Celebrating Israel’s 65th Anniversary in Romania
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On Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, read how Jews in Romania have joined Jewish communities around the world in celebrating Israel’s 65th anniversary.
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"Urban Pesaj" Fills Streets of Buenos Aires
photo: JDC/Heather Morgan
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Thousands took to the streets of a trendy Buenos Aires neighborhood for "Pesaj Urbano" -- a favorite activity of JDC's YOK initiative, which engages people of all ages and backgrounds with Jewish culture outside traditional walls.
Read MoreCelebrating Passover with a Tunisian Twist
photo: Hannah Starman
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Read how Jews in Tunisia add their own special flavor to Passover, reflecting a lively mix of cultural and religious traditions in this small but vital Jewish community.
Read MorePassover is a Holiday Favorite at JDC’s Baby Help Center in Buenos Aires
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Read how JDC’s Baby Help Program in Argentina makes Passover a holiday to remember for needy Jewish children and their families.
Read MoreFor Cuba’s Jews, Saying “I Do” Under a Chuppah
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Every wedding is unique—but capturing dozens of Cuban Jews under a chuppah (wedding canopy) in Havana is a sight to see. Read how a Latin American rabbi, who's made some 115 visits to Cuba’s Jewish community on JDC's behalf, officiated at more than two dozen Jewish weddings, 21 of which were held on the same day.
Read MoreTu B’Shvat in Mumbai: JDC Leads a Jewish Arbor Day Celebration with an Indian Twist
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Read how JDC helped the Jewish community in Mumbai, India celebrate Tu B’Shvat—the Jewish Arbor Day—this week in its own very special way.
Read MoreWedding Joy in Djerba, Tunisia
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On the Tunisian island of Djerba, a traditional Jewish wedding recently had some 400 guests celebrating into the wee hours of the morning in their spacious new Jewish Community Hall.
Read MoreChanukah Programs Brighten Jewish Connections in Poland and Romania
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In Poland and Romania, JDC’s Chanukah activities mix traditional elements with innovative outreach efforts that are attracting people seeking new links to Jewish life.
Read MoreBulgarian President Adds Pride to Community Chanukah Festivities
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In a proud moment for the Jewish community, Bulgaria’s President kindled the first Chanukah light in Sofia’s historic synagogue, inaugurating a week of activities celebrating the Festival of Lights.
Read MoreRosh Hashanah in Ukraine: A Personal Reflection
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Zhanna Veyts
Returning to Ukraine 24 years after immigrating to the United States, JDC staff member Zhanna Veyts saw this year’s Rosh Hashanah celebration in Kiev through her father’s eyes—and her own.
Read More“Being Jewish is a Party”: Celebrating 5773 in the Streets of Buenos Aires
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Read how JDC brought the Jewish New Year to life in Buenos Aires with its latest edition of Urban Rosh Hashanah, a street festival that draws tens of thousands of people of all ages for a fun-filled exploration of Jewish holiday customs.
Read MoreBringing a Sweeter New Year to Needy Jewish Children in Belarus
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To combat ongoing economic hardship in Belarus, over 4,200 at-risk Jewish children and their families received essential support from us last year. See how Rosh Hashanah activities, portrayed in this slideshow, helped strengthen these children’s ties to the Jewish community—and let their families enjoy a sweeter New Year.
Read MoreTeen Seder in Tallinn, Estonia
It may be Next Year in Jerusalem but this year, a not-to-miss seder graced Tallinn, Estonia. Esther Burson, the JDC Jewish Service Corps Fellow serving that community, brought together local teen volunteers and her JSC Fellow peers from Argentina and Israel for a unique yet traditional Pesach celebration.
Read MoreHasidim Make Rosh Hashanah Pilgrimage to Ukraine
We at JDC know well that Rosh Hashanah traditions can take on their own unique flair from one country to another. A recent article in Slate shares that for the 35,000 Hasidim (ultra Orthodox Jews) that embarked on the annual pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine (125 miles south of Kiev where the Breslov Hasidic sect’s founder, Rabbi Nachman, is buried), it was an inclusive and nearly 200-year-old “pray, eat, love” fest.
Read MoreNew Year Reflections from Steve Schwager
During this week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jewish communities around the world are taking the time to reflect, recount, and reenergize for the year ahead. We here at JDC are no exception. Steve Schwager, our CEO, shares his own thoughts about the legacy of JDC, what we’re doing to help Jews in need, and who is still in need of our support. Excerpts below.
Read MorePassover Prep in Motion Across the FSU
In Ukraine and Siberia … in Moldova and Kyrgyzstan … across the former Soviet Union (FSU) many of the poorest Jewish children and their families are set to take part in Passover seders this year, supported by the IFCJ-JDC Partnership for Children in the Former Soviet Union.
Read MoreJDC Passover Recipes for Your Festive Meal
You can heat up that matzah-ball soup and whip up grandpa’s famous firehouse horseradish, but make room for new Passover tastes from India, Estonia, and Israel.
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