Rediscovering the meaning of experience…
The 80 FJC-sponsored adult learning programs in the Former Soviet Union reacquaint senior citizens with their Jewish heritage while – at the same time – funneling aid to proud but needy seniors, by offering them modest stipends in exchange for attending classes and tutoring their peers.
More than 7,000 elderly receive financial help in this way as they participate in lively reading and discussion groups.
The classes are held at the local Jewish Community Centers or synagogues, and seniors who attend can easily participate in other activities, fending off loneliness and isolation while enriching themselves and others. In addition, adult Jewish education groups provide the opportunity to study Jewish texts and Torah, enabling thousands to catch up on Jewish learning and traditions that were so effectively denied them when young.