Yuliya Shteynberg

The past few days at Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk have been a blast. Yesterday, in my opinion (and I think in many others too) was especially fun. We finished our second day of yard work in the Donetsk Hesed and our hard work really paid off. There is now a freshly painted fence, flowers, a playground and gorgeous yard. The ceremony to celebrate the new yard was an extravagant - there was dancing, singing, performances of Russian rap, etc. A lot of people showed up, and it was great to see the community that we were helping. The best part, though, happened in the evening and continued well into the wee hours of the morning. We had a dance party in the gazebo with the American, Dnepro, and Donetsk “rebyata”. Techno music blasted, and everyone was letting loose on the dance floor. We even played a Russian group game that had everyone laughing and having a great time. Back at the hotel room, we talked about how well we were getting along with the Ukrainians, despite language and culture differences. Everyone has been giving us such a warm welcome and it’s so amazing to meet people from different countries (and improve my Russian too). I feel fortunate to have the ability to speak to The Ukrainians in their Native language so I feel I can truly communicate and build friendships with the Dnepro and Donetsk kids. I became у close with two of the Donetsk boys and decided to give them NYC t-shirts that I had brought along as souvenirs at the end of their last night with us. Their reaction was truly touching – I could tell that they were so happy to receive the gifts and they expressed the most sincere gratitude to me. They immediately putt on the shirts and we took pictures, everyone with beaming faces. Last night was such a heart-warming experience, and I steel feel happy when I think about the boys. This trip has been amazing so far end I know I will continue to have some more unique and fun experiences as the trip goes on.