Julia was a young mother working as a restaurant manager in Ukraine. She, her husband, Stas, and their son, Sasha, had a good life together in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine. However, storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, Julia and Stas were forced to make one of the most difficult decisions parents can face. Julia would later state, “Stas and I decided we could not have our son living in such scary conditions, not knowing what might happen the next day.” Julia fled Ukraine with her four-year-old son; she was forced to leave Stas, her brother, and her mother behind.
When Julia and Sasha arrived in the New York area, she lived with her aunt. Julia and Sasha needed clothes because their luggage was lost during their four-week journey from Ukraine to the United States. Her aunt helped by creating a Facebook post in a community group that shared Julia’s story and asking for clothes for the young mother and her son.
In Mahwah, New Jersey, Harvey Weinberg, a member of Beth Haverim Shir Shalom, was working with a group of congregants who were looking for ways to help people who had been displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A member of the group recalled the post and reached out to see if Julia and Sasha needed more help. Two synagogue members met with Julia, Sasha, and Julia’s aunt. They realized that there were many more ways they could help.
After the meeting, Harvey and incoming synagogue president Linda Schwartz led the members of Beth Haverim Shir Shalom, pooling the congregation’s resources to help Julia and Sasha acclimate to their new lives. Harvey reached out to a friend at JCC Rockland, who was able to get Sasha enrolled in preschool within a week at no cost. A friend of the synagogue was able to find a job for Julia, and several donors gave money that helped Julia and Sasha find and move into an apartment.
After Julia secured a job, Linda worked with other synagogue members to arrange a carpool for her and Sasha. The carpool was comprised of 10 volunteers who would drive Julia and Sasha to work and school in the mornings and would take them home at night. Julia’s willingness to face challenges and her persistent sense of humor endeared her to the members of Beth Haverim Shir Shalom. Julia and Sasha developed deep friendships with the volunteers during the next four months.
As Julia and Sasha began to adjust to their new lives, Harvey shared that he, “felt compelled to capture and memorialize [Julia’s story] in some manner.” He approached Julia with his idea to create a documentary that chronicled her and Sasha’s journey. She welcomed the opportunity and said, “let’s make a movie.”
Harvey and Linda, along with the synagogue’s executive director, Iris Greenberg, produced a documentary about Julia’s journey. Harvey created a detailed outline for the documentary, which spanned 11 scenes and five locations. He recruited Kyle Dubiel, who had grown up at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom and gone on to study film production at New York University’s Tisch School, to film and edit the documentary.
"Julia's Journey: A Story of Love, Courage and Hope" premiered in the spring of 2023 at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom. More than 250 people attended, including representatives of Ukrainian churches and cultural centers. At the premiere, everyone basked in the warm evening, watching an example of tikkun olam that had taken place in their own backyards. As they watched, the message of the film became clear. As Harvey stated, “we all can impact the lives of those we meet by offering help, a smile, a hug, and a shoulder to lean on.”
Julia and Sasha are now flourishing in their new home, as is their relationship with Beth Haverim Shir Shalom. As Iris says in the film, “they are in our hearts forever.”
"Julia’s Journey: A Story of Love, Courage, and Hope" is meant to be shared. If you would like to show it to your community, please reach out to hbweinberg@gmail.com. You can also watch a short trailer.
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