Jewish Life in the Euro-Asian Region: An Overview of Events and Projects

Faith, unity, creativity, and modern technology empower the communities and partner organizations of the EAJC to overcome any challenges and discover new opportunities. We continue to keep you updated on the most prominent projects and events within the region’s Jewish community.

Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS)

In May, the Russian Union of Jewish Students organized a second delivery of food aid packages to elderly Muscovites who are members of the Samara Regional Community Association. The charity event was supported by the Representative Office of the Samara Region and initiated by the Representative Office's Youth Council in partnership with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

The Russian Union of Jewish Students continues to host its series of thematic online webinars organized in cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel (Sokhnut). 

Students met with Sokhnut representatives Yuri Shahar and Roman Polonsky to discuss internship and academic opportunities in Israel, the Israeli national health insurance system, and the history of the 1990s Aliyah from the post-Soviet states. Roman Gold, Managing Partner of the Israeli investment platform JSCapital and Editor-in-Chief of IT Business Week, offered the webinar participants an in-depth analysis of the Israeli innovation ecosystem.

Hillel Russia

Since the onset of the self-isolation regime, Hillel Russia has maintained its active support of Jewish youth by organizing educational programs, coordination of volunteer initiatives and targeted aid, and engaging activists to create and lead community projects. 

Online Hebrew language courses have successfully launched in Moscow and St. Petersburg, maintaining the dynamic pace of traditional in-person classes. In Moscow, the Alpha+ course brought together beginners and students continuing from the autumn cycle. In St. Petersburg, the language course is currently held for entry-level students.

Despite the quarantine restrictions, Hillel Russia successfully provided support to veterans and Holocaust survivors, while engaging students in commemorative events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany. 

In Khabarovsk and Yekaterinburg, volunteers delivered flowers and festive food baskets to 58 veterans. In Yekaterinburg, young activists gathered on Zoom for a "Guitar and Vocals Evening" to perform beloved wartime songs together.

The Global Shabbat dedicated to the Victory over Nazism brought together Russian-speaking students from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Azerbaijan. The live broadcast connected 220 participants from various countries, with the recording subsequently viewed by over 1,200 spectators.

In Moscow, Hillel Russia assembled a team of volunteers to transcribe historical documents, diaries, and letters preserved by the Holocaust Foundation. Meanwhile, in Yekaterinburg, a memorial service for the victims of the Holocaust and resistance heroes concluded with a traditional minute of silence.

Hillel CASE

As part of the Hillel Art Labs program, dozens of students took part in the "L.O.M.K.A." creative thinking training sessions led by director Yulia Savina.

The regional tournaments of the Quiz Box project, highly popular among Hillel youth, are ongoing. Throughout this challenging period, Quiz Box, which combines intellectual competition with Jewish education, team spirit, and solidarity across regional Hillels, has served as a flagship and a source of inspiration for other local projects. Dozens of teams from various countries participate in the Quiz Box tournaments. 

Students from the CASE region participated in the International Russian-Language Shabbat, connecting Jewish youth from Khabarovsk to Baku. The initiative recorded over 170 Zoom connections and more than 100 views on Facebook.

The traditional intellectual tournament was successfully held as part of the Limmud Brain Labs project. On this occasion, the event attracted 35 teams, totaling over 150 participants.

The volunteer initiative "Stay Connected," aimed at assisting elderly vulnerable members of the Jewish community, veterans, and children with disabilities, has commenced. The project is operational in Minsk, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv. Over the next three months, student volunteers will distribute food supplies and maintain regular contact with those who require assistance during this challenging period.

In total, more than 1,000 students participate weekly in Hillel programs, including English and Hebrew language groups, educational and entertainment activities, quizzes, and social media campaigns.

Representative Office of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Central Asia (Mitzvah Association) 

The "On the Way" group, a Torah study initiative that has helped generations discover the wisdom of the Torah for over 20 years, continues its activities online.

Natives of Kazakhstan who previously attended classes at the Rimon Jewish Community Center have reconnected with the project. Natalia Rynkovskaya, the project’s long-standing instructor, noted that while traditional classroom instruction remains more effective, the digital experience acquired over recent months offers valuable opportunities to engage with international audiences.

The youth wing of the Pavlodar Jewish Community was named among the laureates of a competition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War. Young leaders from the Merkaz Ethno-Cultural Association won the category "For Preserving the Memory of the Military Path of Heroic Compatriots" in the creative contest "In Memory of War Heroes and Home Front Workers."

Ten young activists of the Almaty Jewish Community participated in an international flashmob celebrating Jerusalem Day: 200 youths from across the CIS expressed their affection for the capital of Israel, the spiritual heart of the Jewish people and a center of three major world religions.

Through a series of lectures on Ashkenazi Jewish culture, young community leaders are exploring the traditions of East European Jewry, and the daily life and atmosphere of Jewish shtetls. In August, trainees of the Madrikhim School will begin practical teaching, delivering presentations within the community on "The Culture of the Jews of Eastern Europe."

For two months, Hebrew language classes in the Sha'at Ivrit club have been conducted online. This transition has significantly expanded the audience, allowing participants from various regions of Kazakhstan to join Almaty residents in their studies.