Thread by @andrewkimmel

I am in Moldova and will use this thread to share stories, videos, and photos while on the ground here.

DAY 1: Started the day linking up with @UnitedHatzalah, an Israeli-based group of doctors/volunteers. Over 50 people from the org are now on the ground and are running a massive operation shuttling refugees from the border to their makeshift base… a temple in #Chisinău.

Rabbi Saltzman of Chișinău has opened the doors to his temple to provide shelter, medical attention, & food to refugees as well as space for @UnitedHatzalah (give them a follow) to work on logistics + operations. He is now sleeping in his car after giving his own bed to refugees.

Busses of refugees arrive to the synagogue and are checked in. It is all elderly and women with children and some pets. The journey here has taken some 3-4 days and this is still just another stop of many. One woman waved & laughed as she walked by and gave me a hug. #Moldova

Rabbi Saltzman shares that ~50 Jewish refugees brought their torah scrolls to his synagogue for safekeeping as they continued on with their journey. United Hatzalah volunteer Yael translates. Note that families (women/children) are currently living in the chapel of the synagogue.

A Ukrainian woman from Kyiv named Avigayil has taken shelter in the synagogue's chapel with her three boys... a six-month-old, a three-year-old, and a five-year-old. #Moldova

A number of dogs and cats made the journey across the border. A grandmother calmed her grandson by pointing out the different animals to him. #Moldova #russianinvasion

Still many videos and photos to go through... but I must wake at 6am and need sleep. Tomorrow I'll be picking up an elderly couple from the border and transporting them to the field hospital outside of the synagogue and then following a group of Israeli clowns to a refugee camp.

Here is one of the clowns I met tonight teaching a trick to a young Ukrainian boy. #Moldova

DAY 2: Starting the morning picking up two elderly refugees near the border to bring to the city. #Moldova

The couple, Anna/Jacob are from Kyiv. They fled on a bus that brought them far away to the southern border of Moldova. They hadn’t been offered food/water for two days. Jacob has cancer & struggles to walk. Taking them to the airport. @UnitedHatzala chartered a flight to Israel.

Anna and Jacob have been dropped off at the airport and are now on their way to Israel.