Volunteer Hackathon

The Volunteer Hackathon brought together 62 volunteers united by a single goal — to support the local Jewish community and its beneficiaries on the path to meaningful improvements and to create conditions for the community’s growth and development in a renovated space!

One of the key tasks of the Hackathon was not only to address the community members’ needs but also to help commemorate the memory of Hesed’s director, Dmytro Marksovych Spivakovsky, who passed away unexpectedly. This initiative was supported by partners — the company “Metrovest” and the organization “Ruah Tova,” which provided funding for purchasing materials to improve the premises for holding various community events at Hesed.

The Hackathon involved 54 volunteers from 15 Ukrainian cities and 8 local activists. The concept of this practical workshop is based on two goals:

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Before arriving, volunteers did not know their specific tasks, the people they would work with, or what exactly they would be doing.

Over four days, the Hackathon participants, divided into groups with distinct tasks and areas of responsibility, completed a massive amount of work that not only gave new life to the community but also helped unite it in a shared aspiration for improvement.

At Hesed, three volunteer teams accomplished the following:

Community Memorial Hall for Dmytro Marksovych: Walls were treated and painted, ceilings plastered and painted, radiators painted, all sockets and switches replaced, new chandeliers and wall sconces installed, and clock decoration completed.

Community floor (children’s area): Volunteers helped complete an original mural by children participating in Hesed’s programs on two walls; columns in the main room were painted white and decorated with Jewish motifs; the children’s room wall was painted and adorned with an original sketch.

Day Center: Walls were treated and painted, all sockets and switches replaced, walls decorated for Passover; volunteers organized two sessions with a psychologist and dietitian for elderly participants, plus a charitable photo shoot, gifting printed photos to the seniors.

At the Jewish cemetery, a volunteer team cleared 2.5 square meters of graves in the Jewish section, cutting trees, mowing grass, and removing up to 15 cm of soil buildup on some graves.

Additionally, at the request of an elderly beneficiary from Zaporizhzhia (“Hesed Michael”), who learned that volunteers from his city were participating in the Cherkasy event, volunteers located his mother’s grave (buried in 1954), cleaned it, and sent him photos - he hadn’t visited her resting place in decades!

Three other volunteer teams successfully completed cosmetic repairs in the apartments of low-income elderly community members: renovating kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways by plastering and painting ceilings, re-wallpapering, and replacing sockets and switches.

As part of the Hackathon, a Shabbat and Havdalah were celebrated with the Cherkasy community members, along with a model Passover Seder to remind everyone how they would celebrate the holiday the following week.

Events like this demonstrate the unity of Ukraine’s Jewish community, showing that we are responsible for each other not just in words but in deeds - a true expression of support and care. On the other hand, this event shows that all great, meaningful changes lie in our hands and our unity!

The Hackathon is not only about volunteer potential but about our community, our responsibility, our capabilities, and our unity in the desire to build the future of Jewish communities in Ukraine!