Izya Kravchenco lives in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, and is an active volunteer in the Jewish community with our partners at the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). On March 5th, Izya was in his home reciting the prayer for peace on Shabbat morning, when suddenly an air raid siren went off throughout the city. He immediately stopped praying and ran to the bomb shelter in the basement of his family’s home. When he arrived in the shelter, Izya couldn’t help but reflect on how these events were connected. On one hand, he was praying for peace, but on the other, Russian bombs were destroying his hometown. Izya was inspired by his prayers to take action and help his neighbors navigate this difficult time. “Peace cannot be built only by asking for peace,” said Izya. “We have to build it with our own hands.”