Meet Mariia Estrina Director of the Hesed-Arieh Fund & PKU Partner
In the city of Lviv, Mariia Estrina leads Hesed-Arieh, an All-Ukrainian Jewish Charitable Fund serving 2,500 clients across the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia regions with the support of 270 employees. At this stage of her life, Mariia describes her work as requiring maximum dedication and inner strength — and offering profound meaning in return.
Mariia’s Jewish journey began at age eight, when she transferred to a Jewish school. It was there that her understanding of community and responsibility first took shape. As a university student, she coordinated STARS programs and the International Jewish “What? Where? When?” League. Professionally, she later worked as a chief analyst at a large Ukrainian company, developing the strategic and systems thinking that now guides her leadership.
Volunteering has also shaped her path. Together with her husband — for whom service is a way of life — Mariia has led numerous volunteer initiatives supporting the Jewish community. Their greatest inspiration, she says, is their children, Natan and Eva. “For the future in which they will grow up, we do our best,” she says.
When reflecting on her childhood, Mariia recalls Jewish cuisine as a living archive of memory and belonging. “Cooking was a ritual,” she shares. “Recipes were passed down from elders to the younger generation, along with family stories and memories of our ancestors. The house would fill with familiar aromas that signaled comfort and unity. They reminded us that the most important thing is to be together.”
Mariia’s connection to Project Kesher Ukraine began when she was very young, through the Shalom Bayit project led by Halyna Havrylyna. “It was the first time I experienced true women’s support — warmth, acceptance, and deep understanding,” she says. “Throughout my life, Project Kesher has appeared precisely when help was most needed — timely and gentle.”
Last year, Mariia completed a leadership course through PKU that became a turning point. “I gained new tools and knowledge, strengthened my belief in myself, and found the courage to think on a larger scale.” Today, the relationship has grown into a formal organizational partnership, with Hesed-Arieh and Project Kesher implementing joint programs for and about women.
She describes the Project Kesher community as a rare space where strength and vulnerability coexist — where doubts can be shared openly and new resilience is born. “Such a community gives the resources to move forward and to take on greater responsibility — for oneself, for others, and for the future.”
For Mariia, the support of the Jewish community is a foundation. “It is the feeling that you are not alone — that your dreams matter and your path has value. That support inspires me to keep developing, to participate in social and professional initiatives, and to implement projects that carry meaning beyond personal success.”
Through professional leadership, partnership, and personal commitment, Mariia works to ensure that Jewish life in Ukraine remains vibrant, strong, and united.
“For me, this is an inner calling — to pass on traditions, support one another, and build the future together.”