Jerusalem-born Mika Arad, a descendant of the Koschers – one of three Jewish families who settled in Ivye in 1600 – held her Bat Mitzvah ceremony in the Museum of National Cultures, in the gallery on the history and traditions of the Jewish people.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi occupation during World War II, the capitol city of Minsk, as well as Novogudok, located 150 km southwest, hosted commemorative events for the ‘Memorial Days’ festivities. The anniversary celebration also displayed the resilience of the Jewish community in Belarus that is again robust 75 years later.
Congratulations to Netzer FSU for winning the top three awards at the recent 25th International Purimshpeil Festival in Vitebsk.
For five years, a march dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust has been held in Grodno. In mid-March, the city remembers people who were killed during the Second World War. Of the nearly 30 thousand Jews who once lived in Grodno, only 200 people survived after the war. Two Grodno ghettos were destroyed on March 12, 1943.
In late January – early February, the Third Pedagogical Conference of Reform Educators brought together 30 educators from Reform congregations in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to Gomel, Belarus for three days of learning and sharing best practices in early childhood education and Jewish education.
December may have been cold, but Netzer FSU hosted 11 children and young adult counselors for a holiday break that warmed their hearts. Camp Three Whales, as it was called, welcomed 11 participants ages 7-13 years old and counselors, ages 14-23, for a multi-day activity framework replete with informal and formal educational activities, recreational outings and Shabbat services.
The WUPJ Conference in Odessa was an excellent platform for participants to study and discuss the ideology and mission of our Movement. Representatives of the communities of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, along with youth leaders and activists from Netzer participated in lively discussions about the future of the movement, about the priorities that we want to set for ourselves over the next two years and expressed opinions on how to build a link between different generations in communities.
For more than 15 years, the Passover Project has sent rabbinic students from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion to Reform congregations across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to lead Passover celebrations. Every year, students join growing congregations for traditional and innovative programs and services designed to bolster the communities.
On March 18, more than 200 members of the Jewish communities as well as representatives of Christian congregations, non-governmental organizations, diplomats, schoolchildren, students, foreign visitors and residents of Grodno gathered at “March of Remembrence” in Grodno to honor the memory of Grodno ghetto demolition that happened 75 years ago. The event began with prayer led […]
This past week, the National Belorussian Jewish School – Atikva in Gomel, Belarus hosted a conference on pedagogy in formal Jewish education. Take a look below to experience the conference first hand and learn how a Jewish day school in Belarus celebrates Purim. The opening ceremony of the conference, featuring a performance by some of […]