Golders Green rabbi heralds WJR’s work during Ukraine visit
Harvey Belovski praises World Jewish Relief's efforts bringing about an 'astonishing change' in the east Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia
The rabbi of Golders Green United Synagogue has returned to Ukraine after 12 years and commended the work of Jewish charities there for moving Jewish Ukrainians away from a culture of hand-outs.
Rabbi Harvey Belovski spoke about his recent experience visiting the east Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, with which Golders Green synagogue is twinned, on a trip organised by World Jewish Relief (WJR).
While the region is still poverty-stricken, Belovski said: “An astonishing change has been the shift from passive giving to empowerment: moving people away from being needy recipients to taking responsibility and giving back.”
- READ MORE: OPINION – Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Empowerment is the key to a World Jewish Relief success story
Belovski also paid tribute to Rabbi Nachum Ehrentreu for helping to develop the city’s Jewish community, who Belovski said “has empowered and enabled people to take an active role in synagogue life and take responsibility for the future of the community”.
Belovski added: “The partnerships and support that I heavily rely on from religious and professional lay-leaders in Golders Green just don’t exist here. But that is changing. Whilst still in its infancy, this support network will make a huge change to the success of the synagogue and the wider Jewish community.”
Among the WJR-facilitated initiatives now available to the city’s community is the ‘Edison Space’ co-working hub, which offers employment services, loans to entrepreneurs and business advice “to enable the next generation to become self-sufficient”.
-
- Valentina (L) receives support from World Jewish Relief and sits alongside World Jewish Relief staff member Katya Roshchyna (R) during a visit to her home
-
- Rabbi Belovski and World Jewish Relief staff member Sam Schryer take part in activities at the Jewish Community Centre in Zaporizhia, Ukraine.
-
- Mike Posen and other members of Golders Green Synagogue join in a social activity at the Jewish Community Centre, Zaporizhia
-
- Marianna (R) and her World Jewish Relief funded Home Care worker (L)
-
- Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (middle) and other Golders Green Synagogue members met young entrepreneurs supported by World Jewish Relief, including Oksana (L)
-
- Golders Green Synagogue members along with World Jewish Relief staff visit the Edison Space co-working hub in Zaporizhia which was established by World Jewish Relief
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
