European Center for Children Equips Professionals to Transform their Communities

The Jewish community of Istanbul hired a professional social worker to address issues related to children at risk; a school in Budapest initiated an intergenerational project with Shoah survivors; the Rome Jewish community is exploring new ways to help children in need—these are just a few of the outcomes of a yearlong training on children’s needs sponsored by The European Jewish Communities Center for Children (EJCCC).

The EJCCC in Budapest, Hungary, established by JDC-Europe in 2004 in partnership with various Jewish communities and research institutions as a global training center and clearinghouse for best practices in child care, aims to ensure the ongoing development and exchange of global resources related to work with children.

One of the Center’s recent major initiatives was a comprehensive training of 20 child care professionals from 14 countries spanning Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU). Over the course of 12 months, this group of psychologists, teachers, and social workers—chosen for their exemplary work with young people in their respective Jewish communities—participated in three seminar modules in Budapest, London, and Bucharest that covered "Children’s Needs in Inclusive Communities," run in partnership with UNICEF Hungary, Norwood (UK), and Oeuvre de Secours Aux Enfants (OSE) France.

When they graduated at the end of January 2008, the professionals took with them insightful learning to enact positive change at home.

Tanya Krasii, JDC Children’s Program Coordinator in Kiev and Kateryna Minakova, Coordinator at the Zaporozhye JCC, connected instantly at the first seminar in Budapest in 2007 and created a lasting professional relationship that is already benefiting their communities. "As a result of the training, we traveled around Ukraine together to evaluate the needs of people with disabilities," said Krasii.

The two women visited 12 cities and decided to open Day Centers for the disabled in both Kiev and Zaporozhye that take a holistic approach to helping children. "Children who were isolated are now socializing with other children their age and are learning life skills," added Krasii. They also established self-help groups for parents and children in their respective cities.

"We are aiming to transform the quality of care for children and build regional connectedness among those who work with them," said Mario Izcovich, JDC Director, Pan-European Programs, who helped coordinate the training series and taught the participants firsthand.

In most cases, the seminars provided the missing piece for already competent and effective professionals.

After working with the Jewish community of Turkey and the Chief Rabbinate in the aftermath of the bombings in Istanbul in 2002, Coya Mizrahi, a clinical psychologist and community volunteer working in private practice in Istanbul, had an understanding of the needs and gaps in services. "What I didn’t know how to do was to work with the community to find solutions," she shared.

Following the first seminar, Mizrahi discovered that she could be an agent of change for her community. "I gained exposure to existing community services throughout Europe and learned how to establish standards, build a framework, and identify the services that are needed beyond the social welfare realm," she said.

Recently, Mizrahi’s community hired its first-ever professional social worker to work with the youth, elderly, and to address the challenges of intermarriage and assimilation. "This is a turning point in my community and a credit to the training seminars," she said.

March 2008