Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh - 2024 Scholarship Applications are available online.
Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh - 2024 Scholarship Applications
Scholarship for U.S. Students of Lemko Ancestry
Organization for Defense of Lemko Western Ukraine, Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
OOL Offers Scholarship for U.S. Students of Lemko Ancestry
Passaic, NJ, USA – April 25, 2024 – The Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna (OOL) is offering scholarship awards for the 2024-2025 academic year. Successful applicants will each receive a scholarship of $500. To qualify, students must meet the following requirements:
• Be of Lemko ancestry.
• Be enrolled as a full-time student in any year (i.e., freshman through senior) of an undergraduate program or trade school.
• Be a member of OOL (applying for OOL membership in parallel is allowed).
• Be a legal U.S. resident.
• Submit a 500-word essay on one of the essay topics below.
o Over the past year, how have you contributed to the Lemko-Ukrainian community?
o If you could study any topic that relates to the Lemko region, what would it be?
To apply, students must complete the application (and OOL membership form, if not currently a member), which can be found at: https://lemko-ool.org/ool/ool-scholarship-award-application/
Submission deadline is June 30, 2024. Please email admin@lemko-ool.com with any questions.
Obituary for Stephen Zinski (04.05.24)
Obituary for Stephen Zinski (04.05.24)
The psalmist wrote, or perhaps sang, “I rejoiced when I heard them say, let us go to the house of the Lord.” While grieving his loss, the people of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church rejoice in the reposing of our esteemed and beloved cantor, Mr. Stephen Zinski, and in his going to the house of the Lord. Steve lived his life for, and in, the house of the Lord.
He graduated from St. Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut and then from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC in 1969. He received his Master’s Degree in Science from Duquesne University on May 6th of 1973.
His surviving high school classmates to this day still refer to him as the best student in his class, a magnificent peer and a terrific basketball player who was loved by all his teammates and coaches. To those who came to know him later in life through his work making pyrohy at his church in Carnegie, he was viewed the same way: magnificent in character and beloved by all.
He served the people of God as a teacher in Catholic elementary schools in the Pittsburgh diocese, where he taught children everything from Math and Science to Religion and Music. It was common for grown men to stop him in public spaces and yell out, “Mr. Z!” Invariably they were once his students from his years teaching elementary school in South Side, Brookline or one of the various other neighborhoods within his beloved Pittsburgh. He served as cantor at St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church (South Side) and at his home parish of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie for a combined total of more than 50 years. In that time, he blessed countless people through his beautiful singing of the Church’s timeless chants. Steve made it his mission to preserve the musical patrimony of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. He translated chants and hymns, while preserving the ancient melodies of his people. He compiled the parish’s liturgical books so as to make the ancient liturgies accessible to congregants new and old. This was his way of evangelization. He loved the traditions of his Church and his people. It has been said that tradition is not the preservation of ashes, but the passing along of the fire. Steve passed on the fire of faith in the countless young people that he mentored and taught to chant the ancient prayers of the sacred liturgy. They will be part of his lasting legacy.
Steve’s vocation was music—and he lived his calling to the fullest. Through his sonorous voice countless souls experienced a foreshadowing of that heavenly chorus to which we are called, and in whose measured melody and euphoric crescendo the saints will exalt forever at the wedding banquet in the shade of the Tree of Life.
This rarest of men was as inimitable in character as he was in voice, and none shall ever hear a voice nor meet a man such as him ever again. He loved his church and all her traditions, just as he loved the people in his life: knowing and caring about every detail. These details, such as the birthday of the latest grand-niece in the family tree to the anniversary of a bishop’s ordination from fifty years ago, were as important to him as the little notes are to the sparrow straining its sweet morning melody. All these details were compiled together by his mind into a mosaic of love. Compiling and sharing this information with others was his way of saying: “You are important to me…your milestones are my milestones, your joys are my joys, your sorrows are my sorrows.”
Perhaps because of his love for music, the Lord Jesus Christ called him to the heavenly choir at the intersection of Pascha (Easter) on the old calendar and Ascension on the new. This most dedicated of cantors will be laid out at church “in-state” with all the honor that the tradition of the Ukrainian Catholic church prescribes. Viewing is at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, 730 Washington Ave, Carnegie, Pa, on Wednesday, May 8 from 4pm-8pm with Parastas beginning at 7pm. Requiem Divine Liturgy is on Ascension Thursday at 10am at the same location with burial to follow at Trinity Acres in Collier. Vichnaya Pamyat’! Or, as Steve loved to sing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life!”
Bake Sale Fundraiser - Ridna Shkola
School of Ukrainian Studies “Ridna Shkola“ Bake Sale Fundraiser
Pitt CILE McLean Lecture
US ARMY VETERAN TRENT DAVIS FROM INDIANA, PA LOST HIS LIFE FIGHTING ON UKRAINE’S SOUTHERN FRONT - PLEASE DONATE!
Trent’s family has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to cover funeral expenses. Your donation is highly appreciated. Donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-trent-davis
“Trent Davis was an American army veteran. He went to Ukraine twice and sadly was killed the second time he was there. Trent believed dictators should be fought on all fronts and that the kids of Ukraine deserved to live normal lives without oppression. He had the biggest heart and wanted people around the world to have the same freedoms we are afforded in the United States. This GoFundMe will go towards helping cover funeral expenses for our family. Anything left over will be given back to the people of Ukraine in some form of aid.”
US Army veteran Trent Davis from Indiana, PA lost his life fighting on Ukraine’s southern front
As Ukrainians this Thanksgiving, we are immensely grateful for the brave men and women fighting for the freedom of our motherland. We specifically express deep gratitude to Trent Davis, a brave 21 year old U.S. Army Veteran, who lost his life fighting for Ukraine.
To his family, we express sincere condolences and our deepest sympathies for their loss. Davis was an American from Indiana, PA who joined the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, fighting twice in Ukraine. His family says that he understood the risks of joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but he wanted to do what he could to bring Ukrainian kids into a safer world.
Davis was killed during a military operation on the southern front of Ukraine on November 8th, days before the victorious liberation of Kherson. In his will, he asked that his family fly a Ukrainian flag over their homes if something were to happen to him. As a Ukrainian community, may we all fly a Ukrainian flag over our homes, reflecting on his great sacrifice and the perilous fight for freedom in Ukraine our courageous men and women bear.
More information about Trent Davis can be found on armytimes.com .
Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine
For Those Wanting to Help with Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine
The Ukrainian Cultural and Humanitarian Institute (UCHI) in conjunction with the Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh and Fourth Wave, Pittsburgh Branch compiled this list of organizations which are providing aid to Ukraine during this time of foreign invasion. Each of the organizations listed below is collecting funds to assist Ukrainians with the first four having networks to provide this help and the last two acting as conduits. Each has been fully vetted and is a secure and trusted organization with which our western Pennsylvania Ukrainian-American churches and organizations have long-standing relationships. Each has the status of an accredited non-profit organization registered with the IRS.
Ukrainian Cultural Humanitarian Institute
https://www.uchi-us.com/donate.html
As news of the invasion spread, UCHI (Ukrainian Cultural Humanitarian Institute) recognizing its commitment to preserving Ukrainian culture and identity established The Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief Fund. The Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief Fund accepts donations that fund grants that provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the crisis, aid that is desperately needed and in furtherance of the purposes of UCHI those being, to promote cultural, educational, and humanitarian contacts between the United States and Ukraine. Since August 2022, UCHI financed ten two-week art therapy rehabilitation and skills development training programs for children displaced and orphaned during the war. As a result of your generosity and that of others like you, UCHI has been able to assist over 500 children to overcome the terrible trauma they suffered and to help build life skills that will enable them to live full and productive lives
United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc.
With millions of potential victims in Ukraine, UUARC is fundraising to provide vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected.
United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc (UUARC) was established in 1944 and started fulfilling its mission of “brother-to-brother” by assisting Ukrainians in refugee camps during and after WWII, and then helping to resettle more than 70,000 of these refugees in the United States. Since its beginning, UUARC has endeavored to provide aid where the need is the greatest, as well as assisted countless Ukrainians throughout the world. UUARC is working closely with UCCA, UWC, US Aid, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the coordination of aid.
Donations can be made:
1) Directly to United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc. - 1206 Cottman Avenue - Philadelphia, PA 19111 - Phone: 215-728-1630 - Email: UUARC@uuarc.org – or
2) Via GoFundMe link on their website www.uuarc.org.
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Contributions will be delivered in person to the proper individuals, for the medical care of the thousands of people who have been injured, some very severely, during these difficult days. Your contribution may be the primary reason that another human being receives the treatment necessary for survival.
Donations can be made by:
1. Using the secure online donation link located on its website www.uocofusa.org – Click on the “LET’S HELP UKRAINE” icon.
2. Sending by special postal delivery to P. O. Box, 495, South Bound Brook, NJ 08880; or
3. Hand delivering to the Consistory office at 135 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ 08873, marked "LET’S HELP UKRAINE."
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Philadelphia
Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund for Ukraine can be made as follows:
1. Write a check to the “Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia” and send it to the office at 810 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia PA 19123. Please write on the check “Humanitarian Aid Fund for Ukraine.”
2. You can donate on the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s website www.ukrarcheparchy.us, and click on Donate through PAYPAL and select “WAR VICTIMS AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN UKRAINE;“ Encourage local financial and other institutions to make contributions.
Revived Soldiers Ukraine
Providing medical aid and sustainable living standards to soldiers of Ukraine and members of their families as well as to those people who suffered and were affected by military conflict in ATO zone (anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine). E-mail: info@rsukraine.org. 100% of donations go to fund soldiers’ rehabilitation.
Donations can be made on the website www.rsukraine.org. Click on the “Donate” icon to use either PayPal or credit card or debit card.
Ukrainian Technological Society (UTS)
Contributions will be forwarded to organizations listed above. The Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. UTS is a nonsectarian, nonpolitical, cross-generational association of Ukrainian professionals and businesspersons interested in cultivating Ukrainian cultural and social awareness and strengthening the Ukrainian Community through active participation and leadership. UTS has served as a conduit for donations for numerous Ukrainian causes since its founding in 1970 including: Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund; Flood Aid to Carpathian Mountain Regions; and others.
Contributions may be made online through UTS website or by sending contributions to: Ukrainian Technological Society - P.O. Box 4277 - Pittsburgh, PA. 15203. Write “Aid to Ukraine” on your check or enclosed note.
[This list will be revised in days to come with potential additions as the vetting process allows.]
Scholarship Fund for Students
Scholarship opportunities for Pitt students registered for Ukrainian language courses - message from Nickolas Kotow.
The Kateryna Dowbenko Ukrainian Language Scholarship Fund
Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh
2021 Ukrainian of Year Award
IRYNA VASHCHUK DISCIPIO RECEIVES UKRAINIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
PITTSBURGH- Iryna Vashchuk Discipio, President of Revived Soldiers Ukraine, was presented the Ukrainian of the Year Award by the Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh (UTS) at its 50th Dinner Dance on Saturday evening, November 6, 2021, at The Club at Nevillewood in Presto, PA. The Award recognized Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio’s humanitarian zeal for the medical treatment and rehabilitation of the most severely wounded of Ukrainian servicemen through her founding of the IRC 501(c)(3) nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine organization in the United States in 2015, and more recently, the establishment of Next Step Ukraine, a facility for the treatment of neurological injuries, in Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2019. Since 2015, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, has brought 48 severely wounded Ukrainian servicemen to major hospitals in the USA for medical treatment and rehabilitation worth more than 10 million dollars.
Out of town guests, including Volodymyr Kravtsov, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York City, and Revived Soldiers Ukraine team members: Mariana Balash, Youlian Chaplya, Oleksandr Dishchuk, Olga Dishchuk, Anatolii Kruk, Yana Nedelko, Mariana Nosal, Roman Vengrenyuk, and Liliya Shmatenkova were welcomed by UTS President George Honchar. After recognizing local guests, he asked Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio to come forward to receive her Ukrainian of the Year Award plaque, crafted by graphic artist, Taras Davyda. The inscriptions were read by UTS Executive Board members, Bonnie Lee Reinhart and Stephen Haluszczak in English and Ukrainian, respectively.
In her acceptance remarks, Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio, related how she had founded Revived Soldiers Ukraine in November, 2015, built up a team of 40 volunteers in major cities throughout the USA, and has devoted up to 60 hours per week to its operations. This has put a stress on her family, but she feels compelled to help the wounded soldiers for they had sacrificed themselves for the freedom of Ukraine. She introduced Leonid Ovdiiuk (Ovdiyuk), a serviceman undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation under the auspices of Revived Soldiers Ukraine. From Luhansk, he suffered head, neck, and spinal injuries in May, 2020, from a mine explosion while fighting against the Russian invasion. Speaking in Ukrainian, he expressed the wish that after his rehabilitation, he wanted to return to the front to encourage his fellow Ukrainian soldiers.
Mnohaya Lita was then intoned, led by Mariana Balash, a popular Chicago Ukrainian Community singer; and a bouquet of flowers was presented to Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio. An Invocation prayer was made by Very Reverend Father Mark Swindle, pastor of Holy Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Arnold, PA. The Benediction prayer was made by Reverend Father John Charest, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie, PA.
Following the dinner, Mariana Balash gathered almost all of the guests in a circle dance to the tunes of the Gypsy Strings band. Reminiscent of the Hokey Pokey dance, everyone enjoyed the opportunity to participate in this dance new to the Pittsburgh Ukrainian Community.
On Sunday morning, the Revived Soldiers Ukraine team was invited by Reverend Father Ivan Smereka and Reverend Father Jason Charron of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, and Father John Charest to speak to their parishioners during the coffee hour following their respective Divine Liturgies. Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio informed of the work of Revived Soldiers Ukraine and Next Step Ukraine, and team members passed out literature. Finally, the visit of the team members was concluded with an automobile tour of Pittsburgh led by President Honchar. The team members, many of whom had not visited Pittsburgh before, expressed thanks for the wonderful hospitality shown to them by the Pittsburgh Ukrainian Community. Please visit www.rsukraine.org for more information on the work of Revived Soldiers Ukraine. Please also visit www.utspgh.org for more information about the Ukrainian Technological Society.