Odessa Schools Battle Bitter Cold

As a cold snap freezes the Eurasian land mass, Israel’s Army Radio is broadcasting stories off expatriates living amidst arctic weather conditions.

Chabad-Lubavitch of Odessa co-director Chaya Wolff told reporter Micha Fridman last Friday that the sub-zero temperatures are among the coldest she remembers since moving to Ukraine 18 years ago. The wind from the neighboring Black Sea has made it feel even colder.

“We wear a lot of layers, there’s no choice,” she said. “We live here and we continue to live here.”

Despite the cold, school remains open. Students, however, are wearing their jackets, boots and hats in class.

“The parents send their kids because there are some families whose homes are even colder than school,” added Wolff.

With the help of radiators, school officials try to keep the inside temperature to above 64 degrees Fahrenheit. But the city’s new Jewish orphanage, which was built with up-to-date technology, needed extra help.

“We had to fundraise from local community members to get extra blankets and radiators,” detailed Wolff. “We want it to remain warm and pleasant for the children.”