Odessa during the war: US senators and ambassadors heard about the children of ‘Mishpaha Ukraine’

In war-torn Odessa, a meeting took place that quickly turned from protocol to personal.
The Chief Rabbi of Odessa and southern Ukraine, Avraham Wolf, received a high-level delegation: the US Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishina, as well as Senators Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Coons, and Jeanne Shaheen, who arrived in the region on an official visit.

Formally, reported by Chabad Odessa on February 19, 2026, the discussion was about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. But the focus of the conversation unexpectedly shifted — to the children.

“Mishpacha Ukraine”: 25 years of work and new meaning during the war

Rabbi Wolf told the delegation about the project “Mishpacha Ukraine” — an institution that the Jewish community has been running for over 25 years. With the onset of the full-scale war, this home has become not just an educational space, but a safety zone for children who have lost their familiar reality.

In Odessa, where sirens have become part of everyday life, “Mishpacha Ukraine” continues to provide children with housing, education, medical care, and psychological support.

Here, children celebrate birthdays with cake and balloons, learn, and celebrate Jewish and state holidays — even when explosions are heard outside the windows.

In the middle of this story, it is important to understand: such projects do not exist by themselves. As previously noted by NANews — News Israel | Nikk.Agency, the sustainability of Jewish humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine largely depends on international support and long-term partnerships.

Reaction of the American delegation

According to the meeting participants, the conversation made a strong impression on the guests.

The US Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis noted that the stories of specific children touch especially deeply:

“When you hear about a child who grows up here, learns here, lives their childhood — with joy and a smile on their face — while there is a war outside the window, and this child remains calm, celebrates holidays and birthdays with cake and balloons… — it touches the heart.”

The Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishina emphasized that the work built over the years and continuing even in wartime conditions commands respect and trust.

The price of responsibility and the search for partners

Rabbi Wolf directly outlined the problem: caring for children is not only a moral mission but also a daily responsibility. Education, nutrition, medicine, safety, psychological support, future planning — all this requires serious resources.

“We are looking for partners who understand what is at stake.”

Today, it is not only about immediate help but about the future of children whose childhood is passing under the sounds of war.

For international partners, this is also a test — how much declarations of support for Ukraine turn into sustainable mechanisms of assistance on the ground.

The Odessa meeting showed: the humanitarian agenda remains one of the most sensitive and convincing arguments in Ukraine’s dialogue with allies.