Aid for a Holocaust Survivor & Ukrainian Refugee

Hi, my name is Kelly and I'm fundraising on behalf of my dear friend Anna's babushka, aka grandmother, Svetlana Lisitsina (born Gandler).

In early February 2024, Svetlana, an 85-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor and Ukrainian refugee, had her life savings stolen from her in a scam.

Svetlana was born in 1938 in Kharkiv, then Ukrainian SSR. During WWII, the Nazis captured Kharkiv and killed both her father and her newborn younger brother. She and her mother went into hiding until the city was liberated in 1943.

In 2022, Kharkiv received massive shelling from Russian forces and saw heavy fighting between Russia and Ukraine. At the age of 83, Svetlana went without electricity and heat for weeks during Ukraine's harsh winter. By spring, Svetlana's only living family, her daughter and granddaughter, were able to secure her passage to Israel. As a Holocaust survivor, she was able to get a visa and secure housing.

Since moving to Israel, she’s been enjoying sitting by the ocean when the weather is nice. She loves to read on her kindle and watch silly soap operas and Dancing with the Stars. She also loves flowers and has little pots around her apartment she tends to. One day in early February, a bank impersonator came to Svetlana's home and forced her to hand over her debit card. Even though she never revealed her pin, the following week her entire life savings ($19,000) had been removed from her bank account.

In July of this year, Svetlana will turn 86. The money she had (to pay for medical bills and end-of-life care) had been diligently saved from German reparations.

This fund will go into a US Savings Account in Svetlana’s name, which will be managed by her granddaughter, Anna. I'm creating this GoFundMe for Svetlana not only to help her financially, but to restore her faith that there are good and wonderful people out there who care. The world is not only made up of only pain and greed, but also goodness and love. Please share and donate what you are able to.