EJP | News | Eastern Europe | Chabad brings Chernobyl children to Israel

	Saturday, July 04, 2009 12 Tamuz, 5769

News

France

Germany

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

EU-Israel affairs

US 2008 ELECTION

Iran - Holocaust

Conflict in Gaza

Voices

Culture

In Depth

Mideast Crisis

World Cup

On Anglo Jewry

Week at a glance

France Election

EU and Annapolis Summit

News from outside of Europe

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Mumbai Terror

DURBAN II

WILLIAMSON

The Calendar

Links

Chabad brings Chernobyl children to Israel

Updated: 12/May/2006 16:42

Page tools

	Email to friend
	Print this page
	Bookmark this page
	Add your view

On the recent 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown disaster, Jewish movement Chabad brought 23 children from areas at risk of contamination to Israel.

The group of youngsters are all suffering from cancer as a result of the nuclear contimanation effecting their parents. They were airlifted into the holyland from the danger zones in Belarus and Ukraine on April 26 to receive medical treatment as part of Chabad's Children of Chernobyl (CCOC) programme.

This airlift was the 72nd of its kind conducted by the CCOC which has brought over 2,000 Jewish children between the ages of 6-12 to Israel over the last 20 years.

According to the CCOC, 90 percent of these children are in need of immediate medical care and receive daily treatment and counseling at their specially designed campus at Kfar Chabad.

Quick reaction

Chabad acted soon after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in 1986. In 1990, parents living in the danger zones became worried for their children and appealed to the late Lubavitcher Rebbe for help and assistance. COCC was born and has continued to assist the children in need, regardless of the media spotlight.

"Today, the world is focused on the Chernobyl catastrophe with anniversary speeches and ceremonies," said CCOC Director Yossie Raichik. "Then it's back to business as usual. Our response to Chernobyl is to act to continue and expand our programs, which alleviate the pain on a daily basis, in Israel and in the irradiated regions.

“This outstanding initiative is undertaken in partnership with Jews from every corner of the globe, who believe that life and health are the birthright of every child. We remember the children the world has forgotten."

CCOC also assists the parents and other children left behind in Ukraine and Belarus. The organization has set up a mammography centre in Zhitomer in the Ukraine, and has regularly brought food and medicine to those in need.

Continuing connections

Last year, doctors from the Minsk Thyroid Cancer Center came to Israel for two months training under the auspices of Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl. And a year before that, a doctor was sent to the United States.

These acts are especially important as children not even born at the time of the meltdown continue to be affected by thyroid and other cancers.

According to a statement by Greenpeace on the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, "The number of people who will get sick and die because of the radiation from Chernobyl is still rising - and will do for many decades to come. And that horrific legacy is still being discovered as the extent of the medical impact of the disaster continues to manifest itself in the range of illnesses being seen in those affected."

Day in history

4 July 1976

The Entebbe Rescue

256 hostages from an Air France plane are held prisoners by Palestinian terrorists and Ugandan soldiers at Entebbe airport.

After 8 days they are rescued by Israeli commandos in a brilliant ruse under the command of Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister, who was shot in the back during the rescue.