Jewish charity supports thousands of Ukrainian refugees to rebuild their lives

London (Feb. 25, 2025) - Three years on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian agency World Jewish Relief reveals the remarkable impact of STEP Ukraine, the U.K.’s largest employment program for Ukrainian refugees.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. By March 2023, approximately 170,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the U.K. facing significant barriers to employment, primarily due to limited English proficiency. Recognizing these challenges, World Jewish Relief, which has a nine-decade history of supporting refugees, launched the STEP Ukraine program in August 2023, aiming to provide English language and employment training to Ukrainians escaping conflict.

Funded by the U.K. Government, STEP Ukraine has become the nation's largest employment program for Ukrainians displaced by war. Just 18 months from the launch of the initiative, World Jewish Relief reports more than 13,000 Ukrainian refugees have received intensive English language training and one-to-one employment support, with 99% improving their English language skills. As a result, 65% of participants are currently employed.

The scheme has aided many remarkable people including Alex Lidagovsky, a prominent Ukrainian sculptor whose studio was destroyed during the conflict. After being forced to flee from his home, Lidagovsky joined STEP Ukraine and was supported by World Jewish Relief to establish himself in the UK. He has since secured high-profile commissions and was accepted into the prestigious Royal British Society of Artists.

At the heart of the program’s success is the shared refugee journey of Ukrainians and Jews. Founded in the 1930s, World Jewish Relief played a key role in the Kindertransport, the 1938 rescue operation that saved 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis. During the 1940s and ’50s, the agency continued to support tens of thousands of Jewish refugees, many whose records are preserved in its archives. World Jewish Relief’s Chair, Maurice Helfgott, is the son of Sir Ben Helfgott, a Holocaust survivor who was brought to the U.K. after the war through a scheme devised by the charity. It is this legacy that inspires World Jewish Relief, many decades later, to continue supporting individuals fleeing war.

“Inspired by our Jewish history and values, we empower people within and beyond the community to build fulfilling and prosperous lives for themselves: the highest form of Tzedakah (charity). The outstanding success of this program is a testament to the courage and determination of Ukrainians,” says World Jewish Relief Chief Executive Paul Anticoni.

In addition to working with Ukrainian refugees, World Jewish Relief has supported more than 330,000 people inside Ukraine with lifesaving and life-changing assistance since the start of the war. To find out more about the Jewish response to conflict, crisis and disaster, visit www. worldjewishrelief.org.