Maxim Benvenisti, 59, President of SHALOM, the Organization of Bulgarian Jews and JDC’s main partner in Bulgaria, says the dramatic impact of Europe’s economic crisis makes him fearful for the future of his community.
Eric, 26, echoes the frustration of his generation as they confront an uncertain future in their native Greece and neighboring euro zone countries. “Our economic and political situation is really difficult. People are struggling and they are angry,” he said. “My parents have been hit hard and now I need to help support my family, which puts a completely new pressure and perspective on what I can do next.”
“The first time my 14-year-old son saw me using a cane for the blind he went completely pale with shock. That’s when I knew I needed to confront my disability and to find a way to help him deal with it too,” says Ella, 40, a working mom whose sight has been degenerating steadily for the past seven years. “Being a parent and a spouse with a visual disability presents a lot of challenges. I needed help overcoming mine.”
At age 25, Vera is one of the youngest JDC homecare workers assisting needy Jewish elderly in all of the former Soviet Union (FSU), but her compassion and determination belie her age. “My work gives me an amazing opportunity to get to know different people with different backgrounds. It is very rewarding, and I am happy to be able to help every person I meet,” she says.
“Rebeca” is 101 years old but as she pedals away on the elliptical machine at the Jewish home for the elderly in Montevideo, Uruguay, she seems to have the sprightly energy of a woman not a day over 80. Still, the toll of her remarkable life and the growing limitations of aging mean she is no longer able to care for herself. With no family to turn to, Rebeca looked to the Jewish community for support. Like thousands of Jewish elderly seeking living assistance as they age, her prayer was answered.
This June, Kazinczy Street in Budapest’s Jewish quarter will come alive with the spirited energy and joy of over 4000 Jews coming together to celebrate the richness of Jewish life in Hungary today.
“When I first heard about the JDC-NFTE entrepreneurship program I didn’t think it was for a girl like me—I never considered going into business,” says 16-year-old Rahhef, an Israeli Arab teen who lives in an impoverished Arab village in northern Israel. “But now that I’ve completed the program I’m in love with the world of business and I’m open to so many new possibilities.”
“Judaism is a spark in my heart and I feel committed to bringing it to others,” says Dr. Daniel Fainstein, a proud Jewish leader in Mexico who is the Dean and a Professor of Jewish Studies and Education at the Hebrew University of Mexico, Latin America’s only Jewish academic college.
When Sofia R., 54, first learned her only son had an autistic disorder, she gave up her job as a computer programmer to focus on his education. Despite his high IQ, his behaviorial issues kept him from being accepted to kindergarten or primary school—and there was no special educational framework for him anywhere in Moscow.
When Malash A., 21, an Ethiopian Israeli, received his draft notice from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) three years ago he was filled with shock and worry. His family had moved from a rural village in Ethiopia to Jerusalem only a few years before and was still struggling to adapt to the cultural realities of life in Israel; his parents did not have the personal experience to advise him through the recruitment process.