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

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The overwhelming majority of little brothers/sisters enroll in JBB/BS through School
#144, said Ms. Kaplunskaya. The remainder register through the local hesed. Some
older siblings are enlisted through Hillel, others through friends, and an increasing
number were younger siblings themselves in previous years.
Diminished resources forced the program to suspend the provision of small monthly
stipends to big siblings that enabled them to pay entrance fees into amusement parks or
other venues, purchase light meals or snacks, and arrange transportation for
themselves and their younger brothers/sisters. Instead, said Ms. Kaplunskaya, she now
arranges monthly events for the entire group (such as ice skating parties, bowling, or
visits to amusement parks) that include transportation, food, and, in some instances,
prizes. On other occasions, activities are arranged for smaller groups, such as age
cohorts. Groups always are accompanied by a psychologist, who observes youngsters
and follows up when behavioral patterns suggest that some professional intervention is
desirable. Group activities also facilitate the maintenance of kashrut, which often was
ignored when pairs engaged in activities on their own, Ms. Kaplunskaya added.
Notwithstanding the focus on group activities, continued Ms. Kaplunskaya, some big
brothers/big sisters still remain able to meet individually with their younger siblings,
sometimes taking them on walks or engaging in other low-key activities. Her dream,
said Ms. Kaplunskaya, is to marshal sufficient resources to organize a Shabbaton, an
event that would start on a Friday and conclude on a Sunday.
The Jewish big brother/big sister program receives an annual subsidy from Combined
Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, the Boston Jewish federation. Ms.
Kaplunskaya has visited the offices of the JBB/BS Association of Greater Boston and
marvels at its infrastructure.
8. Iosif Masakovsky, a local former computer technology teacher, manages a
continuum of Chabad Jewish education courses in which halachically Jewish
students and other young adults are compensated for their attendance. The program
begins with the STARS (Student Torah Alliance for Russian Speakers) course in which
students are paid $45 monthly for participating in weekly gender-segregated classes;
participants then move on to Stars Plus and other
programs that pay $100 weekly for attendance at three
weekly classes. Classes are held in the synagogue so
that young people become accustomed to synagogue
attendance. Coeducational celebrations of holidays are
held, and some instructors invite small mixed groups of
students to their homes for Shabbat.
Iosif Masakovsky is a local individual, largely self-taught in
Judaism. He manages an extensive program of Jewish education
courses in which halachically Jewish participants are
remunerated for attendance.
Photo: the writer.