Manos Bendichas: From One Generation of Bulgarian Jewish Women to the Next

Bulgarian Jewry was once 50,000 strong, with a rich Sephardic heritage.   Saved from deportation during the Holocaust, the majority of the community made aliyah after the war and Jewish tradition lay dormant – indeed, nearly forgotten – under the yoke of Communism.  Only the elderly continued to sing the Ladino songs of their youth and to recall with fondness the Jewish celebrations of their families.

In the early years of post-Communist reform, Bulgaria faced a severe economic crisis.  With JDC assistance, the elderly managed to survive day-to-day, but times were hard and they longed to be more self-sufficient.  That’s when three middle generation Jewish women took matters into their own hands, establishing in 1996 a mutual aid group to give retired and unemployed women the opportunity to produce Jewish ritual handicrafts for profit.  And so Manos Bendichas –- Ladino for "blessed hands" -- was created.

Suddenly productive, the growing number of women in the group shared an invaluable sense of pride in their work and their ability to help support themselves and their peers.  One woman weathered one of Bulgaria’s harshest winters in recent years only because she managed to buy a new overcoat with money earned making kippot.

But the Manos women ambitiously set out to do much more:  to play an active role in Bulgaria’s Jewish renaissance.  Through the creation of beautiful, hand-made ritual items, they have helped revive the ethnic craft traditions typical of Sephardic Jews in the Balkans.  From challah covers to mats for Shabbat candles -- even a parochet for the synagogue in Sofia, the capital -- the women create the symbols of Jewish life that link the past with the future. 

Today, by teaching the middle and younger generations, the women of Manos Bendichas are living the idea of m’dor l’dor – from generation to generation.  And by preserving their own memories of an era gone by, they encourage renewed interest in Jewish ritual among all age groups, perpetuating centuries-old Sephardic traditions for years to come.