Israeli Pro-Ukrainian festival raised money for an ambulance for Ukraine and aid to IDF soldiers

In September 2024, the NGO Israeli Friends of Ukraine will purchase a fully equipped ambulance for emergency medical care in frontline areas suffering from Russian aggression as a gift to Ukraine.

Funds for this were collected from many hundreds and thousands of ordinary Israelis. The lion's share of donations was received as part of the pro-Ukrainian festival, Khutir Nezalezhnosti (Independence Hamlet), on 24 August 2024. More than 3,000 people took part in this mega-event, coming to Tel Aviv to celebrate Ukrainian music, cuisine, and folk crafts in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day.

"The charge of energy that we received from thousands of people at the Khutir Nezalezhnosti festival gives us the strength to continue our work until Ukraine's victory and Israel's victory, despite all the difficulties our countries face. The huge number of people wishing to attend the festival shows that the topic of supporting Ukraine remains important for many Israelis — and this is encouraging," said Anna Zharova, co-chair of the organization Israeli Friends of Ukraine.

Thanks to the successful holding of this most important pro-Ukrainian cultural event of the year in Israel, more than 100,000 shekels (more than a million Ukrainian hryvnia) were collected.

Vyacheslav Feldman, co-chair of Israeli Friends of Ukraine, said the organization plans to purchase an ambulance in Western Europe, equip it for Ukraine's needs, and send it to one of the country's frontline cities. Among the options for such cities are Sumy or Chernihiv, which constantly suffer from Russian shelling.

Part of the funds collected in Israel will also be used to purchase "dry shower" kits for soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Such hygiene kits allow soldiers to wash in the field without a shower during combat operations. The sets will be purchased in Kyiv and delivered to Israel.

"Both countries that we love — Ukraine and Israel — are currently in the midst of wars for the survival of their peoples. Therefore, we consider it very important to assist both Ukraine and Israel in such a difficult time," Vyacheslav Feldman emphasized.

He also said that he constantly receives responses and comments from ordinary Israelis and IDF soldiers in support of Ukraine.

"When we conduct events on behalf of the organization Israeli Friends of Ukraine to prepare and distribute Ukrainian traditional food like varenyky at military bases near the Gaza Strip, we hear words of great sympathy for Ukraine from the soldiers. The defenders of Israel have a complete sense that our peoples are allies and are fighting for common values, for freedom, independence, for their home and their relatives," Feldman noted.

Participants of the 2024 festival.

Text: Shimon Briman (Israel)
Photo: Facebook page of the NGO Israeli Friends of Ukraine