As local Roman Catholic schools prepare for Easter and local Jewish business leaders prepare Passover, they seem to have been inspired to help Ukraine by a sentiment similar to that President John F. Kennedy expressed in his inaugural address.
Archbishop Stepinac High School’s student body, members of the administration, faculty and community gathered March 16 on the school’s front lawn for a prayer service for the victims of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The service was conducted around a flagpole displaying the Ukrainian flag, which will continue to fly on school grounds.
In a social media post, the all-boys Roman Catholic school, located in White Plains, noted: “We implore the Holy Spirit to change hearts and minds and we pray for the immediate end to Russia’s illegal war on the citizens of Ukraine.” The Stepinac community has also raised more than $2,100 to help the victims.
At another all-boys Catholic school, Iona Preparatory in New Rochelle, Chaplain Rev. Justin Cinnante, O.Carm., has been encouraging the students to pray the Rosary – and enjoy cannoli afterward. On March 9, the idea that began with a few dozen Gaels, as the students are known, drew more than 130 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. After the Rosary – offered for the people of Ukraine – in Iona Preparatory’ s Upper School chapel, students were treated to cannoli from Domenick’s Nepperhan Italian Pastry Shop in Yonkers, donated by an Iona Prep family. (And yes, we know it’s Lent, but desperate times call for desperate measures.)
Thoughts and prayers must translate into action: Aquiline Drones (AD), an American drone manufacturer and cloud technology company based in Hartford, is teaming up with the local Jewish community to bring some relief to Ukraine with commercial drones and pilot training for search and rescue activities, delivery of essential supplies to the vulnerable and enhanced communication among refugees and human rights volunteers. Ukraine has been home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities with 400,000 citizens, according to the World Jewish Congress. As a parallel, the United States boasts approximately 3.5 million Jewish residents, more than 118,000 of them living in Connecticut.
“Ukraine is the birthplace of some of Judaism’s most distinctive ideologies and traditions that have been adopted across the globe, directly impacting residents in our own backyard,” said Barry Alexander, founding chairman of Aquiline Drones. “Throughout history, the Jewish community has had its share of trials and tribulation, and, with the latest conflict in Europe, we now have the technology to help save lives and mitigate the suffering for both this cherished community and its neighbors in Ukraine.”
As an initial plan, AD will donate 40 Spartacus Hurricane drones to Ukraine through the American government. It is calling on the greater Jewish community, as well as the business population in general, to help support this mission by purchasing and donating Spartacus Hurricane and Spartacus Max commercial drones. For more, email humanitarian@aquilinedrones.com.
