ODESSA—Stephanie Hatton, left, and Anne Friendly of the Jewish Business Network atop the Potemkin Steps overlooking the Black Sea harbor. The pair will address the JBN Monte Carlo Night Feb. 9.
Jewish Business Network to hear report from Odessa
By Deborah Moon
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When the crowd rolls in for Monte Carlo Night Feb. 9 at the Jewish Business Network’s second annual fund-raising event in Vancouver, they’ll get a first-hand account on one of the three charities receiving proceeds from the evening.
In November, JBN members Stephanie Hatton and Anne Friendly traveled to Odessa, Ukraine, for eight days to visit the “Good Family Orphanage,” run by Chabad Rabbi Avraham Wolff and his wife Chaya. At the Feb. 9 “A Day of Hope: Betting on a Brighter Future,” Hatton will give a multi-media presentation including video shot by Friendly highlighting the orphanage.
In November, the orphanage was home to 55 orphans ranging from 2½ years old to university age. While some of the children in their care are true orphans, others come from abusive homes or their parents gave them up because they could not afford to raise them.
“It’s amazing that Chabad over there is going to raise these children through adulthood, through marriage,” said Hatton. “They are not looking for adoptive homes becaue they’re afraid the kids would end up in homes as bad as they came from; therefore, they have whole childhoods of expenses to cover.”
In addition to taking in children, Chabad also tries to help families stay together.
“Before Rabbi Wolff takes a child in, he does everything in his power to keep the child in their home (assuming there is no abuse etc.),” said Hatton. “He gives money and meals to many, many families throughout the city and nearby villages. This includes families of some of the children who live at the orphanage. Every month their commercial, kosher kitchen puts out 8,000 packaged meals to feed the needy.”
Hatton said 12 families have moved to Odessa from Israel to help the Wolffs raise the children.
“There’s lots of good caring people caring for these children,” she said. “They look fine, but they have the stigma of being orphans. Chabad works hard to make them feel part of a family.”
Hatton said the orphanage currently rents space for boys’ and girls’ dorms, but recently has purchased a dilapidated building it plans to renovate and turn into a new boys dorm, cheder and social hall. The children attend one of five Chabad schools in Odessa, she said.
Last year, Clark County’s JBN raised money to provide cultural and exercise programs for the orphanage.
“We want to continue helping them round out their lives with exercise and culture,” she said of the goal of this year’s fundraising event.
The other programs benefiting from the event are JBN’s Family Fund, which provides financial support to families in need and grocery gift cards for holiday meals, and Camp scholarships to Clark County’s Camp Gan Israel.
“A Day of Hope” will be held 7:30-10:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton. The cost of $45 includes dinner, dessert buffet and chips for the Monte Carlo event. Tickets for a “Chance Auction” are available at the event and online. Winners need not be present to win prizes such as a Nautlius Elliptical, two-carat diamond tennis bracelet, $1,000 shopping spree at any Westfield Mall store, a Nintendo Wii and a 42-inch flat screen TV.
During the event, guests will have the opportunity to sponsor “A Day of Hope” for a child at the orphanage, a new dress for Rosh Hashana, a gift for Hanukkah or special treats for Passover.
For event or chance auction tickets, visit www.thejbn.net or call 360-450-3256.