Young Leaders and Talmud Torah

Location:Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Name of implementing organization:Dnepropetrovsk Rosalind Gurwin Jewish Community Center.
Date of initial project approval:February 2004

Brief description of the local Jewish community

Dnepropetrovsk is one of the largest regional economic centers of Ukraine, with total population exceeding 1.5 million. It is a financial and industrial hub. At its peak, the city boasted 43 synagogues, a Jewish hospital, 16 Jewish schools, charitable organizations, a home for the aged, a Jewish bank and an extensive network of cultural organizations.

The Communist regime closed the synagogues and other Jewish  institutions. In 1942, the Nazis ruthlessly killed 40,000 Jews in the city. Despite a virulent post-war anti-Semitic policy, survivors returned and Jews from other localities were drawn to the area. Nevertheless, Jewish life in the postwar years was extremely limited. Jews would gather in the synagogue only for Yom Kippur, which in itself was a daring act of defiance.

Today, Dnepropetrovsk is enjoying an unprecedented revival of Jewish activity. The Jewish community numbers approximately 60,000 people and has an extended network of  educational, religious and cultural institutions, including:

• The Hesed welfare center, serving over 8,000 Jewish elderly and disabled
• Rosalind Gurwin Jewish Community Center
• Regional Institute for Social and Community Workers
• Tkuma Holocaust Education, Research and Memorial Center
• Hillel
• A Jewish day school with 700 students
• Yeshiva and Machon
• 2 Jewish kindergartens
• Bet Chana Teacher Training Seminary
• 2 synagogues, repaired and restored
• Community old age home
• Jewish newspapers and a Jewish TV program

Project aims and objectives

 

 

• To provide supplementary Jewish education to children 6-16 years old
• To learn the values of Jewish heritage starting from early age, and develop leadership skills based on Jewish education
•  To implement the Bet Midrash method, motivating children and teenagers to comprehensive understanding and discussions of Jewish texts, and to forming individual points of view
• To utilize contemporary teaching methods, including the “language of animation”, and visual aids (reflecting the world of Jewish Traditions in the art works)

 

As a result of their Jewish studies, participants produced creative materials on Jewish themes (holiday cards, posters, movies and cartoons, etc.)

Project Description

 

The project is establishing a supplementary afternoon "Talmud Torah" for children 6 through 16 years old. The curriculum  includes Jewish holidays, the Jewish life cycle, Shabbat, Jewish history, and Jewish ethics. The program implements creative expression of Judaism through the arts, and includes much hands-on activity. 

Over 100 children, ages 6-18 years, participate.  Parents are actively involved in the programs.  Leading specialists in Judaica and creative pedagogues from the Jewish Community Center work with the project in three programs for different age groups: “The ABC of Feelings” (for children, aged 6-8 years), “The World of Traditions” (for children, aged 9-13 years) and “Art-Midrash” (for children, aged 14-18 years). 2-hour classes take place twice a week. 2 specialists work simultaneously with each group – a specialist in Judaica and a creative pedagogue.

The project combines familiarization with  classical texts of Torah and Midrash, with creative activity and movie education on the basis of animated pedagogics, created by project participants. The children's work results in real projects (exhibitions, animated projects, posters,  etc.), which decorate community events and holidays.

The project also includes 2-day seminars, aimed at leadership development, for teenagers ages 14-16; family seminars for younger learners; and  demonstration special projects, 

Movies created by the project participants are screened at  community events and International Festivals, expanding the community of Judaica learners and popularizing Jewish values.

 

Main budget elements

 

• Production of artistic works of the project (paintings, cartoons, booklets, publications, brochures, as well as replicating CDs- collected movies etc.)
• Salaries
• Evenings of Jewish arts, animation movies demonstration, artworks exhibitions

The project's successes

The Project has received positive evaluations, in  regular feedback from parents, children, and JCC participants.

About a thousand original children’s worksof art, reflecting their perception of the Jewish world and demonstrating the growth of their Jewish identity, have been created. 16 exhibitions and  5 animated movies based on Torah and Midrashim texts were produced by the project. the The project has published a“King Solomon’s Parables” and “Abraham’s 10 Trials” set of greeting cards. There have been numerous presentations.

Difficulties encountered along the way

Learning Judaica on the territory of the former Soviet Union often arouses subconscious alarm among Jewish parents. Therefore a lot of Jewish parents prefer teaching their children at creative studios.