Dear Friends and Family,
This June, Michelle and I will again travel to Poland to support JCC Krakow. I will cycle 60 miles from Auschwitz-Birkenau to the JCC with 250 other riders during the 2025 Ride For The Living. Michelle will volunteer packing food for Ukrainian refugees or performing other tasks for the Centre.
This year’s Ride is taking place at an extraordinary moment in history, with ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel and an increase of antisemitism worldwide. Some of you may be surprised to hear that there is a thriving Jewish community in Poland, in the shadow of one of the biggest atrocities in human history. Since 2008, JCC Krakow has been a beacon of hope, reconnecting Jews to their culture and community. With over 1,100 Jewish members, including a Senior Club with 60 Holocaust survivors (five from Ukraine), a Hillel with almost 70 members, and the first Jewish preschool in Poland since WWII, Krakow’s Jewish community is flourishing.
But wait, there’s more: In the last three years, JCC Krakow has opened their doors and their hearts by providing humanitarian assistance to over 400,000 Ukrainians, (98% of whom are not Jewish) and hundreds of displaced Israelis who fled (to Krakow) after the October 7, 2023 attacks. Every day, refugees line up for food, attend language classes, and receive assistance in locating employment and permanent housing.
We are incredibly excited to once again support this organization as we embark on the 10th annual Ride For The Living! We pay all our own travel expenses. All money donated goes directly to the JCC to help them continue the amazing work they do.
Please consider making a donation to this worthy cause. You, too, can make a difference in the lives of so many.
Rich and Michelle