Donations go to Roma in Ukraine

Ukraine Family Connections Donates to Roma in Ukraine Today I met with a lovely Ukrainian woman who is here in NYC for a Holocaust Memorial at the United Nations. Yuliaand her son Fedor are here as representatives of the Roma ("Gypsies") of Ukraine. Along with the Jews, the Roma people were also targeted for extermination during Hitler's reign of terror in WWII. Today the Roma people are the poorest of the poor in Ukraine and still face persecution and discrimination. It was an honor to spend time with Yulia-- even though we struggled at times with our language barrier ( my Russian is very simplistic), I could easily see that Yulia is a lovely woman with a deep desire to help her people. Her foundation is working to create an orphanage, school and home for the elderly to serve the Roma people. Ukraine Family Connections donated two large bags of clothing and toys for Yuliato bring back to Ukraine. Here is a list of clothes that came from the generous families and corporations that have supported our ministry: 3 Veggie Tale sweat pant sets 5 Veggie Tale farmer jean and shirt sets 2 blue sweat pants 2 red sweat pants 1 farmer jean 1 set undershirt and underpants 5 short T-shirts 2 Winter hats 1 brown long sweater-- adult 1 long down ladies coat 1 down men's jacket 2 down children's jackets 3 children's sweaters 4 girls blouses 6 baby bottles Assorted stuffed animals, dolls and matchbox cars The Persecution of Non-Jewish Groups Jews were not the only victims of the Nazi regime in Germany. In keeping with their policy, the Nazis took action to suppress various racial and social groups and to remove them from society. The Sinti and Roma (the “Gypsies”) who lived in Germany were the main non-Jewish targets of the Nazi race theory. The disabled and mentally ill were perceived as a burden on German society, and as such were banished from it. In the late 1930s they were murdered under the guise of “euthanasia.” The Nazi list of “undesirables” included individuals and groups such as homosexuals, alcoholics, and homeless vagrants. Ideological opponents such as Communists or members of certain churches, were persecuted even if they were considered members of the “Aryan race.” Visit the UN Holocaust Remembrance Site Exibit Marking International Day of Commeration Documents Plight of Roma, Sinti