Small Town Jews in the Former Soviet Union Gather to Celebrate their Heritage

The Association of Small Jewish Communities in the former Soviet Union provides a critical service in the renewal of Jewish life and connection to the Jewish people for the people of smaller towns, villages and shtetls.

Under the direction of Peter Rashkovsky, the Association continues to do fantastic work bringing Jewish cultural activities and events to the dozens of small communities of Jews in the Cherkassy and Kiev oblasts [districts].

On a recent Sunday, Peter organized the fourth annual Festival of Jewish Communities in Small Cities.  This year's festival was hosted by the Jewish community of Irpen, a town 30 kilometers outside Kiev with a Jewish community of 150.

Families representing 13 small Jewish communities ranging in size from 15 to 150 Jews, came to the local theater in Irpen and shared their arts and crafts displays, paintings, Jewish culinary treats, theatre pieces on Jewish themes, musical presentations and much more.

The Irpen festival was attended by over 200 people.  Transportation was provided for the  many children, parents and grandparents from all of the towns. Most of the small communities have Yiddish speakers who performed Yiddish poems, theatre pieces or songs in Yiddish.

On Sunday, May 26 a similar festival was held in Boguslav, near Berditchev. It also united the Jews from 15 small communities of that region.

These festivals are the only opportunity many of these Jews have to gather as one large regional community.  Attendees felt proud in number and shared their Jewish history, Jewish knowledge and talents with one another during a day devoted to celebrating their Jewish peoplehood.