In 2017 DansDeals needed a redesign after using the same blog format since 2007. We enlisted the help of DDF Member, avid traveler, and web designer, Suave. For the project he moved to Ukraine to work with a coder there, and eventually wound up settling down in Odessa.
He has been working 24/7 over the past 30 days helping get people out of Ukraine and setting up shelters, medical care, refugee intake centers, and so much more.
He shared a beautiful post on our forums giving a glimpse of the past month:
A month has passed since I heard the first explosions in Odessa. So many lives lost, so many yidden saved. So many hearts shattered, so many hearts healed. So many families torn apart, so many reunited. So many frozen bodies, so many warmed souls.
Time is a now a volatile currency with fluctuating exchange rates. Night comes before I even get the chance to greet the day gone. Stubborn weekdays only recently started making room for shabbos. My calendar is no longer a grid, just a persistently linear path of no return.
The days are not numbered by dates of the month, but by the wins & losses, missions accomplished and lives saved.
Every day I learn something new about myself, something great about my friends and this forum. The skills acquired and lessons learned in the past month can not even be taught in 10 academic years.
It’s clear to me now that Hashem has prepared me for this unfathomable challenge my whole life. Somehow I’ve been preparing for this unforeseen tragedy from the day I was born (At a prison in Soviet Russia no less).
I’ve traveled the world in search of adventure, I’ve traversed barren landscapes looking for purpose. I’ve lived out of my backpack for so many years, that I’ve forgotten how to iron my shirts.
Finally, after 20 years of life changing journeys, I settled in beautiful Odessa (after spending time here building the new dansdeals.com). Somehow in this faraway land of ancestral tribulations, I found the perfect place to plant my roots. I bought an apartment with all my life savings and started working on making it a home. My insatiable wanderlust was slowly being replaced by a sense of tranquility and belonging. Begrudgingly I’ll admit that the universe has finally shown me where I can rest my tired feet.
BOOM! BOOM! The falling bombs shattered the silent night. Confusion & disbelief stormed into the pre-dawn serenity. No time to think, no time to cry. Grab what I can, stuff my well worn yet now dusty backpack. What now? Where do I run? Go home? But this is my home… My instincts tell me to run for safety but my heart suggests that this is bigger than me… Swim against the tide, fly into the eye of the storm, where others will flee to. Here I am, a full month later, a nomad again, back to the transient life. ויעקב הלך לדרכו
I still don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow, but I know I won’t be alone. I have no idea if I’ll ever see my home again, but I’m confident that fate will lead me to where I’m needed most. My destiny is now undeniably woven into the fabric of the Jewish nation.
The sounds of redemption are still masked by the cries of anguish. Millions of lives are still in danger, so many souls that still need saving.
I’m so grateful to have friends like you (including many DDF’rs who I’ve never met IRL). So many of you have come through in ways I never expected. I won’t list each one, as the list is long – but know that I appreciate every single one of you regardless of the help you offered.
לשנה הבאה בירושלים!
On a final note, Suave shares that The Ukraine Rescue Mission is funding and doing incredible life saving work and 100% of donations there are being used to evacuate people from Ukraine and provide essential assistance to refugees.
“Mr. Harry Adjmi and the amazing members of the Sephardic Community spearheaded this fund and aside from the huge financial support and various resources they are providing, I have been in touch with Harry and his team from the beginning of this nightmare and they continuously make it possible for me to provide the needs of so many individuals and families and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. They have done literally life saving incredible work. If you can, please make a donation to them here.”
This post on @DansDeals Forum is a microcosm of Jewish history. "Suave" was living in Odessa when Russia attacked. He immidiately mobilized to help rescue as many people as he could. Please support his efforts herehttps://t.co/v08g3YR49F pic.twitter.com/5NuwrB2K9W
— Leibel (@Squilled) March 24, 2022
You can follow along the latest developments in Ukraine on DDF here.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Pray for peace!
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16 Comments On "DDF Member Suave Shares His Thoughts One Month After Fleeing His Home In Odessa And Continuously Helping Refugees"
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Beautiful!
Thank you for sharing!
Written so eloquently. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the reference to a good address for donating. I’m sure there are many organizations that are doing what they say but it’s sometimes hard to know…
Thank you Suave for all that you do! You are an inspiration for us all! May we soon be able to join you in greeting Mashiach!
Thank you Dan for highlighting some of the good the DDF community does.
Suave – beautifully written, very proud of the selfless work you’re doing. Keep it up!
@Suave i always knew you are a great designer, i always knew you have a heart of gold. I now know you are a great writer as well.
May Hashem protect you and everyone else in Ukraine.
@JJ speaking about the website, it’s about time every page/post gets a next and previous button on the top and bottom so we don’t have to go back to the home page every time to get to the next deal.
I don’t think modern sites have that.
that wasn’t really the point of the post………
Unbelievable.
If you didnt read, their developer is trying to save lives as we speak. Maybe when the war ends he’ll have time to work on Dan’s Deal’s buttons so you don’t have to go back to the home page every time to get the next deal.
P.S. Do: “open in new tab”.
still trying to figure out those pictures
“My calendar is no longer a grid, just a persistently linear path of no return.”
Excellent! Very well written.
Are you able to warm your hands, Shushan misses you!
Wow beautiful writing so articulate thank you