Belgrade Teen Inspires Local Children through Commitment to Jewish Community

Eighteen-year-old Lidija pulled on her sparkly green costume and prepared for her performance with Nahar HaEch, a JDC-supported Jewish folk dancing group based in Belgrade, Serbia. Lidija’s troupe is one of more than a dozen to take part each year in Serbia’s celebration of International Children’s Day on June 1—a day when the Jewish community of Belgrade partners with JDC and local organizations to create an event that honors and embraces children of all backgrounds and circumstances, including orphans, children with disabilities, and children of various minority groups. This year’s event attracted over 250 participants.

A Belgrade native, Lidija has been participating in the citywide Children’s Day event since its inception in 2004, and she takes great pride in both showcasing her folk dancing talents and in organizing the day’s festivities on behalf of the Jewish community. She knows firsthand how these social and cultural events can motivate young Jews to forge a connection with their religion and cultural background.

Lidija’s inspiration to connect with the Jewish community of Belgrade developed seven years ago when she spent her first summer at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/JDC International Summer Camp in Szarvas, Hungary. Like the other 2,000 campers who hail each year from over 20 countries to explore their Jewish identities on the Szarvas camp grounds, Lidija learned about Jewish traditions and holidays and connected with other young Jews from around the globe when she was 11. When she returned to Belgrade, Lidija immersed herself in local Jewish events and activities, focusing much of her energy on the community’s youngest members.

"During the school year I work to prepare workshops and other programs through the JDC-supported children’s club," she explained. Even when school is not in session, Lidija is in action. She continues her work with the kids during winter holiday break, and during the summer she returns to Szarvas as a madricha (counselor).

Shortly after Lidija started devoting her time to Belgrade’s Jewish youngsters, she also committed herself to learning the moves of Jewish folk dances. As an active member of the local Nahar HaEch group, Lidija’s dancing shuffles her to Hungary every year to participate in the JDC-sponsored Machol Hungaria, Europe’s largest Israeli folk dancing festival. While the primary aim of Machol Hungaria is to gather and train folk dance enthusiasts from around the region, it also serves as a forum to teach participants about Judaism. These opportunities offer Lidija the chance to better connect with the global Jewish community and also provide her with new skills and knowledge to share with local friends and family.

Over the past seven years, Lidija’s life has become enriched by her increased involvement in Belgrade’s Jewish community. Her new interests have even provided fulfillment in times of loss. "Since my father died four years ago, activities in my Jewish community mean a lot to me," revealed Lidija. And in Serbia, a country where fewer than 3,500 Jews reside, a future leader like Lidija means just as much to the community.

July 2008