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

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18 Another program, Shiurei Torah (Torah Lessons), reaches out to students and young adults across Ukraine in a series of lessons and conferences with a highly-structured curriculum. Recognizing that some individuals may be apprehensive about entering synagogues, some of the classes are held in neutral sites, such as conference rooms in banks or office buildings. Seminars for the training of teachers are held in Dnipropetrovsk. All participants receive a significant stipend, Mr. Masakovsky said. In response to a question, Mr. Masakovsky stated that separate classes are held for non-halakhic Jews, some of whom wish to convert to Judaism. Participants in these classes pay tuition and certain costs connected with the conversion process. Most instructors are from Dnipropetrovsk. Some are local religious Jews and others are rabbis who were raised in Israel, but now live in Dnipropetrovsk. 9. The Hillel student organization continues to grow, attracting about 100 students on a regular basis to its varied events. About 25 of these individuals form a leadership group, said Olga Tovkach, the Hillel director in Dnipropetrovsk. Several hundred may attend holiday celebrations, most of which are held in cooperation with other organizations, such as the Jewish Agency, in order to save money on facilities rental, entertainment, and other items. Russian-language social networking sites have proved effective in reaching out to uninvolved students, commented Ms. Tovkach. The most popular Hillel program, Ms. Tovkach said, is an adapted Shabbat service. Interested Hillel members convene at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evenings, light candles, and listen to a Torah portion reflection that someone has prepared. Blessings are said for wine and challah, and participants consume grape juice and challah. The second most popular program is a Jewish version of a popular Russian intellectual game – What? Where? When? The Dnipropetrovsk Hillel team in this game has won awards in competitions with teams from other cities, Ms. Tovkach continued. Olga Tovkach, left, is the director of Hillel in Dnipropetrovsk. She has been successful in converting the organization from one of the weakest large-city Hillels in the post-Soviet states to a strong, vibrant student/young adult group. Photo: the writer. Hillel activists also enjoy several volunteer activities, said Ms. Tovkach. They visit with Jewish elderly in the Beit Baruch assisted living center and in the hesed, she stated 15 . Additionally, they visit lonely elderly Jews in their 15 See pages 30-32 and 28-29 for information about Beit Baruch and the Dnipropetrovsk hesed respectively.
19 homes, sometimes bringing them small gifts of food from sponsors. Another volunteer activity is working with at-risk children. Ms. Tovkach acknowledged that Hillel needs to strengthen its Jewish education programs. To that end, they are developing an adaptation of a JDC education plan that will meet the needs of Hillel members. In response to a question about participation of Hillel members in the Chabad STARS program (see above), Ms. Tovkach said that some people attend both Hillel and a STARS course. STARS, she noted, also refers halachically non-Jewish applicants to Hillel. A new Hillel program, said Ms. Tovkach, focuses on young married Jewish couples, who often find that existing organizational activities do not meet their needs. (It is not uncommon in the post-Soviet states for Hillel to expand its better-known university programs to the post-college age cohort.) The current annual budget of Hillel in Dnipropetrovsk is $46,000, Ms. Tovkach stated. This amount covers her fulltime salary and that of seven part-time staff. Major donors, she continued, are Hillel International, regional (CASE) Hillel, the Schusterman Family Foundation, the Genesis Philanthropic Group (Moscow), United Jewish Community of Ukraine, and the Joint Distribution Committee. Additionally, several local individuals contribute small sums and/or in-kind donations, such as food products and team t-shirts. Encouraged by both Iosif Akselrud, the regional Hillel director, and Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki, Ms. Tovkach has begun to raise funds locally for Hillel operations. Clearly anxious about her initial efforts at fundraising, Ms. Tovkach said that she and Mr. Akselrud had set a goal of $10,000 for the first year; she had already raised $4,000, she stated proudly. Although Hillel prefers cash gifts, she also is seeking certain material goods, such as refreshments, office supplies, and team apparel. Notwithstanding strong sister-city ties between Dnipropetrovsk and Boston, no exchanges have occurred between Dnipropetrovsk Hillel and any Hillels in Boston-area colleges/universities. However, said Ms. Tovkach, groups of Hillel members from Cornell University in New York have visited Dnipropetrovsk several times in recent years. Ms. Tovkach stated that Dnipropetrovsk Hillel fills two Taglit buses (birthright Israel; 40 people per bus) every year, one in winter and one in summer; other organizations in Dnipropetrovsk – the Jewish Agency, Nativ (through the Israel Cultural Center), and Chabad – organize their own Taglit groups, so the city is well represented in this program. Hillel does comprehensive follow-up programming for all local young people participating in Taglit and attracts some of those who went on non-Hillel buses to local Hillel programs.
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 and 10: 9 The preschool is operating “at
Page 11 and 12: 11 pupils (503) and the number of y
Page 13 and 14: 13 families whose relationship to C
Page 15 and 16: 15 boys’ home (a former synagogue
Page 17: 17 The overwhelming majority of lit
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
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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
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79 drain”, but she doesn’t yet
Page 81 and 82:
Jewish Education and Culture 81 52.
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83 Surrounding the prayer hall are
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85 the program is very expensive to
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87 preschools. Authorities could fo
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89 in its generally poor neighborho
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91 connected to the Internet; howev
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93 60. Rabbi Yonatan and Mrs. Ina M
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95 accounting procedures require th
Page 97 and 98:
97 Other individuals in Kyiv with w
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99 64. An organization bearing the
Page 101 and 102:
101 group, but the young women them
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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
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(Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Krivoi Rog, Donetsk, and Kyiv) Report of a ...

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