Fall Holidays Draw In Thousands Across the FSU
Thousands of Jews of all walks of life, young and old, men and women, single, married and entire families turned up for the final celebrations of the fall Jewish holidays of Sukkot and Simhat Torah across hundreds of FSU communities this year. Sukkot, when Jews are commanded to live in temporary dwellings, or Sukkas, has […]
A look into the Holocaust Museum at the Menorah Center
‘My family was murdered in the Holocaust and the establishment of the museum is a kind of closure for me.’ Arutz Sheva The Holocaust Museum in the Menorah Center, located in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, allows Jews and non-Jews a glimpse into the painful history of the Jewish people on European soil. The museum presents is a […]
Jewish Heritage Expedition in Ukraine Met with Success
The first of its kind heritage expedition took place this summer in Ukraine, when young rabbinical students toured the country on mobile synagogue trailers, trying to bring a spark of Jewish identity to every Jew they met on their way. Such “mitzvah-mobile” expeditions first appeared in New York in the 70’s, but this August was […]
11th FSU Clothing Gift Distribution Comes As Needed As Ever
Just in time for the fall holidays, the FJC in partnership with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and the Gloria Jeans clothing franchise, distributed clothing gift certificates to 5,000 Jewish children from across Ukraine and Russia. The certificates, which are redeemed in Gloria Jeans stores, provide each child with a set of […]
Europe’s Largest Sukkah
An enormous Sukkah that can fit about 1000 people was built just outside of Moscow’s Jewish Community Center in the Marina Roscha neighborhood * Festive meals were served free of charge to all * Services, as well as Jewish heritage classes were held around the clock * ‘Simchas Beit Hashoeva’ musical events were every night. […]
Oldest Russia’s Far-East Synagogue Celebrates 100th Birthday
Vladivostok’s Beit Sima synagogue celebrated its 100th-anniversary last week. It is the only synagogue in Primorsky Krai region and the oldest functioning synagogue in all of Russia’s Far-East. The synagogue was built in 1917 and was actively used by Vladivostok’s Jewish community until 1932, when it was “nationalized” by the Soviet regime. For the next […]
FJC Camps Fill the Summer Void for FSU Jewish Kids
This summer FJC’s Gan Israel network ran 40 day-camps and 12 sleep-away camps across the FSU. Close to 4,500 Jewish children attended them and enjoyed a fun, restful and educational summer vacation they would not otherwise have. What’s more, another four hundred Jewish teenagers worked as Gan Israel camp counselors, junior counselors, and CITs, bringing continuity […]
FJC Communities Aim to Leave ‘No Jew Behind’ on High Holiday Celebrations
Hundreds of thousands of people in more than 380 Jewish communities across 10 FSU countries, took part in Rosh Hashanah celebrations, services, and meals last week. Many more will join them in other fall holiday celebrations over the coming weeks, including the holidays of Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simhat Torah. Also, ahead of the holidays, […]
President of Russia Sends Blessings to Russian Jews in Honor of Rosh Hashana
Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation met with the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar on the eve of Rosh Hashana. In what has already become a yearly tradition, he sent special greetings to the Jews of Russia on the eve of Rosh Hashana. At the meeting, which was also attended by Rabbi […]
Veliky Novgorod Community Welcomes New Children’s Center
The Jewish community of Veliky Novgorod, Russia opened a new children’s center earlier this month, which became home to the city’s first Jewish kindergarten. The center, called “Aleph”, will also provide a spacious, clean and secure environment for other youth activities and become, what the organizers hope, a “second home” for the city’s youngsters. The […]