When a group of 15 helicopter pilots in a fighting unit of the IDF went looking to donate their time and funds to a community project, they homed in on a center welcoming Ukrainian refugees. The Education and Care center in Bat Yam is one of seven — created and funded by UJA — to help refugees traumatized by the war acclimate to a new environment.

Under the guidance of Alex, a Ukrainian immigrant who had been a carpenter before the war and now works as a ceramics instructor at a care center in Haifa, the pilots built and painted an inviting new play area.

Kids and parents delighted in the new space as they celebrated the new year. (And very small kids looked particularly adorable trying on the pilots’ gear!)