during World War I, JDC has played a critical, often life-saving role in most important events in 20th century and 21st century Jewish history. Today, JDC is a constant in the lives of the world’s poorest Jews, providing life-sustaining aid while helping new and older generations connect with their Jewish heritage. And with decades of relief and development experience behind the organization, JDC effectively provides non-sectarian assistance to non-Jews worldwide who are victims of natural and man-made disasters.

JDC is proud to celebrate 95 years as a trusted partner that propels vulnerable Jewish and non-Jewish communities from dependent to self-sustaining.

How unnoticed time goes on! Eleven years have passed already... Eleven years ago in a solemn atmosphere a ribbon was cut, signifying the "Hesed-Arieh'' opening in Lvov .

For 11 years the amount of wards, served by Hesed highly grew up. From the first days of the Hesed's existence such programs as "Feeding", "Care at home", "Volontery", "Rental of medical equipment", "Club", "Hesed on the wheels" began to work.

Time went on. Hesed developed. Together with growth of amount of the wards, a spectrum of fulfilled services broadened.

New programs appeared. The "Rental" programme have provided 170 persons in 1998, and 830 units of equipment were delivered in 2002. "Care at home" program was created to help the not mobile and slow-moving patients, 170 persons were served by this programme in 1998, and nowadays - there are more than 600 people.
Six new dining-rooms were opened, and total number of them reached seven: two in Lvov, five in a region.

For people who can not visit the dining-rooms due to the state of the health, a programme "Dinners on wheels” appeared. And for those, who can’t leave the house and who needs the special diet, the "Products on a house” programme set to work in January, 2003.

The "Mokhed” ("Communal help") program have extended its activity, and now it is engaged in washing the linen, and repairing of the shoes, does other necessary services: haircutting, bathing, conducts disinfection in apartments. Within the "Moked” program, the design bureau "KB-volunteer" is working successfully, where the devices for wards with the limited physical possibilities are made and designed.

A lot of volunteers work In Hesed, without which our activity is impossible. There are 350 persons for today. Unfortunately, the amount of volunteers went down lately. "Old troops" leave, and young people aren’t in a hurry to take their place.
Eight years ago we established a new service - the curators. Due to work of curators we see the picture of necessary help to a wards more clearly.

The Program "Sounded book" takes under its care peaople who are blind and poorly seeing. They have a possibility to listen to the books recorded to the tape. The quantity of this program’s wards grew up from 53 to 90 persons.

The "Mazl Towe” program for pregnant women and families which have a child under 3 years, started its work in October, 2000. For today more than 150 babies are engaged in the program.

In June, 2001 the program "Daily center" ("kindergarten for old men") started working. Today it counts 90 participants.

In February, 2000 the "Hesed Arieh” branch was opened in Drogobitch city – “Gur-Arieh”, which has already been helping us with a half in distribution of all programs in the Lvov region.

Medical program which began from a pharmacy in Lvov, where our wards could get medicines with a 50% discount, today grew into the powerful network of different medical services.

Consultations of doctors-specialists, dantist help, operations on treating the cataract, hospitalization on vital indexes - here is the incomplete list of their activity.

A Club is show-case window of Hesed. Here we celebrate every shabat on every friday, here every wednesday and every sunday of different concerts are waiting for you, meetings with interesting people, literary and musical evenings etc. While our library have become a favourite place for receiving the spiritual energy not only by wards but also by employees.

The community programs appeared when it became clearly, that not only old people turn to Hesed and not for social help. Young people, children and people of middle age, began to come to Hesed searching for communication, for Jewish values. So there appeared the Jewish youth theater "Debut", choreographic ensemble "Jewish miniatures", klesmers orchestra, art-studio, "Family club" program, child's developing program "Beyteynu", computer class, the "Bubbot” puppet-play, Museum of history of the         Galisian Jews, and a group of studing the Jewish traditions.

Annual Book festivals, which are held by Hesed during the last 10 years!

And the First international theatrical festival, which was organized and held by Hesed in Lvov in November, 2002!

Yes, a lot of work is done for the last 10 years! And, certainly, without JOINT’S support it wouldn’t be possible for us to make such a pleasant conclusions today. During all these years JOINT always was a friend, helper, adviser, and the main – a sponsor. Thanks to JOINT from all of us!

Of course, not all in our work is smooth yet. Not everything and not always turns out the way we want it to, but we are opened for criticism and ready to listen to any remarks. We want to hear your voice very much, our dear friends! In fact all our work is directed on you, we want you to live better and merrier!

Ada DYANOVA

We are Lvivers. We are in love with our city. We are very strange because grey and tangled Lviv is dearer for us than any other spacious city. We  are Lvivers. It means that we are experts in good coffee. It means that we love jazz. We love hot chocolate in old “Chocolate bar”. We love good painting and photographing. We are Lvivers, it means - we are theatre-lovers. Moreover, we can speak Ukrainian, Polish and Russian. No matter whenever we were born in Lviv- yesterday or 70 years ago, we are united by our city. Our Lviv, Lvov, Lwow, Lemberg, Leopoles. 

During 10 years of its activity our “Hesed- Arieh” has taught a lot. We can:

·   to look after deserted graves

·   to look for lost relatives

·   to look for the roots of deceased families

·   to assist in hotel booking, food, in arrangement of tours and everything connected with Jewish places

tourism of Galicia.

In our turn, we are in great need of sponsors for:

·   maintenance of our Jewish Center, our Jewish home

·   assistance to not sufficiently provided Jewish children and families

·   assistance to talented Jewish children

·   assistance to young invalids.

Respond, please! We are waiting for you!

Ada DYANOVA

“Here the nurses have come
and brought us real holiday,
because they brought their warmth,
big hearts and never-ending charity ”
R.Y. Finkler,  92 years old , Hesed’s customer

“My dear employees of “Hesed-Arieh”. Do not be surprised with the word “dear”. You are dear for me and my family because we do not have anyone except you… I suffer from hypertensia and osteochondrosis and am invalid of the 2nd group, I am already 92 years old… From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank the staff of “Medical program” for its care, kindness and warmth “.
A. Pevzner, Hesed’s customer

“Thank you for the concert. I express the opinion all people who attended it. . Hurrah!  Very good, I like it. May they come again!”
M.N. Drutman and Hesed’s customers from Chervonohrad.

“Your assistance , kindness sympathy are so rare nowadays. I receive it for the second year and can not believe- is that possible at all…”
І.V. Stan’ko, Hesed’s customer, town of Horodok

… there are no words to express  my gratitude for what you have done for a stranger from a  remote settlement . I look at the picture of the grave you tidied up and it touches my heart and I find peace of mind. For many years with my husband we are not able to visit the grave in Lviv and make order there … May God bless you!”
М.О. Sal’man , town of Kamyanets-Podil’skyy , Chmelnitsk region

“...thank you for your assistance in treatment of our daughter Sofia.  Thanks to you s we could undertake the rehabilitation course in International clinic in Truskavets several times. After each treatment Sofia feels better and better. At first she could only crawl, then started to walk on her knees and now  she stands up… our  biggest wish is to make first steps independently … Due to your open  and big heart we have not been left alone with our own problems . You grant us a hope for the happy future...”
Grateful parents and Sofia,  customer of “Beiteinu program, “Hesed-Arieh”.