Report by the OLAM umbrella group finds organizations worked well together during the crisis; interviewees express discomfort at prioritizing Jews, found amateurs got in the way

Jewish aid groups worked well together in responding to the humanitarian crises caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, collaborating with one another instead of competing and helping ensure that Jewish refugees were well cared for, according to a survey published Wednesday.

When Russia launched its brutal invasion, a wide variety of Jewish groups, some of which were experts in humanitarian aid and others that had only limited experience in the field, were forced to spring into action as Ukrainian cities and towns were bombed. These attacks caused both a massive refugee crisis — the largest in Europe since World War II — as people fled their homes, and major issues for those who wouldn’t or couldn’t leave.

To assess the response of those groups to these crises, the OLAM network of Jewish and Israeli global service, international development and humanitarian aid organizations commissioned a survey, having researchers conduct intensive interviews — with a promise of anonymity — with 25 representatives of 21 organizations. They included the Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV, the Jewish Agency for Israel, World Jewish Relief, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Chabad, HIAS, IsraAID and others. The report was compiled by Rosov Consulting, a company that specializes in giving advice to Jewish organizations.

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