JDC Rocks Kazakhstan!: November 2008

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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

Welcome to the JDC Short-Term Service Program in Kazakhstan Blog

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has been sending groups of students on JDC Short-Term Service Programs to Kazakhstan since 2008. With each project, students spend 10 days volunteering in JDC-supported programs as well as meeting with JDC representatives, community leaders, and local Jewish youth to grapple with the challenges the community faces and to learn about the role of North American Jewry in responding to Jewish needs overseas.

In July 2008, with generous support from Vivian and Ed Merrin, and in partnership with Tufts University Hillel, JDC sent 20 students to Almaty, Kazakhstan. In August 2009, in connection with UJA Federation of New York’s Break New Ground initiative, and in partnership with the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU, JDC will send a second group of 20 to Almaty.

This blog was created in 2008 to document student experiences in Kazakhstan.