To leave a combat zone, you can’t call a moving van.
Katya and Ivanka stuffed what they could into a backpack and left their home in the Ukraine. They traveled for three days without ever sleeping in a bed.
It was grueling, but better than what they left.
Mother and daughter had hid for a week and a half in a basement. They heard the air raid sirens close to a dozen times a day. Ten-year-old Ivanka cringed every time she heard a noise.
Today, the young women are in America. There one of the families being helped by the Storm King School. The students and faculty are providing clothing and other necessities for people who arrived here with almost nothing.
On April 20, Katya was a guest at the school. She sat in the front row of the Walter Reade Jr. Theater and waited to address the students and teachers. Despite her ordeal, she blended with the crowd. She could have easily been mistaken for a young member of the faculty.
Zhenya Kiperman, the director of film and video production at the school, invited me to the program introduced me to the guest of honor, and suggested that for the protection of her family we omit her last name.
The first thing I noticed was Katya’s ability to speak English. When I complimented her, she explained that she works for an international company.
“Ukraine is a very innovative country,” she said proudly.
Her husband and her dog are still there. She said that her husband and his friends purchased protective vests and have been fighting in the war. Katya said the government has discouraged other people from joining the combatants, claiming that the Ukraine has enough people fighting.
When Katya escaped, her smartphone went with her. It’s enabled her to speak to her husband every night.
She follows the war’s progress from the television reports, but she doesn’t know if her home is still standing.
Despite her proficiency in English, Katya wanted help when it was time to address the audience. She reverted to her native language while Anya (a Ukrainian student) served as the translator.
Katya thanked her hosts for their help and explained why Ivanka wasn’t with her. The youngster has attended school in Newburgh for the last two weeks.
On Wednesday, one of her new friends was having a birthday party in class and Ivanka wanted to be there.
With the help of a translator, Katya described her wartime experiences and her escape. “Most important,” she admitted, “we’re alive and safe.”
The talk didn’t last long. At the end, Mr. Kiperman invited the audience to ask questions. “Will you come back to the Ukraine when it’s over?” a woman inquired.
Katya didn’t wait for the translator. She responded in English. “Every day,” she said, “I pray it will be in the nearest future. I watch the news every day and will go back as soon as it’s safe.”
Epilogue: Katya’s address was the first item on a lengthy morning program. Before the next topic was introduced, Mr. Kiperman asked for permission to speak to the audience. “Let’s not take America for granted,” he said, while calling attention to the school’s clothing drive, which has been led by a Russiaan student. The enmity between Russia and the Ukraine are not apparent on the campus. Mr. Kiperman came to the United States from Russia 30 years ago. He is urging people to contribute to www.cashforrefugees.org, a charity that helps Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
