By Jerry Masek
Ukraine is more than 3,700 miles from West Park, but for Jonathan Hejnal, it’s as close as his computer.
Hejnal, a third-generation American who lived in Ukraine for about a year (2018-19), has not slept much since the Russian invasion began.
He wakes up 3-4 times each night to check various Internet news sites and social media, to see if his cousins and “very close” friends are still safe.
He shares news quickly with his family. He returned to that nation in July 2021 for a visit.
So far, his friends and relatives are safe, but that could change quickly. They have moved to safer areas in Western Ukraine, or into Poland, but they are all working to support the resistance.
One cousin helps direct and care for refugees in Poland, and two others work to keep Ukrainian fighters supplied with essentials. Many male friends have stayed and are fighting.
One friend has gone from dancing to learning how to shoot a gun
TV news reports “are incredibly hard to watch,” Hejnal said. “But I have to. It’s on my mind 24/7.”
“What Russia is doing is absolutely horrendous. They are demolishing the country, and raping and erasing the Ukrainian culture. There is no rhyme or reason to where they are bombing, or how they are bombing. The US has not done enough to help them.”
On the other hand, he noted, “Social media has been a huge asset to relief efforts.”
Hejnal, 35, is a teacher and American citizen, but notes “I have been part of the Ukrainian community since birth, as a singer and a dancer. I have extremely close ties to Ukraine. Using Instagram and Facebook, I am in daily contact with them.” Getting through with a cellphone is “challenging,” for several reasons. “They are all incredibly busy. They are committed to staying there and protecting their homeland.”
“My friends are willing to fight and die for their homeland. It is an overwhelming fear of mine that I will wake up one day and learn that they are no longer with us. It’s a very hard time for us.”
“I despise Putin on a new level. He is an absolute maniac. He created a war, and we never asked for war. He is upset that we are a democracy.”
A lifetime resident of West Park, Hejnal now lives in the same house where his grandmother lived for 50 years.
“I ask people in West Park to stand with us. Don’t put the war on the back burner. We appreciate their support.”