Our Connections Continue

Greetings from Tufts Hillel!

Even though our Kazakhstan group has been back in the United States for over 4 months our connections with our peers and the Jewish community in Kazakhstan continues.

We just compiled 25 Chanukah Kits for the Jewish community in Kazakhstan and will be sending them to our peers in Almaty. And the Tufts Hillel group also curated a photo exhibit called, "BEYOND BORAT: A Photographic Experience Through Jewish Kazakhstan." This exhibit was on view at Hillel during Kazakhstan Shabbat and for Family weekend at Tufts. Our photo gallery can now be seen online at www.tuftshillel.org/jewishkazakhstan.htm.

We just wanted to update you on some of the follow up activities that we were doing.

All the best,

The KZ Crew

Some photos from our time in KZ

Hiking with our KZ Comrades in the Mountains of Almaty The Tufts Hillel Group in KZTouring the Hesed Center
Working at the home of a Hesed Client in KZ

Getting briefed on JDC work in Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia

Anna's Reflections

I'm Anna and I am a 20 year-old Kazakhstani student. For me, like for most students from Kazakhstan, this is the first time in my life I have met Americans. The first experience with native speakers, with people who have a very different way of thinking and a different perspective on life has been very interesting. There was a language barrier and at times it was difficult to communicate, but it wasn't important. We still understood each other. Celebrating Shabbat together, playing games, and working side by side to help the elderly was really interesting and very uncommon. The highlight of the meeting was not only that we could do important and necessary work, but that we could learn the culture of peace and understanding of each other. Almaty students and American students became friends and they learned to understand each other and themselves better.

I belive this event is very important for both us Kazakhstanis and the Americans. We both learned about a new culture and about the Jewish community. Everyone got something useful out of the week. I hope that this event has initiated strong friendships and that volunteer work will become a tradition in both communities. We Kazakhstanis are a very hospitable people and of course would be happy to see Americans return many times.

Для меня, как и для большинства студентов из Казахстана, эта встреча с Американскими свестниками первая в жизни. Первый опыт общения с носителями языка, c людьми абсолютно иными по образу мышления, по образу жизни. Тем интереснее эта встреча.
Не могу сказать, что языкового барьера не возникло. Лично я испытала некоторые трудности в общении, но это ни в коем случае не портило и не омрачало встречи.
Совместное празднование Шаббата, игры, работа, помощь старым и одиноким людям – все это было интересно а главное необычно. Изюминка этой встречи в том, что мы не только делаем важное и нужное дело - помогаем старикам, но и познаем культуру и внутринний мир друг друга. Алмаатинцы подружились не только с американскими студентами-волонтерами, они передружились и между собой? Стали более сплоченнее.
Я считаю, что эта встреча очень важна для обеих сторон. Учились иной культуре не только студенты, учились и руководители обеих сторон. Каждый принявший участие в этом мероприятии вынес что - то полезное для себя.
Я надеюсь что эта встречa положила начало крепкой дружбе, а волонтерская работа рябят станет доброй традицией.
Мы, казахстанацы - очень гостеприимный народ, и конечно, мы будем рады видеть американских ребят у нас в городе еще и не раз.

Check out this website...

Learn about the Jewish community in KZ by visting their website at www.mitsva.kz

(There are pictures from our trip up there too)

A message from one of our KZ Friends

Hi!!!!!! My name is Zara…… And full is Zarina, I’m one of the participants of this program from the Kazakhstan side. And so some of our American guests know and call like Zara and the second half like Zarina and sometimes it’s really fun when they try to understand about whom they speak.

I think my English isn’t bad and it was really good experience for me and possibility to improve it…but….sometimes when your porridge is waiting for you and you are waiting for this porridge, but you need to translate something to our coordinators Inessa and Vika, you want to forget about everything but you can’t ..I will be strong….I will do everything :)
Ok… and so I will write part in English and part in Russian.

It was really great seminar. My first thought was that it can be difficult because of the difference between our countries, cultures, and of course languages. But just five minute after we met our American guests, I really understood that it doesn’t matter from what country you are from. Difference in languages wasn’t an obstacle between us, but there were a lot of funny moments because of misunderstanding.

At the second day I understood that if you want to find a new friend and have with him strong friendship you need to clean with him shelves, or to wash the floor or to clean ceiling. And it was a great experience and so in my future I will use this strategy of making new friends.

P.S. Hilary loved the process of cleaning so much that I give her incredible possibility to continue the pleasure……to make the same in my flat. It was a great possibility…so why she didn’t want?

P.S. 2 Adam said that I was the best cleaner that he has ever seen! Was it a compliment? Thank you! I hope it won’t be my future profession.

Now in Russian... Вечер. Сегодня мы учили наших американских друзей пить чай ...милая казахская традиция. Систематически они пытаются сбежать но мы не поддаемся и выпускаем их тлльтко в туалет. Традиция пить чай так приятна.
После вечера полного чая, вкусных вафель, и интереснейших бесед по сравниванию наших культур и прочего ....разговор о том кто за кого будет голосовать на предстоящих выборах.....все заснули. И тут Даша которая стала засыпать обнаружила о том что у нее в комнате лежит клюс от домика в котором живут Бен и Рома.... Нет вы подумаете чвто они живут тольок в двоем и можете сказать что за барские замашки но это не так как в этом домике живут три Ромы и два Бе6на...и попробуйте потом убедить меня что у наших организаторов нет чувства юмора......Так вот она желая как всегда только самого лучшего пошла к ним в домик и обнаружив что все уже спят решила закрыть к ним дверь входную ...для безопасности. Сама же она решимла что встанет пораньше и откроет их. Вна следующее утром я разбудила Дашу в то время когда завтрак уже начался.....она неторопливо встала, расчеслаась умылась и сказала...Зара...ты можешь сходить и открыть их дом?...В тот момент когда я подходила к домику около него уже стоял наш охранник которцый был готов вскрывать дверь любими подручными средствами и судя по крикам вну3три домика Бе6ны и Ромы пытались выбраться оттуда уже давно.....И тут я как светый ангел....Когда я открыла дверь они почему то смотрели на меня очень недобро.......


Второй курьезный случай произошел с нами когда я была в гостях у наших американскийх друзей...в том самом удивительном домике где живут только Бе6ны и Ромы.... часов в двенадцать я поняла что с меня хватит политики, обсуждения кто чем собирается заниматься и планов на иразвития совместных проектов наших общин. Нго так как все такки мне было безумно интересно я решила поелжать полчаса на кровати а потом встать и вернуться к разговору. Ближе всего была кровать Бена...ну я подумала что никто не обидется. В итоге вместо полежать я заснула...а тут пришел законный владелец кровати который тоже захотел спать в итоге когда он попытался меня поднять ...я этого хоть убейте не помню скаазла на полном серьезе. Bed? U can sleep on the floor…. И мерно продолжила спать. В итоге я через часик проснулась и решила продолжить интересный разговор...но тут мне сказали что он ушел и не вернулся. Я так испугался сто он обиделся и из за одного моего нелепого слова можно разрушит длительные междунродные отношения с таким усердием посроенные нашими странами ...в итоге я стала бегать по плесу в поисках несчатного обездоленного мальчика. Гашла. На самом деле он не обиделся а просто нашел место где ему вместо кофе налили кофе...вот он конец.

Our last day in Almaty

Hello everyone, it’s Laura! I can’t believe that today is the last day of our trip. Just a few days ago, we all arrived here in a daze after traveling, feeling like we’d known each other for years and not hours. The past week in Almaty, Kazakhstan, has been a whirlwind of new encounters, experiences, and learning. Some of the most significant aspects of our trip have been the volunteer work that we’ve done at Hesed, the JDC-sponsored Jewish community welfare organization that serves Almaty, and the cultural exchanges that we’ve had with our Kazakhstani “peers” (aka. cultural colleagues/comrades/counterparts). Yesterday, my workgroup had our most poignant experience volunteering with Hesed clients. Here’s what happened…

After a long drive to the outskirts of Almaty, we arrived at our clients’ apartment. One of the Kazakhstanis in my workgroup knew the area and explained that our clients lived in a neighborhood outside of the city that was developed during the height of the Soviet era. She explained that the housing developments in the area were once very nice but they have fallen into disrepair since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The apartment we visited was very old but seemed cozy when we walked in. The couple we visited, both of whom are in their 80s, have been married for 60 years! They are both frail and physically impaired so their ability to get outside of their four-room apartment is limited. To make matters worse, they have a daughter who lives in Russia and an adult son who passed away recently so they don’t have a lot of opportunity to see family. Until that point we had two other experiences going into Hesed clients’ homes to clean, do small repairs, gardening, and provide companionship etc., so we felt like experts as we trudged into their apartment wielding buckets and brooms. My first impression of the clients was not great—unlike the other encounters we’ve had—as they barked out a list of cleaning tasks (I’m learning that Russian sometimes sounds harsher to non-speakers than the actual message being conveyed) for us and then quickly went into another room and shut the door so we could clean without bothering them. Undeterred, we got to work vacuuming, dusting, and washing the floors, ceilings, and doors. As a side note, “cleaning culture” in Kazakhstan is different from the States—no Windex and Swiffers here, we used rags and newspapers instead.

As we cleaned, our lists of tasks got longer (we decided it was because we were doing a good job!). We were exhausted but proud when we maneuvered all of the couple’s furniture out of their small, crowded living room to wash the floor and beat out the rug. When we finally finished cleaning, the uncomfortable mood changed immediately. The couple suddenly became extremely friendly and warm. I felt relieved and thought that I had been too quick to judge them and their behavior. For whatever reason, everyone felt a lot more comfortable together. The six of us crowded around the kitchen table with the couple and the Hesed caseworker, enormous platters of watermelon appeared out of nowhere, and the elderly couple began telling us the story of their lives in Almaty. Both of them had moved to Kazakhstan as children when their families were evacuated from other parts of the Former Soviet Union. They met when they both worked in the rail industry; he as an engineer, and she as some sort of operator. I found it really interesting that they both spoke so wistfully of the “good life” they enjoyed under Soviet rule. Understandably, life became much harder for them in the years following the collapse and the social/community services they received changed significantly. At one point, the man left the room and returned with an old crumbling shoebox of family photos. We enjoyed passing them around and listening to the (translated!) stories of each photo. I felt a great sense of warmth and community looking at their pictures because they reminded me a lot of old photos of my own family. In a sense, I felt like they could have been my distant relatives. I was especially touched when they asked someone in our group to contact a distant relative of theirs living in Brooklyn to tell them that we visited their home in Almaty and that they were well.

Overall, working with Hesed clients in their homes has been a really eye-opening and poignant part of this experience even though it’s certainly been upsetting and frustrating at times. I feel like we’ve gotten a real sense of the way the elderly live here and understand the need for the development of community welfare and social services firsthand. I’m off to go participate in our “goodbye” talent show and enjoy the rest of our last day here…see you soon!

"Thank your parents for me..."

Hi! It’s Andy in Almaty having an amazing time, of course! Today, my group worked with a woman named Valentina who lives alone in her apartment in the city. At the start of the morning, Valentina seemed tired and unhappy. She had to keep lying down. After a while, I tried to speak Russian to her, and she seemed pleased, so, with the amazing help of Perry, we started asking her questions about her life. Valentina told us that she was a doctor for 40 years. In 2001, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to stop working to begin her chemotherapy. Because she went into early retirement, she only receives a pension of $100 a month- an impossibly small amount of money to live on. I was so upset to find out that a woman that dedicated her life to helping others could retire with such dismal circumstances. She has almost no family nearby, and has little in the way of companionship while dealing with such terrible problems. Without her daughter, Valentina probably would not be able to survive. Her daughter sends her a lot of money to help pay for her expenses. She moved to South Africa six years ago, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Her daughter, who is now thirty, received fourth place in the last Olympics for pole-vaulting! Valentina was so proud of her daughter’s successes. She seemed pleased by all of the questions, and urged us to ask more. Of course, the conversation was broken up by bouts of cleaning (we washed windows, scrubbed floors and hung curtains) but eventually the chat moved to the kitchen, where we sat down for tea and bread and cheese. As the only Americans in our work group, Valentina looked at Derek and me with a lot of curiosity, it seemed. She asked us a lot of questions about ourselves. She wanted to know what we study, if we cook and about our Judaism. She asked us about American politics, drugs in America and how we like Kazakhstan. Likewise, we kept asking her opinions on Kazakhstan. She did not seem pleased with the government politics and the way they are running the country. However, she was emphatic about how much she loved healthcare in Kazakhstan. I had heard a lot of negative views about the healthcare system in Kazakhstan. So, I was surprised when, a cancer patient no less, was really pleased with medicine in the country. The long talk we had with Valentina was great. She kept praising us for our good work and how nice it was for us to visit her. But, I think the best part of the morning was when she said to us, “When you go home, thank your parents for me. They raised you very well, that you come all the way to Kazakhstan to help us. You are very good kids.” Valentina is very lucky that she has a daughter who supports her. But, I’ve heard a lot of stories from other groups about Hesed clients whose children passed away before them. With such small pensions that most people receive, it’s hard to imaging how these people survive.

On a lighter note, we’re going to the observatory tonight. Hopefully it won’t be cloudy, so we can see the stars!

Also, Ben G. looks like Harry Potter.

Halfway There

Hi, it’s Adam K. As I sit here just after the halfway point of our trip to Almaty, I cannot help but think how fantastic everything is going. Not only is our work with the local Hesed clients bringing smiles to the community, but we have created a bond with our Kazakhstani peers that is far more incredible than any of us had expected. We have discussed our Jewish identities with one another, shared our religious experiences, and discussed why it is so important for all of us to be part of one single Jewish community. Thinking back upon the days when our group first convened back home at Tufts Hillel, I remember how many of us students were unfamiliar with JDC as we learned about its role of providing rescue, relief, and renewal to struggling Jewish communities overseas. On this trip, many of us have participated first hand in the relief and renewal aspect of JDC’s work as we have celebrated Shabbat together, taught our Kazakhstani peers some of our Jewish traditions from home, and offered our help to some of Hesed’s older clients.

In addition to learning about the JDC and its crucial role in the Jewish community, we have also had the opportunity to learn from JDC staff and administration about the ins and outs of the organizations and some of the hardships it faces in serving as the backbone of overseas Jewish communities. This afternoon we had the pleasure of sitting down with Max Weisel, who heads JDC’s efforts in Central Asia, and discussing JDC’s work in Kazakhstan. In addition, as we learned about the challenges the Jewish community faces in Almaty, many of us began to struggle with the question of what our purpose really is in traveling over 6,000 miles to Almaty, and what our role as American Jews should be toward this community. Max helped us realize that while the service work (cleaning the houses of Hesed clients) is extremely important in providing welfare services, our purpose in being here reaches far beyond any service project we could do. We are here to develop a sense of responsibility to the global Jewish community, to learn about the diverse ideas of what constitutes one’s Jewish identity, and to learn about the JDC and its unwavering support to Jewish communities abroad. We talked about how many of the peer connections we have made may be strained by distance and time, but this trip will provide us knowledge of what it means to be a responsible member of the Jewish community and a sense of how we can help other Jews find their identities abroad. Hopefully, as we wrap up the last few days of this trip, we will come to realize that the future of the global Jewish community is dependent upon us, and as we grow into adults and find our own identities, the notion of giving back to our community will be ingrained in us.

Helping the KZ Elderly

Hi, it’s Ethan H. here. We just finished helping an elderly couple (man= 80 yrs., woman=59). The two have lived in their apartment for over 40 years, and have been practically immobile for the last two. So we American and Kazakhstani college-aged kids tried to help in any way we could, from scrubbing the floors to dusting the books. Both were very appreciative of our help and treated us as they would their own grandchildren. They also praised Hesed for the assistance it provides and told us “they do everything for us.”

The couple had lost their two grown children (late 20s) in an accident a couple years ago, and the woman told me I reminded her of them. She said she wanted to adopt me, which I laughed off, but as we parted at the end of our service work, I saw her pain. She was crying and held my hand and didn’t want to let go.

We were asked by the elderly couple if we were Jewish and that identity that we all share helped to connect us even though we had never met before. The fact that all of us are Jewish—the woman could speak Yiddish, and she read the challah cover that we presented as a gift (“shabbat”, she said)—helped strengthen our connection.

Jewish Identity in KZ

Hello all—Jessie here with an update on our trip! We’ve had a really incredible last few days getting to know the Kazakhstanis.

I had the opportunity to organize the Friday-night Shabbat service with Ben Ross and Rachel Finn. Earlier this year when we were first learning about the Jewish community of Kazakhstan, our JDC staffer Naomi told us all about how Jewish traditions and practices in Kazakhstan basically disappeared under Communism. Because of this, Ben, Rachel, and I were apprehensive about how smoothly the service would run. Though there were a few moments of confusion—as expected in a trilingual service—we ended on a common note, all chiming in for the same tune of Adon Olam.

My first thoughts were that the Kazakhstanis were not as religious as us because they didn’t know the same customs and prayers. But the next night, they led Havdalah and I was surprised to learn new traditions that I had never experienced. I started to look at our purpose on this trip in a different light. I had started this trip with the expectations of an overseas volunteer trip, but had not anticipated this cultural and religious exchange with our Kazakhstani peers.

That night I stayed up talking with one of the Kazakhstanis in my bunk, Diana. I wanted to know more about what Judaism meant to her, what similarities we shared and what knowledge of our religion I could impart to her. Diana told me that she knew very little about Judaism until a year ago when her mother shared with her stories of her family’s history. She shared with me the story of how her grandparents were evacuated from Kiev during World War II and explained that reconnecting to her Jewish identity is about dignity—dignity for her family, for her personal history, and for what it means to be Jewish. This sparked my attention because, for Diana, to celebrate her Jewish history and to learn more was a conscious choice. If I were in her situation, could I have said the same for myself? Why do I lead an active Jewish life—by choice or because it is simply what I was born into and what I am used to?

During our daily discussions, our group delved into this topic of Jewish identity and how we individually interpreted it. Everyone was eager to share the stories of our new friends and how they similarly affected us and stimulated questions about how we personally think about Judaism and our role in this community. Though many of us are not yet certain about where we stand with our Jewish selves, we all recognized the impact of this unique experience. Being here has inspired us to continue to learn from and share with other Jews—both at home and around the world.

Also, Ben Ross would like his parents to know that he made it to Almaty fine and that he is alive and well. Jason Nochlin is too.

Our Adventures Begin in Almaty

Hi, it’s Ben G. writing. We woke up this morning well rested after sleeping on a bed for the first time in three nights. Living together with Kazakhstanis this week is going to be a lot of fun. In my cabin, the two Americans are both named Ben, and all three Kazakhstanis are named Roman. Someone played a horrible joke on us, but it did make it easy to learn names.

After breakfast, we split up into groups with five or six students each, half Kazakhstanis and half Americans. My group—Coryn, Kelsey, Alex, Dasha, and I—cleaned the apartment of Shlime Gershkovna, an 82 year old woman originally from Ukraine. The journey to her home in Almaty was interesting; we navigated the crazy city traffic (many busy roads do not have lines down the center) and got lost in Shlime’s neighborhood. Once we found her apartment, Shlime had a list of jobs for us. We mopped, cleaned walls, moved furniture, and smacked rugs with sticks. When we finished, we sat down with Shlime and listened to her talk about her family and her experiences. During WWII, Shlime was evacuated from Ukraine to Uzbekistan in 1941, and moved to Kazakhstan in 1947. She showed us photographs of her family and told us of the incredible tragedies she has lived through; her daughter was attacked and paralyzed from the waste down by a random man on the street, both her husband and son have passed away, and she was hit by a car five months ago. It was incredibly moving to learn about her life, and she was very appreciative of our work.

After we left Shlime’s apartment, the five of us walked to a park. The two Kazakhstanis in our group, Alex and Dasha, told us about Almaty and how they spend their time. They spoke some English, and collectively the American contingency of our group knew about five words of Russian, so it was a lot of fun trying to communicate. We learned about traditional Kazakh food (horse), a scam that little kids in the city run (they drop wallets and when you pick it up they accuse you of taking it or steal your wallet), and how Alex loves to dance. Now we’re going to go get ready for Shabbat. Shabbat shalom!

Our first days in the FSU

Hey everyone! This is Derek Miller and Laura Herman writing from Almaty, Kazakhstan! We’ve had a busy past couple of days travelling and getting adjusted to the 10 hour time difference. Here’s an update on our first day of traveling as a group…

After flying from JFK to Kiev, Ukraine we were all really excited to break up our long trip to Kazakhstan with a six-hour layover in Kiev. We were met at the airport in Kiev by Sarah and Melina, two JDC Jewish Service Corps volunteers based in Kiev, who showed us around the city. First, they took us to a cafeteria-style restaurant that served traditional Ukranian food. We had a hard time reading the signs and menus, but we enjoyed trying a lot of new foods (lots of traditional Russian-style salads, dumplings, stuffed cabbage etc)! Kiev is a beautiful city and we were all surprised at how cosmopolitan it was. We’ve made a lot of observations about Kiev, especially now that we are in Kazakhstan and thinking about the two cities comparatively, but overall both places have definitely defied our initial expectations so far. Our guides in Kiev explained that a lot of the city was destroyed during WWII so much of it has been rebuilt in the post-Soviet era. As a result, the city has been rebuilt in an old and “traditional” style but actually looks quite modern. Compared to Almaty, which feels very multi-cultural and diverse, Ukraine seemed a lot more homogenous. After lunch we continued on to Babi Yar, the site of a major Holocaust massacre. We started the trip on a somewhat somber note as we held a memorial service and learned about the historical and personal significance of the place. Then we went to a walking tour of downtown Kiev, stopping at a one of the city’s Orthodox synagogues, seeing gardens, and the last statue of Lenin in the city--all within a couple of hours! After a jam-packed day, we headed back to the airport to board our flight to Almaty and complete the last leg of our journey!
During our six hour flight from Kiev to Almaty we all tried to sleep as much as possible in order to be lucid for our first day in Kazakhstan. Derek’s first impression of the country was that it was very flat and brown because that was all that I could see from my window of the plane. Upon landing, however, I saw the awe-inspiring mountains that were on the other side of the plane. After going through customs, getting our luggage, and meeting up with the JDC Almaty staff, we drove from the airport to our cabins in the mountains where we will be staying the entire time that we’re here. We got to see a bit of the city from the car and we are looking forward to seeing more of it while we’re here. We were all in a bit of a daze because of the long flights but we got settled into our cabins, had the opportunity to shower (finally!), and eat breakfast.
After everyone re-energized, we headed back into the city (about a 30-minute drive) to visit Hesed, the JDC supported Jewish welfare organization with whom we will be doing most of our volunteer work, and the JCC. We met community members and our Kazakhstani peers who will be joining us for our entire trip. We spent the rest of the day bonding as a group and finally got to sleep after a very long but exciting first day. We’ll keep you updated on our adventures and activities as we go! We’re looking forward to it!

Ready to Depart!

Hello to all of you avid blog readers who will be following this year's JDC/Tufts Hillel short term summer service trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan! My name is Adam Kornetsky, and I am serving as the student coordinator for this year's program and I am thrilled for all of us to finally get traveling! As I sit here just about 24 hours before our group will be meeting at JFK, its hard to contain my excitement for all of the incredible experiences our group is about to take part in. I am sure that many of the trip participants share with me the anticipation of trying to imagine what it will be like on the ground in Kazakhstan. We wonder not only what the culture, the city, and the natural surroundings we have heard so much about will look like, but we also wonder in what state will we find the Jewish community of Almaty and what we can do to help. We have fund raised and collected in-kind goods to present to various members of the Jewish community and we are so thank full for all of the support we received from family, friends, community leaders, and others. And so the journey begins. Tomorrow we will begin our 30 hour journey that will include plenty of travel games, perhaps a few hours of shut-eye, a wonderful day in Kiev, Ukraine in which we will visit with some members of the Jewish Community and conduct a memorial service at Babi Yar and finally 6am arrival on the ground in Almaty on Thursday (8pm, Wednesday, Eastern Standard time). Look for updates in the days to follow. This experience promises to have a drastic impact on the live of all who are involved and we hope it will serve as one more link in strengthening the global Jewish community. See you on the other side!