Jewish FSU Communities Unite in Remembrance on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Hundreds of Jewish communities across the former Soviet Union came together on January 27 to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust and as a referment of our shared commitment to the fight against antisemitism. The date commemorates the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops in 1945. From […]
Thousands of FSU Students Engage in Annual Darkeinu Holocaust Remembrance Day Quest
As part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026, the Federation of Jewish Communities (FJC) Darkeinu Jewish heritage curriculum launched a powerful and creative interactive activity game titled “Rabbi Yoav and the Secret of the Paper Candles,” reaching thousands of students across hundreds of “Or Avner” Jewish schools in the FSU. Designed as a quest-based educational […]
Grand Choral Synagogue Leads Events Honoring the Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad
Commemorative events marking the Day of the Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad have begun at the Grand Choral Synagogue in Petersburg, Russia, offering community members and guests meaningful opportunities to remember and reflect. Elderly participants from the Rachamim Charity Center, along with visitors of the Synagogue’s Leisure Center, visited the special exhibition Dedicated to […]
First Baltic Jewish Educational Festival Unites Youth in Riga
On January 19, the capital of Latvia hosted the inaugural Baltic Jewish Educational Festival, a landmark event aimed at celebrating Jewish heritage and fostering unity among Jewish communities across the Baltic region. Held in Riga, the festival—organized by Riga Chabad Private School under the leadership of Rabbi Mordechai and Rebbetzin Rivka Glazman—brought together participants from […]
STARS Ukraine Marks 20th Annual Winter Seminar
The 20th annual STARS Ukraine Winter Seminar brought together fifty Jewish students and young professionals from across the country for six uplifting days of immersive study, fun, and connection at the renowned Menorah JCC compound in Dnipro. The seminar, led by Rabbi Pinchas Vishedski, CEO of STARS Ukraine and Rabbi of Kyiv’s KEDEM community, together […]
SmartJ Leadership Gathers in Krakow for Strategic Seminar
The professional team behind SmartJ, FJC’s innovative informal education initiative, convened in Krakow, Poland, for an intensive six-day seminar. This international program, active across nine countries of the former Soviet Union, offers Jewish children unique opportunities for personal and cultural development through afternoon educational activities. The seminar brought together key staff members – primarily from […]
Winter Catastrophe Deepens in Ukraine: Power and Heat Cut Amid Renewed Attacks
As Ukraine endures one of the harshest winters in recent memory, a severe collapse in infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of civilians without power, water, or heat — including thousands of Jewish families across Kyiv and other hard-hit regions. In recent days, attacks on critical utilities have paralyzed central heating systems and disrupted gas […]
History in Pervomaisk: First Mikvah Since the Holocaust Completed
Excitement in the Jewish community of Pervomaisk, located in south-central Ukraine, with the completion and opening of a new mikvah – the first since the destruction of the local Jewish community during the Holocaust and its continued decline under Soviet rule. The beautiful, modern, and accessible mikvah was built by the city’s rabbi and Chabad […]
In shadow of crisis, Jewish life flourishing in Rostov in Russia, Chabad rabbi says
Rabbi Chaim Danzinger is finding a “big blessing” even in turbulent times, as hundreds show up to Chanukah and Passover celebrations. By Dave Gordon | JNS | A Chanukah celebration at the Cantonist Synagogue in Rostov, Russia, Dec. 17, 2025. Credit: Courtesy. Chaim Danzinger, a Chabad rabbi born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, has […]
Miracle in Tallinn: How a once-extinguished Jewish community came back to life
When Estonia’s Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kot first proposed a new synagogue, members asked why it was needed. They pointed out the aging population and wondered who would fill it. By David Isaac | JNS | Public Menorah lighting in Tallinn’s Rotermann Quarter, Estonia, Dec. 20, 2025. Photo by David Isaac. The new Israeli embassy in […]