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2010 Alumni Regional Conference – Kiev

The last regional Paideia Alumni Conference in a series of three throughout 2010 took place in October in Kiev – one of Eastern Europe’s oldest cities where Jewish life dates back to the 8th Century.

The conference was conceived and arranged by local alumni Helena Kushnir, who is the founder of “Moishe House” Kiev, Alexander Bobrovsky, who works for a human rights-NGO in the Ukraine and is currently completing his PhD and Sergeii Kulchevich, who works for the Anne Frank Foundation in Amsterdam.

The weekend program offered seminars on the history of Ukrainian Jews and the strengths and challenges of contemporary Jewish life in the region, given by heads of the major local organizations. 100.000 Jews are estimated to live in the Ukraine, though far from all are connected to a Jewish community. To break new grounds and find innovative ways of Jewish expression, Paideia alumna Helena Kushnir founded Moishe House – Kiev upon her return from Paideia’s One-Year Program. Together with Paideia alumni Tatyana Zaytseva and Natalia Yakimchuk, she opened up her living room and invited the conference participants to JewF.I.S.H. – a creative and mobile Beit Midrash that combines traditional text study with contemporary culture. Other weekend highlights were the historic city tour of Kiev and the presentation updates – giving a peak into the innovative work Paideia alumni are leading throughout Europe.
 

Special guest at the Kiev-conference was philanthropist Diane Wohl, the major funder of Paideia alumni conferences.