The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia held a series of annual anti-drug educational seminars. It is is an effective wrap-up of the FJC’s 2020-2021 Hear and Help counter-drug education project, implemented within the framework of the presidential grant. Over 400 specialists took part in eight two-day seminars in Murmansk, Sochi, Petersburg and other Russian cities.
“When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we always expect qualified help,” said President of the FJC Russia Rabbi Alexander Boroda, “Any substance abuse is a tough situation in which, unfortunately, people from various backgrounds might end up. It is immoral to leave someone in trouble or to believe they are able to cope with it on their own. The job of this person’s inner circle and society in general is to create conditions to help them solve the problem.”
From 2014, thousands of social workers participated in FJC’s program to combat substance abuse in Russia.The seminars were attended by social workers, teachers, psychologists, employees of law enforcement agencies and volunteers. The specialists learnt how to interact with people at risk and received up-to-date practical information on addictions and ways of preventing, identifying and solving these problems in families, schools and workplaces.
The participants noted the lively and interactive format of the event. “It wasn’t just a seminar, but an educational performance: no long lectures, no boring “talking heads”. Getting to know colleagues, especially from government agencies, is also extremely valuable. This is a real help in our daily work,” mentioned Nikolay, a psychologist from Volgograd.
Many experts plan to take part in the future activities of the ‘Hear and Help’ program.The head of the FJC’s anti-drug program Rabbi David Granovsky added that, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the onsite presence of the visitors was limited and the event was broadcasted online. “Thanks to the experience gained in these constantly changing circumstances, we managed to save part of the budget and to use these funds to expand the project, in accordance with the grant’s conditions,” shared Rabbi Granovsky.
According to the organizers, the work carried within the Hear and Help program is a crucial contribution to the improvement of the psychological and informational support for Russian people from the risk groups and those battling alcohol and drug addiction.
Photos are provided by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.
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