KARAGANDA CITY Jewish Community Center sponsored by "Joint"

Head Irina Kozhanovskaya Phone number +7 (7212) 51-52-28, 51-52-27 Fax +7 (7212) 51-52-31 E-mail hsdkrg@asdc.kz The main purposes of the center are: - Forming of Jewish consciousness, proud for their people and belonging to it; - Returning to the Jewish Tradition, history, and religion; - Building the community as an independent body, uniting and rallying the Jews; - Attracting middle aged people, young people, and children to the programs and clubs of the Community center.

The community center has the following programs:

• Library Program. Review of Jewish periodical press, "Lechaim" magazine, "Shalom", "Davar", "Jewish reporter" newspapers. Presentation of new books, literature-music club, "Story Time" for children, information support of all Hesed and Community center programs. The library program coordinator is Larissa Brodskaya.
• "My people" historical club. The program includes study of the history of the Jewish people, its culture, religion, the Tradition. Interesting lectures, heated argument, video materials every Monday. The head is Alexander Abramovitch.
• Men's club. Every last Saturday of the month Jewish men - wonderful minds, the flower of the community - gather in Hesed. Active communication keeps their interest to Israeli politics, they discuss the news of Jewish culture in the FSU and abroad and chapters of the Torah, arrange holidays. The head of the club is Eduard Kovtun.
• "Hostess" culinary circle. The tastiest Jewish dishes, exchange of recipes, help in cooking holiday meals, acquaintance with the rules of Kashruth and eutrophy. The person in charge of the kitchen is Farida Gizatullina.
• Jewish study group. All those willing to learn the sacred language of their ancestors gather in Hesed twice a week. The young teacher Michael Verhola knows Hebrew excellently.
• The club of Great Patriotic War veterans.They are so few, those who fought against fascism. The members of our club are: 19 war veterans, 3 Ghetto prisoners, a women that experienced Leningrad blockade, and 18 workers of rear services. Their meetings are full of recollections and communication with young generation. The head of the club is a retired colonel of medical service, the head of Board, Yakov Gamarnik.

• Women's club. The program includes a series of lectures "Women characters in the Torah", discussions about the way children have to be brought up correctly, about the role of a woman in the family and in the society, communication over a cup of tea. Besides there are meetings with a psychologist, aerobics, and Jewish dances, and also a singing circle, where the women study Jewish songs. The head is Irina Kozhanovskaya.
• Family club. Boys and girls, their parents and grandparents - these people gather in the club. There are jolly holidays, makkabiada, intellectual games and quizzes, summer family retreat. The head is Irina Revenko.
• Youth club. It was created to help young people realize how important it is to know and preserve religious traditions and cultural values of their people. There are lectures on the Jewish history, interesting discussions, Kabbalat Shabbat together with parents, theatrical circle. The meetings are held twice a week. The youth club leader is Michael Myngerbayev.
• A series of lectures "Great Jews in Arts", starting from Mendelssohn and to Zinovi Gert. Interesting meetings with the Regional library arts expert Lyudmila Karpunina are held every last Friday. There are music, songs, poems ...
• Cinema club presents feature and documentary films about Israel, Jews during the war and peace. Discussion of the movies. The head is Arkady Lipmanov.
• Klezmers ensemble. Study of Jewish musical heritage, participation in holidays, concerts. The head is Boris Propishchan.
• Kabbalat Shabbat. Traditional celebration of the Sabbath in all the Hesed canteens. Study of the theory and practice of the main Jewish rite, blessings, Shabbat songs. The religious program coordinator is Alexander Abramovitch.
• Birthday program. Traditional meeting of community members born in the same month. Jokes, songs, anecdotes, merry games, and of course lechaim! The head is a volunteer Larissa Chaban.

Children programs:

• Singing circle. Study of Jewish songs, preparation of sketches for holiday programs. The head is Julia Archipova.
• Children's theatre. Staging of fairy-tales and plays. The head is Natalya Sohrannaya.
• Modeling and arts circle. The head is Raisa Daitch.
• Dancing circle. The head is Yana Semina.

 Besides meetings of community members in the clubs and on the holidays, professional holidays are also celebrated: Teacher's Day, Miner's Day, Doctor's Day etc.

  Traditional Jewish holidays (Rosh-ha-Shannah, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach) celebrated by the Community center are outstanding events in life of the city.