The Mishpacha Children's Home and Orphanage announced that it welcomed two new young residents this week, expanding their current number of children to 127.
The brother and sister, ages three and a half and one and a half, arrived at the orphanage in a weakened state. Their single mother, who had raised them on her own since birth, battled constant increasing hardships due to the continuing war.
As the children's health declined, the Ministry of Welfare intervened before their situation became more critical. With the help of a Chabad emissary in Kyiv, the siblings found a new home at the Mishpacha orphanage.
"The mother's situation was incredibly challenging," explained Rabbi Avraham Wolff, Chabad emissary, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine, who co-directs the orphanage with his wife Rebbetzin Chaya. "One of the children has particular health needs, so we've provided them with a dedicated medical nurse to closely monitor their recovery."
This news follows the remarkable journey of the original residents of the Mishpacha orphanage. Displaced by the war, they were evacuated to safety in Germany, when the war began over two years ago.
The Displaced orphans return to Odessa under better terms
After a year and a half, these children returned to Odessa for a special occasion: the opening of the orphanage's new, expansive building located at 15 Italian Boulevard in the city center. This new facility will serve as a central location for the children's education and provide them with a variety of enriching activities throughout the day.
Mr. Igor Shatkhin, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Southern Ukraine, said, "Following the war, we continue to admit more and more children to "Mishpacha" and provide them with a warm home. It is impossible to imagine their future without the orphanage."