Students Fleeing Ukraine

Imagine what it feels like to be enjoying life with your family – studying in school only to have everything turned upside on you and your world shattered. This is how many students felt in Ukraine with the war. My online bar mitzvah student told me that for his bar mitzvah, he wants to make an impact and help displaced students from Ukraine. At CoolCantor, we not only learn how to sing the Torah portion confidently, we also learn and look for ways to make an impact in the world and share goodness and kindness and help others who are in pain and in trouble. My student and I found a program at the University of Toronto which provides funding for students fleeing Ukraine to continue studying at the University in Toronto without the fear of war and death.

The Scholars at Risk Award Program supports undergraduate and graduate students:

* who are, or have been within the last five years, asylum-seekers or refugees anywhere in the world (regardless of status in Canada), or    * whose current or proposed program of study has been impacted by changing political environments in their country of current or future study, including changes in immigration law, or* are studying on a temporary basis (e.g. exchange) at the University of Toronto during a time of conflict or political turmoil in the country in which they are registered. These students would have special registration status. To be eligible you must be:

* A student who is, or has been within the last 5 years, an asylum/refugee seeker anywhere in the world (regardless of status in Canada); OR whose current or proposed program of study has been impacted by changing political environments in their country of current or future study, including changes in immigration law; or
* A registered full-time student or a newly admitted student, or a student that has accepted an offer of admission as a transfer student to an undergraduate program on a full-time basis at the University of Toronto for the upcoming academic year, or
* A student studying on a temporary basis (e.g. exchange) at the University of Toronto during a time of conflict or political turmoil in the country in which they are registered. These students would have special registration status.
* A student that can demonstrate financial need.

My online Bar Mitzvah Student learned in Hebrew School years ago how to read the Hebrew language which set them up nicely to be able to learn the Torah portion with me. But he was seeking a much more holistic and well rounded online Jewish education when he came to me at CoolCantor. With me, we also learned Jewish values such as helping the less fortunate and sharing our resources with those in need. My online Bar Mitzvah Student will always remember his bar mitzvah, because it was more than a one hour event of singing. Instead, it was also a time in his life where he gave the gift of education to asylum-seekers and he knows that this was a transformative gift for the recipient with an education that can improve his life and the life of his future family.