Bar Mitzvah on Purim Fed 1,000
The Bar Mitzvah of philanthropist David Aminov’s son was a chance to feed 1,000 elderly Jews in Moscow on Purim. It is with great satisfaction that we look back at Purim of this year, which was happily celebrated by thousands of Jews in Moscow. After months of planning and preparing, with the help of additional volunteers […]
The Joy of Passover to the World’s Most Impoverished Jewish Community
Many thousands of Jews living in the FSU cannot relish their freedom from the Soviet Regime, for they suffer from unimaginable poverty and deprivation. The holiday of Passover is a time when Jews throughout the world celebrate the freedom from ancient Egypt. For those living in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and the rest of the FSU […]
Purim Celebrated in Kiev, Ukraine’s Capital
In the presence of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, The Attorney-General of Ukraine announced that he will pay a tribute to Mordechai Hayehudi About 1,000 people attended the yearly festive Purim party in the Ukrainian capital, headed by Kiev’s chief Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch, and his wife Elka. The event was held with the cooperation and funding […]
NON-STOP PURIM IN KHARKOV
From the thousands of people at the circus on the eve of Purim, the hundreds of kindergarten and school children at the programs in the day and the large crowd at the Royal Purim Seuda in the Synagogue towards the end of the day – Purim in Kharkov, Ukraine, this year was a non stop […]
Jews throughout the FSU are filled with anticipation as Purim approaches
This coming Wednesday evening and Thursday day, thousands of Jews from hundreds of communities across the former Soviet Union will be celebrating the holiday of Purim in all of its pride and glory. Jewish children from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, and additional countries in the FSU will be putting on costumes and gearing up for […]
Mega Purim Unites FSU Jewry
In time for the Purim holiday, FJC’s Darkeinu & EnerJew projects together with the LifeChanger FSU and Taste of Life projects, are running an educational contest for FSU’s Jewish children and youth that also promotes holiday presents for the region’s disadvantaged Jewish families. The Mega Purim contest is made up of two parts: daily quiz questions […]
IN BELARUS, A SYNAGOGUE SPURS A TOWN’S REBIRTH
By: UNDP A small man dressed in a black long coat and black hat is hurrying along Soviet Street in Babruisk. His destination point is the town’s only restored synagogue. The man opens a heavy wooden door and enters the old building, exchanging “how-do-you-do”, handshakes and warm smiles with the people inside. He continues his […]
US Delegation Visits Azerbaijan Jewish Community
FJC’s Jewish community of Azerbaijan hosted a delegation from the American Ethnic Understanding Foundation last week, headed by the fund’s president Rabbi Mark Shnayer. The delegation toured the community’s educational and public institutions and met with the country’s top political figures including Azerbaijan’s President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. “Azerbaijan is a country that sets the plank for […]
First kosher restaurant set to open in Azerbaijan
(JTA) — Azerbaijan will soon be home to its first-ever kosher-certified restaurant. The meat restaurant, named 7/40, will open in May on Samed Vurgun street in Baku, the capital, with supervision from the city’s rabbi, Shneor Segal, the restaurant’s owner, Moshe Moiseev, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The restaurant is located in the Nasimi district, […]
Kosher Certified Products Gain Popularity at ‘ProdExpo’
In the 90’s, kosher food was nearly impossible to find in the former Soviet Union. It was available at very high prices in select specialty stores near synagogues. Those who kept kosher had to import most of their food from the United States and Israel. Today, supermarkets across Russia and the rest of the FSU, […]