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We are the community! We are the one people! And if somebody
needs help, he will not be left alone. "All Jews are responsible
for each other!".
Community centers help Jews who live in the FSU not to forget
this truth and many other things, such as religion, Tradition, culture.
Community centers are sources of the Yiddishkait that slake our thirst
for knowledge of such dear notions as Mitsva, Tzedakah, Shabbat. But the
XXI century changes many things. Today children prefer to study Hebrew
with the help of a computer, and their parents - to discuss works of famous
Jewish writers in virtual seminars (and it is great!). Jewish communities
of the FSU do not stand on the same place. Their striving to learn new
things is the best evidence of their intellectual and spiritual power.
But to help the complete development of the people, Community
centers need funds. Stable material resources provide the work of circles,
rest in family camps, celebration of Rosh-ha-Shannah, and utilization
of new technologies. The only source of funding for noncommercial welfare
organizations is donation. In this case JCC turn to fundraising.
First four seminars for new JCC directors in the FSU were
devoted to fundraising. Its first task in such organizations as Community
centers is to provide the events socially important for the Diaspora.
Fundraising, as a very effective means in the hands of the
community staff, must not be treated superficially. It is time now to
combine theory and practice. Irina Zaltsman, Galina Nachmanovich,
Maya Liokumovich, Galina Chelokhsayeva, and Alexander Abramovich
(the educators who conducted the seminar) managed to systematize all the
knowledge and drew their own plan of work with potential donors. The most
pleasant thing is that all these people are members of the Jewish community
of Kazakhstan. Today they are a real team able and willing to continue
this business. Obviously, our own school of fundraising is starting working
in Almaty.
The Torah and welfare, psychological approach to a sponsor,
economical and legal aspects of fundraising, use of information technologies
in the process of attracting funds - these and many other themes were
discussed within the seminar. The organizers tried to look at the problem
of financing JCC.
- We were struck, - Irina Zaltsman says, -
at Alexander Abramovich's research "TaNaH as an example of
strategic planning". When this great man started demonstrating interconnection
between qualities of Tzedakah, Jewish concept of welfare and fundraising,
our team realized that there was no way back. The subject absorbed us.
Showing its new facilities, it is getting more and more attractive. And
the main thing is that fundraising is a real help to the community, and
it means that everything we do is good for our people.
The educators took into consideration various forms of donation.
Thus, the participants of the seminar were able to project a decision
onto their own Community centers.
- Where can we find funds for creation of a community?
Should we wait for support from far away Jews or do something ourselves? -
shares Inessa Nosenko, the director of the Jewish Community center in
Zaporozhye. - These issues are of vital importance today, that
Jewish communities in the FSU are being revived. For example, we -
Zaporozhye. We have existed for 13 years, and the community has considerably
expanded. There are 10 thousand Jews in the city; we have two own schools,
a kindergarten, Community center, Sokhnut, Ezra and other organizations.
Of course, we try to do with it so far. As far as present
economical and political conditions are concerned, "JDC" and
other organizations help us. But with time, remembering about Jewish precepts,
we have to learn to help weaker people. Seminar in Almaty shows us how
to do it.
Fundraising is not only the way of finding sources of finance,
but also to prove that help is necessary. One of the best ways to demonstrate
developments of the community is a computer presentation. Jessica Levin,
an educator from Jerusalem, came to Almaty to teach JCC directors how
to make presentations (see "Computer Presentation Is Our Friend and
Assistant"). It proved that all the small things are very important
in the process of making a presentation - background color, size of letters,
position of illustrations. But if you do everything correct, your computer
assistant will return the favor.
The seminar is over and from now on the best training for
JCC directors will be life itself. Belief in the future of the community
will help them to cope with difficulties. And again the words come back:
"All Jews are responsible for each other!" By fundraising you
help your people!
Galina Goldberg
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