Moldova. Jewish NGOs Activities in April, Contents: 1. Monthly activities Kishinev 1.2. Periphery 1.3. Comments. 2. Seminars and missions

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1 Jewish NGOs Activities in April, 2009 Contents: 1. Monthly activities 1.1. Kishinev 1.2. Periphery 1.3. Comments 2. Seminars and missions 3. Planned activities for May 2009

2 1. Monthly activities 1.1. Kishinev Organization Date Event Details Visitors The project Lapidim was carried out in cooperation with 02, Lapidim Israel Cultural Center. This project aimed at Project acquaintance the youth with the history of Holocaust and the reasons caused the anti-semitism. 20 Youth club Haverim 03, 10, Kabalat Shabbat KEDEM Tour Jewish Kishinev Meeting of Shabbat in the frame of Haverim. Lightening of Shabbat Candles, Kidusch on wine,prayers on chalas, discussion of Parashat Shavua. The visitors of KEDEM attended the places rendering to Jewish life in Kishinev NES, JCC KEDEM, Haverim Haverim KEDEM, NES, Hesed Yehuda Passover celebration in the Leo Grand hotel Festive program on Pesach Passover celebration in cooperation with NES and Hesed Yehuda JCC music groups and youth club Haverim took an active part in the biggest Seder of the community at Leogrand, one of Kishinev best hotels, where over 600 people gathered. (See comment #1) Three youth clubs from JCC, JAFI and Israeli Cultural Center organized festive event for the young generation. The program was conducted by N. Kuikova and N. Railian. Madrichim from Haverim sang songs devoted to Pesach. Pesach is one of the main Jewish holidays that marks liberation from the Egyptian slavery. 1.(See comment #2) JFS NES, JСС KEDEM, Day Center of Hesed Yehuda Haverim KEDEM Seder Tour in the frame of project Lapidim Program devoted to the Holocaust Day A play «A Shein Meidl» by Municipal Drama Youth Theater from the Rose Street A bright event was organized by the Jewish Family Service, JCC and Hesed. Women club from NES together with Hesed has worked out and led a magnificent Seder. Women cooked traditional dishes and displayed the performance rendering Pesach events. Also, the women together with their children complimented the Hesed s clients. The project Lapidim has resulted in tour of Jewish places of massacres and Holocaust in and Ukraine. Jewish places in Kishinev, museum of Jews in KEDEM, Umani, and Odesa were attended by young participants of this project. Two exhibitions were organized at KJJC in the memory of Holocaust victims: a photo exhibition Warsaw Ghetto. The Faces of Tragedy and an art exhibit by R. Schlenker. In the framework of the activities devoted to the Holocaust Day, a play A Shein Meidl was successfully performed in KEDEM s theater. The performance focused on the remembrances related to Holocaust of a young woman and her family Material taken from

3 CTPD KEDEM Haverim, JCC KEDEM Hillel Israeli Soldiers and terrorists victims Memorial Day KEDEM gathers friends on Independence Day of Israel Action Our children The event, organized by CTPD was attended by participants from Haverim. In the framework of this program, the youth got acquainted with Aharon Weiss, Rab Schlesinger who narrated their own stories relating to Holocaust. The national Independence Day of the State of Israel is celebrated on the 5 th of Iyar for 61 years. This year it was April 29 when over 100 people met at a special KJJC Gathers Friends program dedicated to this bright event.(see comment #3) Three visits to children with special needs were prepared and accomplished by and NES. These visits were connected with the celebration of Independence Day of State of Israel Cultureholics In the frame of this program students gather once a month to visit one of the cultural events in the city and then to discuss it. This program is supposed to be a team building for youth Periphery Organization Date Event Details Visitors Rybnitsa HESED Passover The day before Passover modeling Seder for the 37 Seders for community members was organized. Before Seder, families, Hesed s clients, children had cleaned the building from hametz. Then, we conducted an interactive Seder. Together with characters from cartoon, the volunteers, as well as youth participants of the Seder learnt how to lead the Seder in the right way in their own homes. The youngest duly asked the four traditional questions, whereas seniors answered them. Pesach songs were performed and surely, everybody aspired for finding an aficoman, as to get the prize. Owing to games the children together with their parents managed to display their acquaintance with the traditions, history and songs relating to Passover. The holiday was proceeded by Seders for Hesed clients and youth. Notwithstanding lack of huge premises in our House, we managed to comprise aged people as well as youth in participation of our Beltsy Mazal Tov and Youth club Haverim Seders. This year, Pesach for children was organized in the form of a game. The participants took an active part in the game Travelling around Aghada. All the cultural and educational programs of Beltsy Hesed were engaged in the preparatory activities relating to this event. The event took part in Hesed s hall and gathered a large audience. The game was starting by demonstrating slide-show on Passover s history and traditions. Then, the participants were divided into 5 groups and were obliged to pass 8 stations, 70

4 Rybnitsa HESED Event devoted to Holocaust Day in Rybnitsa Benderi Program devoted to Independence Day of the State of Israel 1.3. Comments such as Merry matza, Basket for Moshe, Ba shana Abaa be Ierushalaim etc. For passing stations and completing the tasks they gathered letters to make up a word Afikoman and got a prize at the end of game. Children got sweets for their participation. All the Beltsy Jewish organizations were invited for the event. This day has gathered people of different ages and nations in Rybnitsa Communal House. Six candles were lighted in honour of 6 million who was innocent eradicated during Holocaust. The meeting and flower-laying ceremony hold at Memorial to Holocaust Victims. The head of Jewish Community narrated about horrors of Rybnitsa ghetto. The victims of fascists shared their memories about war horrors with others, without concealing tears. Parents with elegant dressed children came before the celebration to decorate the hall with Jewish flags, attributes, symbolics, and balloons. The senior children told story of establishing state of Israel. The parents read aloud the Independence Declaration. The teacher of traditions had prepared an interesting intellectual conversation and a quiz on a topic. The story brought to common discussion. The visitors were divided into two commands (the command of children was against parents command) and the game "Lotto" on the theme of «Israeli symbols» was carried out Comment #1 During one of the days of Pesach Hesed elderly in the Day center program hosted nice guests participants of the new JFS program - Women s club. Young mothers conducted Seder in a warm atmosphere. Kids were looking for afikoman and grandparents were just happy to sit altogether around the table. Also during Pesach young people from Hillel and Haverim club visited elderly Hesed clients in nine Warm Homes. At the end of the holiday another special program was organized by JCC and Hesed for Hesed volunteers. Over 100 people, most active volunteers of the welfare center, became spectators of Seder conducted by Nikolay Railean, youth programs coordinator at the JCC, and stirring music program. Seder means order in Hebrew. We keep Pesach Seder for centuries. Every element has its mystic meaning. We in the KJJC tried to continue our ancient traditions and transmit it to the next generations. Hag Sameach! said Zoya Apostol, KJJC PR-manager.

5 Comment #2 KJJC organizations did their best so that everybody felt the spirit and traditions of Pesach According to our traditions all the premises were cleaned of hametz. Center of Training and Professional Development conducted a series of seminars for madrichim, learned Agaddah and Pesach songs. Mickey Katsiff, JDC representative in, underlined that the holiday is especially important for the young generation that will make the future of the Jewish community. 120 people of all generations gathered in the Theater Hall Hesed clients, kids from Mazal Tov program and JFS day center and their parents. Participants passed all the stages of Seder, showed knowledge about Pesach in theatric performance and musical numbers. Comment #3 Rav Meir Schlezimger, Dr. Aharon Weiss from Jerusalem JDC, Rav Alexander Lakshin from Moscow, leaders of the JDC representation, Israeli Consulate and Cultural Center in, directors of local Jewish organizations, famous musicologists, managers of theatre, actors spoke a lot about the ties that we have with Israel. Concert program was prepared by JCC KEDEM and JCC KEDEM and included nice modern songs in Hebrew, English, n, and Russian about our memory, tragedies and hopes during the multi-millennial history of the Jewish people, our love to Israel as a unique state where Jews make their own destiny. The State of Israel is so young and so ancient. We are happy and proud of what our brothers and sisters from many countries united on our Holly Land made of a desert and emptiness during just a few dozens of years, said Theodor Magder, one of eldest members of the local Jewish community. Almost every one of us has relatives, close friends in Israel. Almost every one visited Israel. We fill very close ties and sympathy to Israel and wish peace and prosperity to this wonderful country, said writer Boris Druta. I just remember the feeling of proud and sureness when me, a young 20-years old guy struggled for independence of my new Motherland newborn State of Israel in 1948 just in a few years after Holocaust in Poland where I was born. And this feeling is still with me, told emotionally Aharon Weiss. 2. Seminars & Missions Organization Date Event Details Visitors CTPD, KEDEM Seminar in the frame of The last seminars in the frame of the project Learning Experience

6 project «Learning from experience» financed by Rothschild Foundation through Governance supported by The Rothschild Foundation (UK) took place. The second was a two-day seminar in a nice boarding house Dacia in Vadul-lui-Voda settlement (40 km from Kishinev), the most famous in holiday center with dozens of recreation centers. The program included such important and sometimes burning issues as interrelations in the system Founder-Board-Staff, conflict of interests in the Board, types of problematic Boards. On the second day Mrs. Sylvia Bychenko, Amnesty International in Board member, and training director of Governance Threshold Country program, was invited to share experience on activities of other NGOs working in the republic. CTPD Seminar Effective methods to resist to influence and activity of missionary organizations. As Semen Sigal, Rybnitsa Jewish Center Hesed Rachel said: We came for the seminars with our vision of planning and reporting. Now we go with other knowledge and understanding about the Boards role. We received a huge volume of materials for the practical work. We just need time to comprehend it and may to change our approaches. We thank our trainers and JCC for the wonderful program and intention to help us in the future. The project came to its final phase. Follow-up sessions are planned to be fulfilled by the end of April. 1 On the initiative of Jewish organizations heads with assistance of Jerusalem office JDC the seminar has been carried out. Rabbi Meir Shlezinger and Aharon Weis, Rabbi Alexander Lakshin took part in a seminar. The general program directed on counteraction to missionaries has been worked out. 45

7 3. Planned activities for May, 2009 KJJC & periphery Celebration of Independence Day of the State of Israel Celebration of Day of Jerusalem Celebration of Lag ba Omer Events devoted to Shavuot Celebratory Shabbat of KJJC Family and many others Jewish Community activities web-resource: