Remarkable Courage

#BAKETHEWORLDABETTERPLACE #NOWAR

Good morning bread friends,

As I write this the world is witnessing the unfolding events of a war in Europe, the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since World War II. It has been 5 days since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The unprovoked aggression from President/Dictator Vladimir Putin is now being met with severe economic sanctions, as well as investigations for war crimes. But on the ground, this war is being met with a defense mechanism that only ordinary people can mount.

I’ve been blown away by the remarkable courage and dignity of people in both of these two countries that suddenly find themselves at war. From the comfort of our own couches, it may seem that anxiety and despair are the only natural reactions for us to have to yet another major and disastrous news event happening in the world. Today, I want to encourage you to find hope in humanity by admiring the convictions of ordinary people finding themselves in anything but ordinary times. 

Hundreds assembled in Russia’s second-largest city to protest on the first night of the invasion of Ukraine.

Since the war began, there have been anti-war protests in dozens of cities across Russia. Let that sink in for a moment. In a country where it is illegal to speak ill of your government, the courage of these anti-war protestors is awe-inspiring to me. They know that they are putting themselves in danger, and yet they show up to give voice to their conscience in this moment. Unsurprisingly, it has been reported that thousands of Russians have been arrested as they gather to show their support for peace. And yet something tells me that people of good conscience in Russia won’t stop showing up to oppose the brutal desires of their president. 

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And the courage of Ukrainians as they defend themselves from invasion is something that perhaps only pictures can begin to capture.

A man standing in front of a convoy of Russian military vehicles attempting to enter his home of Kyiv.

A nurse caring for newborns in a makeshift bomb shelter inside of the basement of a Ukrainian hospital

80-year-old man who showed up to join the Ukrainian army carrying just a small bag of clothes and sandwiches. He said he was doing it for his grandkids.

Married the day before… Yaryna Arieva & Sviatoslav Fursin spent their first day of marriage signing volunteer Ukrainian army papers and collecting their rifles to defend their country.

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Yesterday my wife made these beautiful Ukrainian garlic buns called pampushky (recipe). It may seem small, but in our household food is a common way that we purpose to be mindful of people, cultures, and/or traditions.

She shared that she was inspired in part by a line by Sam Sifton in the NYTimes Cooking newsletter the other day that read, “It can be hard, on these days filled with dark and terrible news, to imagine that cooking can do anything more than provide base sustenance. You’re making a chocolate sheet cake? You’re rolling out pasta? What is the point of that?

The point is to celebrate humanity even when others seek to destroy it, to find joy amid sadness and above all to show love, the emotion we need to embrace most of all when conflict soars.”

While I’m not selling pampushky this week- I thought that these dinner rolls were really excellent. I decided to share the recipe for these in case making and eating them might be a nice carve out of time for you to be praying for, or meditating on, the people of Ukraine.

Donations this month

As you know, Bread & Justice is a philanthropic enterprise dedicated to fighting injustice. Each month we select a different nonprofit to donate 100% of our profits to. Typically our attention is focussed on the United States because there is more than enough injustice to combat here at home - but the war being waged in Ukraine seems to demand our attention. This community revolves around food and food justice, and while there are many worthwhile organizations to donate to, I was excited to learn that World Central Kitchen is on the ground already supporting families in need of food as they seek safety. From their website:

The UN estimates over 500,000 Ukrainians have fled since the attack began, with that number expected to rise dramatically. The journey is daunting, with many Ukrainian families traveling for days without food.

Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion and are now set up at multiple border crossings across the country. Additionally, we are supporting local restaurants preparing meals in Odessa and Lviv, two cities in Ukraine. WCK teams are also on the ground in Romania and arriving soon to Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary to see how we can best support.

As the situation continues to evolve, WCK will continue to help in the best way we know how, with a freshly prepared plate of food—and we're ready to expand our support for families in need.

If you buy a loaf of bread from us through the month of March, 100% of our profits will be donated to World Central Kitchen as they support families in Ukraine. So if you’re going to buy a loaf of bread this week, please do go ahead and pre-order your loaf now.

Peace,
Mo