Metsuda Young Leadership Initiative Expands to Caucasus
Ask Nadezhda Kulikova what she learned from attending JDC’s Metsuda program in Pyatigorsk, Russia, and she’ll tell you the four-day youth leadership development seminar “broke” her.
Feature Stories
the Former Soviet Union
Central Asian Republics & Caucasus Region
Topic
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A Helping Hand Transforms Jewish Teen in Tbilisi
Liah, 16, is in 11th grade and already knows she wants to be a defense lawyer. She is eager to help people, because she knows firsthand a stranger’s assistance can mean the difference between life and death.
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At End of Hard Road, Jewish Caring Brings Hope
At the end of a long dirt road departing from Gori, a small war-ravaged town in Georgia’s countryside, Lela, 22, awaits her visitors excitedly. She has put on her nice blouse, only necklace, and brightest smile. For this young woman who suffers from partial paralysis and spends the majority of her days in her crumbling home, this visit is the highlight of her week.
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For Georgian Family, Surviving War was Just the Beginning
Nodar, 80, barely survived a critical injury and the destruction of his home in the Russo-Georgian war. Read how emergency assistance from JDC supported his recovery and helped him discover community for the first time.
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A Kazak Boy Mirrors Jewish Revival
In Kazakhstan, a country the size of Western Europe and where religious expression was suppressed for decades under Soviet rule, a huge spiritual resurgence is underway. And while the local population is almost evenly split between Russian Orthodoxy and Islam, the local Jewish community—50,000-strong, and by far the largest in the region—is undergoing a vibrant renaissance of its own, one Jew at a time.
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Community Gives Hungry Brothers in Tashkent Aid and Hope
Artyom and Andrey are too busy doing daily chores around their dilapidated mud hut to “just be kids.” Find out how JDC is giving these needy brothers an extra hand and connecting them to their caring Jewish community.
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Baku Grandma is Sole Provider, but Not Alone
When Natalia took a fall, became bedridden, and could no longer provide for her family, she knew JDC was her only address for help. Find out how a JDC partnership in Azerbaijan is giving her granddaughter a chance for a better a future.
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Helping the Neediest Jews Brave Harsh Winter
The Mardakhayev children were so cold, their parents had to burn their own furniture for warmth. Read how JDC helps them and a destitute grandmother survive the harsh winters in Baku, Azerbaijan.