Georgia

Overview

Georgia sits on the Black Sea, with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as its neighbors. It is a diverse country both in terms of geography and culture. The Caucasus Mountains are home to minerals and isolated villages, while the seacoast provides a temperate climate and many tourist destinations.

In spite of this idyllic setting, Georgia is a poor country. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia’s industries have suffered, and the 2008 conflict with Russia further hampered attempts to bolster the ailing economy. While progress is being made, the economy and dearth of employment opportunities remain Georgia’s biggest issue.

During the Soviet era, Georgian Jews were largely able to maintain their identity. The anti-Semitism and state-mandated atheism found in most of the Soviet Union were not as prevalent in Georgia, allowing Jewish traditions to remain fundamentally intact. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of Georgian Jews made aliyah to Israel, and the Jewish communities that remained were primarily in the main cities.

Need

Despite Georgia’s mineral wealth, it remains one of the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Its economy relies on mined minerals, agriculture—primarily citrus fruit and tea, and tourism. All three sectors, already in decline, were heavily impacted by the Georgia-Russia conflict. As a result, the health care and education systems and other parts of the social infrastructure remain chronically underfunded and severely limited. Pensions are among the lowest in the region, leaving the elderly especially vulnerable to the ailing economy and rising costs.

Ongoing tensions between Georgia and Russia continue to hamper progress in Georgia, and there remain a large number of refugees and Internally Displaced People.

Response

JDC provides baseline services to Jewish elderly and children in Georgia, including winter relief, health care, and food assistance. JDC’s efforts include:

• Mazel Tov programs that provide nutritional assistance and baby equipment as well as preschool enrichment programs and parenting workshops
• Hesed Mobiles that reach remote locations, bringing food, medicine, and winter relief, as well as Jewish books and periodicals to impoverished and isolated Jews

During and after the August 2008 conflict, JDC, working through its Hesed welfare centers, supported the relocation of Jewish refugees and provided them with food, water, medicines, trauma counseling, and winter relief.

JDC continues to provide long-term support to the communities affected by the conflict, including:

• Refurbishment and repair of damaged homes
• Sponsorship of rehabilitation retreats
• Provision of special grants to Jewish refugees

Impact

JDC supports Jewish communities in five Georgian cities and meets the needs of individual Jews in almost 40 other locations through avenues like:

• An active Hillel with more than 300 students
• A training institute for Jewish communal professionals
• A new partnership with World Jewish Relief that supports welfare services for elderly Jews in need

Through JDC’s welfare programs:

• More than 2,300 elderly clients receive food cards to purchase their food in local supermarkets
• Meals-on-wheels are delivered to 100 homebound clients
• More than 50 seniors benefit from hot meals provided at three dining rooms
• More than 160 clients receive 70,000 home care hours each year
• Some 860 children in need received social welfare services

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