Maccabi World Union has set up a special task group to rescue members of its movement from Ukraine, it said Thursday. The initiative was led by Maccabi Europe, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and led by chairman David Beesemer and president Dagmar Gavornikova.
To date, about 500 members of the movement have been directly or indirectly rescued from Ukraine - to Slovakia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Germany.
Maccabi Ukraine has 3,000 members in 20 branches in seven major cities.
Amir Peled, chairman of Maccabi World, says: “Maccabi Europe is providing all those who have left Ukraine with food, clothing, housing, absorption and enrollment of children in schools, and ongoing support for all their day-to-day needs.”
The movement is operating a service of dozens of buses and vehicles that are available to members who wish to leave Ukraine for neighboring countries.
Work is currently underway to evacuate 120 members of the Ukrainian Maccabiah delegation so that they can participate in the 21st Maccabiah, which will take place in July in Israel.
Peled says Maccabi Ukraine members who are interested in immigrating to Israel will receive full assistance for their absorption.