The Center of Jewish Education in Ukraine

Our history

In many classical Jewish texts, learning, wisdom, and teaching are intimately connected. The place of Study in Judaism makes the Jewish school one of the most ancient of Jewish institutions. The obligatory education of children was instituted more than two thousand years ago, and no matter how many changes there have been in pedagogy over the years, education has been a central concern among Jews. Jewish education in Ukraine has been reborn, despite the fact that during the years of totalitarian regime, the traditions of Jewish education and upbringing were destroyed.

The resulting gap between the conditions in which Jews live in Ukraine and those in Israel and the rest of the Diaspora is so great, that materials created abroad can be used in Ukrainian Jewish schools only after serious and creative adaptation. At the same time, our situation allows us to create a system of Jewish schools that fits our Jewish life. During the past 5-6 years a group of serious and creative Jewish teachers has appeared. Some of them have worked with international Jewish organizations and made use of their experience. They have made serious achievements in the teaching of Hebrew, Yiddish, Jewish history, and Jewish traditions; their materials are usable in both day schools and supplementary schools..

At the present time in the Jewish communities of Ukraine, 17 Jewish day schools, 11 kindergartens, approximately 80 Sunday schools, and 8 yeshivas are functioning. Since the end of 1993, the Center of Jewish Education of Ukraine (CJEU), established by the Va’ad of Ukraine together with the Jewish Council of Ukraine, has been actively training and retraining teachers for Jewish schools in Ukraine. Programs of the Center of Jewish Education of Ukraine (CJEU) are implemented in collaboration with the Pinkus Foundation (Israel), The Jewish Community Development Fund in Russia and Ukraine, a project of American Jewish World Service, Bay Area Council of Jewish Rescue and Renewal (USA), JOINT, The Rabbi Dr. Joseph H. Lookstein Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora School of Education, Bar-Ilan University (Israel), Sokhnut, the Israeli Foundation of Culture and Education in the Diaspora, The European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC)

Around 10 of the best teachers of Jewish disciplines in Ukraine work at the center. At the base of the CJEU is a Beit Midrash le-Morim (two-year college) for teachers of Jewish schools in Ukraine. At the current time, 14 students study in the first year of the course, 16 students in the second year.

In November 1996, at the base of the CJE began the realization of the joint (Va’ad of Ukraine, Jewish Agency ‘Sokhnut’, Union of Religious Communities of Ukraine) project — ‘Pedagogical Laboratory’. The goals and aims of the project :

- the working through and publishing of academic-methodical textbooks for Jewish schools in Ukraine;

- the preparation of seminars and the creation of a system of regional experts in teaching methodology.
In the Center of Jewish Education in Kiev, Ukraine, we have completed a competition on creative methods of teaching. This competition was supported by the Jewish Community Development Fund. After this we have published the first addition of the book " The skill and the inspiration". The task of producing selective texts was enriching the knowledge of our teachers. These materials can also be used in America, Australia, Germany, and Israel for those involved in the education of children and immigrants.

We received many positive letters of support from the teachers over the world and thanking for the understanding of The Gimprich Family Foundation and the Jewish Community Development Fund the second addition and dissemination became real.

One year ago we took part in the Jewish Web Week, 1998. We prepared the personal stories of Jewish women. It became real thanks for the Bay Area Council of Jewish Rescue and Renewal (USA), especially for Sue Klarreich (The Friedman - Klarreich Family Foundation). This famous woman was born in USA and she has ancestors from Kiev. She has believed to our ideas and supported us financially to achieve good results. Also she donated money for the Webmaster's training course. That is why the Jewish education in Ukraine can do serious steps to the Internet.

Back to homepage