Grave of 14 Jewish WWII victims revealed Near Pskov
14 Jewish WWII victims buried near Pskov: 3 Communities Come Together to Complete the Mission By: Sveta Raskin A solemn tale of tragedy, memory and cooperation came to a conclusion last month, when a memorial stone was inaugurated at the grave of 14 Jewish WWII victims in Pskov region of north-west Russia. The Pskov, Veliky […]
Young Jewish Leaders Convene in Moscow
Over 70 young people from Russia and the CIS participated last week in a leadership training seminar in Moscow, part of of the School of Leadership program run by Yahad, FJC’s programs platform. The leadership program consists of four week-long seminars dispersed over two years and prepares graduates to successfully lead and nurture their Jewish […]
Klezmer Band to Warm Up Siberia Over Chanukah
An uplifting pilgrimage is happening in Russia’s frozen Siberia over Chanukah: the Jerusalem Klezmer band, headed by Chassidic singer Avraham Burshtein, will tour the region and give heartwarming concerts for FJC’s Jewish communities. The band will start its tour on the first night of Chanukah in Irkutsk and from there will travel on to Krasnoyarsk, […]
Oryol Synagogue Returned to Community
The Jewish community of Oryol, a city and administrative center in south-west Russia, rejoiced Monday at the return of the historical building of the local synagogue to its original purpose. The synagogue was built by the community at the turn of the 20th century, but already in the 1920’s was appropriated by the state, serving […]
Odessa Orphanage Celebrates a New Home
The FJC’s “Mishpacha” Orphanage and Children’s home in Odessa, Ukraine celebrated the opening of its new home Wednesday. The reconstructed 4-story building hosts a dormitory for the home’s 52 girls on the upper floor, while the other three floors are used for the Jewish elementary school of over 100 pupils, a kitchen & cafeteria complex […]
Omsk “Or Avner” Director Awarded Education Prize
The director of FJC’s “Or Avner” Jewish school in Omsk, Russia was recently named one of the region’s “outstanding education professionals” by the region’s administration. The title was awarded to director Irina Shapkina by the Omsk governor in an official ceremony last week. Irina Shapkina has been working in the region’s educational system for 45 years, the […]
FJC Communities Join the Shabbat Project
Hundreds of people in FJC communities across Russia and the CIS took part in the 3rd annual Shabbat Project, celebrating the Jewish Shabbat worldwide on the weekend of November 11th. The project calls on Jews everywhere to ‘keep together’ one Shabbat in full accordance with Jewish law and celebrates the significance of its shared heritage. […]
Moscow’s Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center awarded UNESCO prize
IGOR ROZIN, RBTH The Tolerance Center at the Moscow Jewish Museum has been awarded the Madanjit Singh Prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. The award ceremony was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The center was recognized for its wide range of activities, including research and educational programs promoting dialogue between religions and worldviews, with […]
Russian Mishnah Translation to “Revolutionize Learning”; The Rohr Family Edition
A unique translation of the Mishnah, the Jewish Oral Law codex, was presented last week by FJC publishing house Knizhniki. The Rohr Family Edition, which took five years to complete, is said to “radically improve the understanding of Jewish texts” for Russian-speaking Jews. The Mishnah was first recorded in writing at the beginning of the […]
Uzhgorod Women Make Challahs in Ancient Synagogue
Over a hundred Ukrainian Jewish women came together for a festive challah baking workshop in Uzhgorod, Ukraine last Thursday. The workshop was organized in honor of the Bat-Mitzvah of the city rabbi’s oldest daughter, as the family wanted to use the opportunity to “touch” as many local women as possible by bringing them an evening […]