(Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Krivoi Rog, Donetsk, and Kyiv) Report of a ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

10 Beit Tsindlicht, stated Mrs. Baram, employs a staff of 18 teachers, eleven of whom are graduates of Beit Chana. 13 (Most of the remaining seven teachers completed pedagogical training in Israel.) Additionally, continued Mrs. Baram, another two or three teachers also are completing bachelor’s degrees (after earning a teaching certificate) or master’s degrees at Beit Chana on a part-time basis. Beit Tsindlicht cooperates very closely with Beit Chana, she added, noting that some Beit Chana students do their practice teaching at Beit Tsindlicht. Mrs. Baram noted with pride that Beit Tsindlicht sends a letter home with each child every Friday. Tailored to the age group in which the child is enrolled, the two-page letter describes the theme of the week (such as the beginning of spring), progress in both Russian and Hebrew reading readiness (which alphabet letters were studied, new words), English words taught, arithmetic lessons, and lessons on the Torah portion of the week. Announcements may be made about forthcoming events. Another Chabad early childhood program in the city, Ilana (named after a child who died), operates in another building in a different part of Dnipropetrovsk. Ilana is a daycare center, currently enrolling 35 youngsters between the ages of one and three years. 3. School #144, which bears the formal name of Levi Yitzhak Schneerson Ohr Avner Jewish Day School, occupies a three-building campus used as a boarding school during the Soviet period. The main building houses 235 youngsters in grades one through eleven in a general curriculum with a modest Jewish studies program. (See below.) Another 168 pupils are enrolled in more intensive Chabad religious programs, evenly divided between a yeshiva katana for boys in a second building and a machon for girls in a third building. (See below.) The main building of School 144 is seen at left. The girls’ machon is behind this building and the boys’ yeshiva katana is to the left of the pictured building. Photo: Chabad of Dnipropetrovsk. At its peak census in the late 1990’s, the school enrolled close to 700 youngsters, most in the general program. At that time, it was the largest Jewish day school in all of the post-Soviet states and one of the largest in all of Europe. Both the total number of 13 See pages 20-22 and 24-26 for information about Beit Chana Jewish Women’s Pedagogical College.
11 pupils (503) and the number of youngsters in the secular program have been decreasing over the years at the same time that both the raw number and proportion of pupils in the more intensive religious sections has been increasing. The growth of the Chabad religious programs reflects the increasing Chabad population in the city, whereas the decreasing enrollment in the general program reflects both Jewish demographic losses and a perception that the general studies program is inferior to that in many other city schools. The writer spoke with Principal Mikhail Gugel, a newcomer to the school during the current academic year. Prior to coming to School #144, Mr. Gugel taught in other schools for 15 years and then taught in several different colleges, including a pedagogical college. He is a native of Dnipropetrovsk and, he said, he “knows everyone” in the city. His major objective, he continued, is to improve the quality of secular studies in the school; such improvement is critical to attraction of new families and retention of current pupils. School #144 must be competitive with the best secular public schools. Mikhail Gugel is new to School #144 this year. He has had many years of experience in Dnipropetrovsk public schools and in local universities and colleges. Mr. Gugel’s parents live in Israel. Photo: the writer. Pupils have only six class hours of Judaic instruction each week, three of which are in Hebrew language instruction and three of which are in Jewish tradition. Additional hours of Jewish studies would impinge upon the quality of secular studies offered by School #144, Mr. Gugel said. In addition to formal Jewish education, the school also observes all Jewish and Israeli holidays. Shabbatonim are available to some grades through funding from the Avi Chai Foundation. Responding to the writer’s questions about Jewish demography and enrollment, Mr. Gugel said that all pupils in the school this year are halachically Jewish, but some are from intermarried families. Intermarried families predominate among self-identified Jews in the city, he continued, although some such families are halachically Jewish because the mother is Jewish. School #144 has sustained some enrollment loss in the upper grades, said Mr. Gugel, because a large number of adolescent pupils have gone to Israel on the Na’aleh high school in Israel program. Given available space in the main building and the number of teachers employed by the school, School #144 probably could absorb about 500 pupils, instead of the 235 currently enrolled, said Mr. Gugel in answer to a question. The sister-city program linking Dnipropetrovsk and Boston has been helpful to School #144, said Mr. Gugel. The Boston Jewish federation (Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston) provides training for School #144 English teachers,
Page 1 and 2: OBSERVATIONS ON JEWISH COMMUNITY LI
Page 3 and 4: 3 begin to pay taxes that they had
Page 5 and 6: 5 Dnipropetrovsk Founded in 1778 on
Page 7 and 8: 7 The major entrance to the Menorah
Page 9: 9 The preschool is operating “at
Page 13 and 14: 13 families whose relationship to C
Page 15 and 16: 15 boys’ home (a former synagogue
Page 17 and 18: 17 The overwhelming majority of lit
Page 19 and 20: 19 homes, sometimes bringing them s
Page 21 and 22: 21 program in Kharkiv come to Beit
Page 23 and 24: 23 return for the teaching done by
Page 25 and 26: 25 started as more funds become ava
Page 27 and 28: 27 Holocaust, and rebirth of Jewish
Page 29 and 30: 29 manufacturer inevitably will ent
Page 31 and 32: 31 Two newcomers were expected to j
Page 33 and 34: 33 individual needs, providing food
Page 35 and 36: 35 managing. He has heard of very f
Page 37 and 38: 37 committee for the clinic was est
Page 39 and 40: 39 Jewish community. Another 120 in
Page 41 and 42: 41 Natalia Rier, who directs the lo
Page 43 and 44: 43 speakers are fluent in English a
Page 45 and 46: 45 The consul noted that the ICC wi
Page 47 and 48: 47 Ms. Katz confirmed that Hesed Me
Page 49 and 50: 49 Dnipropetrovsk. The relationship
Page 51 and 52: 51 It is very difficult to raise mo
Page 53 and 54: 53 are the daughters of local rabbi
Page 55 and 56: 55 requires that all private school
Page 57 and 58: 57 Vkontakte, to recruit students a
Page 59 and 60: 59 seniors purchase in order to rec
Page 61 and 62:
61 Rabbi Moskovitz noted, a busines
Page 63 and 64:
63 writer met with George Faingold,
Page 65 and 66:
65 males if they would willingly se
Page 67 and 68:
67 utilities, petrol, transportatio
Page 69 and 70:
Jewish Education and Culture 69 44.
Page 71 and 72:
71 46. It is common in Ukraine and
Page 73 and 74:
73 purchase new clothing. Donetsk,
Page 75 and 76:
75 The fitness hall is a gift from
Page 77 and 78:
77 National and International Jewis
Page 79 and 80:
79 drain”, but she doesn’t yet
Page 81 and 82:
Jewish Education and Culture 81 52.
Page 83 and 84:
83 Surrounding the prayer hall are
Page 85 and 86:
85 the program is very expensive to
Page 87 and 88:
87 preschools. Authorities could fo
Page 89 and 90:
89 in its generally poor neighborho
Page 91 and 92:
91 connected to the Internet; howev
Page 93 and 94:
93 60. Rabbi Yonatan and Mrs. Ina M
Page 95 and 96:
95 accounting procedures require th
Page 97 and 98:
97 Other individuals in Kyiv with w
Page 99 and 100:
99 64. An organization bearing the
Page 101 and 102:
101 group, but the young women them
Page 103 and 104:
103 worked in Jewish schools and ca
Page 105 and 106:
105 Lo Tishkach arranges all travel
Page 107 and 108:
107 Ukraine in this period. They cl
Page 109 and 110:
109 kashrut, and/or work in secular
Page 111 and 112:
111 Odesa, said Rabbi Dukhovny, pro
Page 113 and 114:
The writer observed 12 to 15 univer
Page 115 and 116:
115 and funds simply do not exist,
Page 117 and 118:
117 rightwing antisemites, i.e., ne
Page 119 and 120:
119 songs, the Holocaust, Jewish he
Page 121 and 122:
121 countries are eligible for aliy
Page 123 and 124:
123 The JDC welfare caseload in the
Page 125 and 126:
125 In response to a question, both
Page 127 and 128:
127 Commentary 84. The Jewish popul
Page 129:
129 accommodates modernity and thei
show all

(Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Krivoi Rog, Donetsk, and Kyiv) Report of a ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?