Limmud FSU - A Retrospective 2014 - Looking Back with Pride

Our ninth year, encompassing an in its widest sense to a generation intensive program of festivals, con- of (mostly) young people who were Limmud FSU ferences, events and exhibitions, deprived for so many years of expo- has come to a close and we are glad sure to Jewish life, culture, educa- to present in the following pages, tion. These are the qualities that we Celebrates this retrospective account of some have pledged ourselves to impart to of the highlights. First and foremost, this new generation, together with a we would like to welcome to our spirit of national identity – wherever leadership ranks, Rabbi Yechiel they may be – not just in the coun- Nine Years of Eckstein, President of the Interna- tries of the former , but tional Fellowship of Christians and across the world. Jews, who has agreed to serve as This rich program could not have dean of Limmud FSU (see “New Successful taken place without the support and Faces” on page 16.) backing of many devoted partners, We held nine events in seven differ- donors and friends, both private and Activity ent countries which were attended institutional (see page 14). by over 5,000 Russian-speaking They have our heartfelt appreciation

Jews. With our tenth anniversry in a and thanks. year’s time already within our sights, we continue to bring Jewish culture

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Matthew Bronfman Aaron Frenkel Yechiel Eckstein Chair, Limmud FSU President, Limmud FSU Dean, Limmud FSU International Steering Committee Another Packed Year MAJOR EVENTS IN It is with a distinct feeling of pride and achievement that we look back on the previous year’s activities marking nine years since we founded Limmud FSU “on a wing and a prayer,” back in 2006.

In that time, we estimate that about 30,000 young administration of each event. It is this spirit of volun- Russian speaking people, overwhelmingly in their 20s teerism, which was a guiding principle of the first Lim- 2014 to 40s, have been exposed for the first time to their mud in the UK, over 34 years ago, that motivates and Jewish heritage, which, under 70 years of Communist drives Limmud FSU. This is even more remarkable rule in the USSR, was suppressed or expressly for- inasmuch as the concept of volunteering was virtually bidden. Only a handful of brave and devoted individu- unknown in the USSR where the ruling authorities 115 0 als were able to teach Hebrew and something of Jew- were meant to provide everything. ish tradition – many of whom paid for their attempts Nor of course would there be a Limmud FSU without by long prison sentences. the enthusiastic and devoted support of our donors 800 The world around us has changed radically since and sponsors. From the outset they have appreci- then – and the Jewish world together with it. With ated the importance of the challenge and rose to it 750 Kinneret free immigration from the USSR beginning in the late nobly. 30,000 Russian-speaking Jews owe them an 700 () 1980’s, Russian-speaking Jews have spread across enormous vote of appreciation. New York the world (nearly one million to Israel alone), while Vitebsk The following pages give the highlights of the past Parsippany others choosing to remain in their countries of origin (Belarus) year and we enter 2015 – our tenth year! – with great New Jersey 500 are rebuilding a world of Jewish involvement in their enthusiasm and anticipation. Three new venues will 600 own communities. 350 Toronto 350 join the Limmud FSU community – Melbourne, Aus- 80 (Canada) We at Limmud FSU are a prime facilitator of all this. tralia, in March, Kazan in the Volga region of in Kishinev 11 communities () St. Petersburg Global Our conferences, festivals and events bring a spirit of September and in Los Angeles for the US West Coast () (Russia) intellectual freedom and enquiry to Russian-speakers early in 2016. All that apart from the usual program Summit

Participants (Israel) in a pluralistic, egalitarian, non-demanding atmo- of ongoing events in the countries of the FSU, Israel, sphere of study (Limmud) in the broadest sense. USA and Canada. September October November December Anything “Jewish” is grist to our mill: not just the Bible March April May June We look forward to meeting many of you at a Limmud and Talmud, important as they are, but Jewish history, FSU event during the coming year. culture, prose and poetry, theater, dance, music, folk- lore, the Arab-Jewish conflict, the Middle East, Israeli politics - even Jewish cuisine, and much more. None of this would be possible without the active involvement of the volunteers who take upon them- selves, the planning, programming, recruitment and

ת א ל Chaim Chesler Sandra Cahn Roman Kogan Founder, Chair, Co-Founder, Chair, Executive Director Executive Committee FRD Committee

3 Limmud FSU 2014 LIMMUD 6 March Limmud FSU Israel: FSU Bronfman Memorial

Limmud FSU co-sponsored a memorial event de- voted to the life of Edgar Bronfman (1929-2013), together with Hillel Israel and the Bronfman Youth Fellowships. The event, held in the Israel Museum, celebrated the life of the famous philanthropist and 2014 entrepreneur, who was involved in and supported so many Jewish activities, including Limmud FSU. EVENT BY The event was attended by some 200 associates, admirers, colleagues and family friends, including MK Isaac Herzog, Museum Director James Sny- der, Edgar’s son Matthew, who is Chairman of the International Steering Committee of Limmud FSU, EVENT Avraham Infield, President of Hillel Israel and other leaders of Jewish institutions in the , Israel and elsewhere. Limmud FSU produced a me- 28-30 March morial booklet “Edgar M. Bronfman: The Man. The Life” which included tributes from Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Shimon Peres, Prime Min- Limmud FSU USA: ister Benjamin Netanyahu, Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein and others. New York

The fifth Limmud FSU event for Rus- included the popular Israeli writer Lihi sian-speakers to be held in the United Lapid, Rabbi , the en- States took place at the Sheraton Parsip- trepreneur Eli Itin of Amdocs, the philan- pany Hotel, New Jersey and was attended thropist Feliks Frenkel and Adam Shwartz, by 750 participants, mostly aged between director of the Technion-Cornell Innovation 20 and 40, mainly from the greater New Institute. Alina Bitel, Chair of Limmud FSU York and New Jersey areas. The theme in the USA says, “Limmud FSU New York of this year’s event was “Innovation” and allows us to write our own story where ev- many of the nearly 90 sessions, dealt di- erything that happens is a reflection of our rectly or tangentially in innovative thinking, unique heritage and our passions. It gives research, business initiatives and techno- us a voice in the very important contempo- logical developments, including a program rary American-Jewish dialogue and helps for children aged three to 12 which also us claim our name and place.” included innovative concepts. Presenters

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24-27 April 23-25 May 12-16 June Limmud FSU, Russia: Limmud FSU Moldova: Limmud FSU Global Leadership Moscow Chişinău Summit, Jerusalem

Moscow was the venue of the first Limmud FSU The second Limmud FSU to take place in Moldova, This bi-annual gathering of the world know-how with other Limmud FSU teams. conference back in 2006 and is still the largest was held at the Chişinău Labor Institute with spon- Limmud FSU leadership took place at the The participants visited the Knesset and annual event. This year for the ninth conference, sorship from the Jewish Community of Moldova and Jerusalem Gardens Hotel and gathered were addressed by several ministers and 1,150 participants gathered at the Klyazma Retreat the US Embassy. With one of the smallest Jewish together some 80 activists and volunteers Knesset members, including Faina Center, some 12 kilometers from the city, and had communities in Europe, the conference was attend- from nine countries and eleven projects, Kirshenbaum, Ronen Hoffman, Elazar the choice of a massive 175 sessions, with as many ed by 350 people who had the choice of 80 different including from Australia and Canada where Stern, Omer Bar-Lev, Zeev Elkin, Isaac as eight taking place simultaneously, leaving the sessions. In a country where the average salary is Limmud FSU conferences were going to Herzog, and Ronen Plot, Director-General participant with agonizing decisions on what to see 50 dollars a month, a decision by so many young be held for the first time; (Canada, see be- of the Knesset. Some of the participants and hear and what had to be missed, delivered by Jewish people to invest in a participation fee is clear low; Australia in March 2015.) The packed had the opportunity to attend a concert by nearly 150 presenters. Among prominent speakers proof of their desire to draw closer to Judaism and program included lectures on developing Idan Raichel at Massada, others went on were Prof. Raphael Walden, the chair of “Physi- to share in the Jewish dialectic. Chișinău (then Limmud, courting the media, the new stra- guided walking tours of Jerusalem, cians for Human Rights,” on ethics and medicine in Kishinev) is embedded in the Jewish consciousness tegic partnership with the International Fel- attended the city’s Festival of Lights and times of conflict, and his wife, Prof. Tzvia Walden because of the infamous pogrom of 1903, immor- lowship of Christians and Jews, developing visited the Israel Museum. (the daughter of then President Shimon Peres), on talized in Chaim Nachman Bialik’s iconic poem volunteerism and sharing knowledge and the psychology of speech, many film presentations “City of Slaughter." Participants heard lectures from followed by discussions, and workshops on music, academics, journalists, business people from Mol- dance, jewelry-making, baking challot for Shabbat, dova, Russia and Israel, and had the opportunity and much more. A video interview was held with of joining workshops on handbag-making, pottery Bel Kaufman, the author and grand-daughter of the and even the Israeli-invented krav maga system of famous Yiddish writer Shalom Aleichem – her last self-defense. A Limmid volunteer, Yulia Sheinman, interview just three months before her death at the says, “Limmud expands your knowledge not just age of 103. A special event and exhibit was held for young people – the elderly also find their place marking the centennial of the American Jewish Joint here.” Distribution Committee.

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12-14 September 26-29 September Limmud FSU Belarus: Limmud FSU Australia: Vitebsk Melbourne

The second Belarus conference took place there were workshops in music and dance. The first planning conference for this event community and graduates of leadership in Vitebsk (the previous – first – one in the The Israeli television personality and ce- which will be held at the Mantra Confer- programs of the Zionist Federation of Aus- city had featured the artist Marc Chagall lebrity chef, Gil Hovav, gave a talk about ence Resort at Lorne on the Great Ocean tralia and the Jewish Agency (“Kangaruss- who was born there.) This one was called his great-grandfather, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Road, near Melbourne in March 2015 (see ki”) and with the participation of Roman Arts Limmud and was devoted to a wide (born in Belarus), who was responsible for page 2), took place in Melbourne, where Kogan, Executive Director of Limmud FSU. range of artistic topics and took place in the resurrection of Hebrew as a spoken the outlines of the forthcoming event – the Tania Borodach, a member of the planning three venues: the Arts Museum, the language, and after the conference, a Lim- first in Australia - were drawn up and a team, says, “ At Limmud we can be as Lyalka Theater and the National Academic mud delegation visited the family home project manager, Tania Shvartsman, was Jewish as we want and help other connect Theater, with 700 participants. True to its of Ben-Yehuda in Luzhky. A special pho- appointed (see page 16). The meeting was to their Jewish selves.” name, many of the 114 sessions were de- tographic exhibition on the life of the late attended by 25 members of the planning voted to the arts –literature, poetry, theater Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (whose family committee chaired by Sasha Klyachinka, and film. Yuri Tabac spoke about Judaism came from Belarus) was shown with the with volunteers from the Russian Jewish and culture, Tatiania Rudenko gave a mas- participation of Gilad Sharon, younger son ter-class on culture and the arts, of the late prime minister. Mordechai Yushkovsky spoke about Yiddish culture in the USSR, Mark Galesnik spoke about Jewish humor and

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24-26 October 6-9 November Limmud FSU Canada: Limmud FSU Ukraine: Toronto Lviv

For the first time ever and planned to be an annual More than 600 people from across Ukraine crowd raising the rafters at the closing event, a Limmud FSU convention was held in came to Lviv (Lvov) and filled the city’s gala party. A Limmud FSU sponsored visit Canada with substantial support from the UJA New Dniester Hotel from wall to wall. The local took place to the town of Rivne (Rovno,) York Federation. “Kultura Kanada” took place at the team had arranged a packed program where the mother of the celebrated Israeli Deerhurst resort in Muskoga, Ontario, near Toronto, of 150 sessions. Highlights were a vid- writer, Amos Oz, was born. There at a and was attended by over 500 participants, includ- eo talk with Krystyna Chiger who spent special ceremony in the presence of the ing the Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport, Limor 14 months concealed with her family in city’s mayor, Amos Oz’s daughter, Prof. Livnat. The Honorary Chair was Prof. Irwin Cotler the Lvov sewers during the war and was Fania Oz-Salzberger, dedicated a memori- and the whole event was planned and executed by saved by Leopold Socha, a Ukrainian al plaque and visited sites associated with a team of local volunteers. The nearly 100 sessions, sewer worker; the Israeli ambassadors to the family as lovingly recalled in her most of them on culture-related topics, featured Belarus and Ukraine; Vladimir Bystryakov, father's, “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” speakers such as Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the not- a noted composer; the painter Alexander his autobiographical memoir. The story of ed British publicist, Melanie Philips, Irwin Cotler on Okun; the actor Victor Shenderovich; the the visit was extensively covered in the global anti-Semitism; a panel on entrepreneurship; artist Victoria Kovalchuk; and the singer local and Israeli press and television. workshops on Jewish cooking, yoga, olive oil, ko- Marina Maximilian, who had the packed sher winemaking; lectures on Jewish gangsters in old Odessa; Jewish matchmaking; Canadian Jews – a unique community; the Shiksa; Jewish, Russian and gay; Kabbalat Shabbat and Shaharit morning services. During the course of the conference a spe- cial display was shown illustrating the life of the late Prime Minister, Menachem Begin.

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28-30 November 11-13 December Limmud FSU Russia: Limmud FSU Israel: Kinneret St. Petersburg Conference, Kibbutz Ginosar

Home to the second largest Jewish came one of the leaders of the attempted With over 800 participants, this event Stern and others on conversion, Avsha- community in Russia after Moscow, and hijacking of a Russian plane from what had to suspend registration when it was lom Kur, the philologist who explained thought by many to be its cultural capital, was then Leningrad, in 1969 in order to es- already oversubscribed shortly after reg- the meaning of Maoz Zur, the Hanukkah its 100,000 Jews enjoy a rich and flourish- cape the country. As punishment, he was istration opened. The kibbutz guest house song, Gideon Meir on Israeli diplomacy, ing intellectual, social and cultural life. At imprisoned for eleven years. In1981 after a was overflowing for the 124 sessions given the noted Russian writer Alexander Genis the New Peterhof Hotel, 350 participants worldwide campaign he was released and by over 60 presenters. A central topic was on his work, Eli Cohen of the iInternational mainly from Northwest Russia, in this the immigrated to Israel. Another highlight was the life and work of Rachel the Poetess Fellowship of Christians and Jews on Beit fourth Limmud FSU conference in the city, the participation of Leah Koenig, one of who lived and wrote about the Kinneret Shemesh as a microcosm of immigration, had a choice of 80 sessions given by as the first ladies of the Israel stage returning (Sea of Galilee) with which her name is Yoram Dori, advisor to former President many presenters. An emotional occasion to her place of birth. A special party was indelibly linked. At a lively opening event, Shimon Peres, the historian Uri Millstein was the participation of Yosef Mende- given by Limmud FSU to mark the 85th Students of the Beit Zvi Acting Studio in taking about his great-aunt Rachel the levich, the Soviet dissident. Repeatedly birthday of the actress. Tel Aviv presented a tribute to many of Poetess, a video interview with the writer refused of the right to immigration, he be- Rachel’s iconic poems which have been Amos Oz by four Israeli journalists follow- set to music. Popular speakers included ing the Limmud FSU visit last month of his Justice of the Supreme Court, Elyakim Ru- daughter, Prof. Fania Oz-Salzberger, to the binstein speaking about the court, Elazar home of his mother (see Lviv, page 11.)

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Provisional Plans for 2015 Limmud FSU Limmud Across the Globe Leadership and Staff 1 West Coast USA planning seminar: 23-25 January 7 Volga Region, Kazan, Russia - 4-6 September Matthew Bronfman Chair, International Steering Committee 2 Melbourne, Australia: 8-9 March 8 Ukraine – 9-12 October Aaron Frenkel 3 New York, Parsippany, NJ: 27-29 March 9 Toronto, Canada - 23-25 October President Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein 4 Moscow - 23-26 April 10 St. Petersburg – 27-29 November Dean 5 Chişinău (Kishinev), Moldova - 22-24 May 11 Kibbutz Ginosar, Israel – 17-19 December Chaim Chesler Founder, Chair, Executive Committee 6 Belarus: July Sandra F. Cahn Co-founder, Chair FRD Committee Roman Kogan Limmud FSU Sponsors Limmud FSU Online Executive Director Chaim Nagus Without the following friends, partners, donors and associates, Limmud FSU www.limmudfsu.org Finance and Management Consultant Asher Weill events could not take place. They all have our deepest thanks. Israel English Editor Yaroslav Brooke www.Limmudfsu.co.il Information and Resources Development International Fellowship of Cahn Family Foundation Menachem Begin Heritage Limmud FSU was established Olga Noa Lavie Moscow Website Administrator, Social Media, PR in Russian Christians and Jews Chester Foundation Center, Jerusalem in 2008 in the State of New Matthew Bronfman York as a recognized charity, www.limmud.ru Arik Puder David Kislin Michael Zurakhinsky Aaron Frenkel under the name Limmud FSU Public Relations and Press Dr. Nona International Mikhail Mirilashvili St. Petersburg Conference for Jewish International Foundation, Inc. Richard Maidman Regional Leadership Material Claims against Dutch Jewish Humanitarian If you would like to join us www.limmud.spb.ru Fund Ron Hersh Germany or know more about our Ukraine Osik Akselrud American Jewish Joint Edward Mermelstein Ruben Landsberger activities, please contact Chair, Limmud in Ukraine Distribution Committee Feliks Frenkel Ruth Salomy Sandra Cahn at: www.limmud.org.ua Raffi Heltzer Diane Wohl IKEA Israel Salarc Foundation [email protected] (English version: en.limmud.org.ua) Limmud Russian-Speakers, Israel Israel Ministry of Jerusalem Israel Bonds Samuel Bronfman Foundation Yan Birbraer and Diaspora Affairs Belarus Project Manager, Israel Israel Discount Bank Shulem Fisher Israel Ministry of Foreign www.limmud.by (and General Logistics Manager Limmud FSU) Israel Ministry of Immigrant UJA – Federation of Greater Affairs (English version: www.limmud.by/en) Galina Rybnikova Absorption Toronto Jewish National Fund (KKL) Project Manager, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus Prime Minister’s Office – Jerry Levin World Zionist Organization Moldova Tatyana Pashaeva Nativ Joe Cooper www.jcm.md Project Manager, Russian Federation Keren Hayesod (United Israel Noam Shumakh-Khaimov UJA Federation of New York Appeal) USA Project Manager, USA L. A. Pincus Fund for Jewish www.limmudfsuus.org Mila Voihansky Education in the Diaspora Country Director, Canada Canada Tania Shvartsman Mark Tsesarsky www.limmudfsucanada.org Project Manager, Australia Mark Wilf Australia 14 www.limmudfsu.org.au (under construction) 15 Limmud FSU 2014 NEW FACES

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Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein Olga Noa Lavie Born in 1951, he received rabbinical ordination from Was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1983 and immigrated to and is the Founder and President Israel in 2005. She is a public relations professional of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. and journalist living in Tel Aviv and has been with Lim- He is the author of seven books on Jewish topics mud FSU for the last 12 months. She studied journal- and is recognized as the leading Jewish authority on ism, television production and international relations evangelical Christianity and has written extensively on and worked as a radio anchor, correspondent and the subject. He served as an advisor to former Prime editor and as an advisor on public relations to several Minister Ariel Sharon and was appointed Goodwill Israeli political figures. She speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Ambassador of the State of Israel, with special Hebrew and English and pronounces herself to be a emphasis on Israel’s relationships with the evangelical “passionate Zionist.” Her hobbies are the culinary arts communities. He is on the board of directors of the and food photography, fashion, and public diplomacy. American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and At Limmud she is administrator of the new website Dean of Jewish Thought and Studies at Limmud FSU. www.limmudfsu.org and social media, as well as pub- lic and press relations in Russian. She replaces Boris Schindler who served for several years as a volunteer and we would like to acknowledge his help and devot- ed attention.

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Tatyana (Tanya) Pashaeva Tatiana (Tania) Shvartsman Was born in 1989 in the small town of Millerovo, in the Was born in Tiraspol, Moldova in 1987 and migrated Rostov region of Russia, and was active in different with her family to Australia in 1992. She has a degree youth organizations. After graduation she left for from Deakin University, Melbourne in management, Moscow and graduated from the National Research human relations and marketing and speaks English University Higher School of Economics with an MA and Russian. In 2010, she went on a Birthright trip to degree in marketing management and completed a Israel and that is when her Jewish identity took a turn. course on project management for non-profit organi- She worked for the Zionist Federation of Australia and zations. Five years ago she attended her first Limmud then for the Hagashama project of the Jewish Agency. FSU Moscow Conference. She liked it so much that She is the first Limmud FSU project manager for Aus- the following year, she became a volunteer and even- tralia and says: "My first encounter with Limmud was tually joined the Moscow organizing committee. She via the "KangaRusski" Leadership program. As many enjoys travel, studying foreign languages, reading and other Russian Jews in Australia, I had no idea such listening to music and hates waiting, writing about a thing existed. I believe that Limmud FSU Australia herself and lazy weekends. Tanya is replacing Jenya will be the catalyst for the future engagement of the Nemirovskaya who is leaving us to raise a family. Russian-speaking Jewish community in Australia. This Jenya has been with Limmud from the outset and we is a huge untapped market, and we are here to make wish her the best of luck in whatever direction her a change!" future takes her.

Text and Editing; Asher Weill // Design and Production: Ira Ginsburg 16