To JDC Board Members…With Love From Belgrade, Serbia

Srdjan, a young man from Belgrade, Serbia, sent these reflections after a JDC Board Mission to Serbia in May 2004. He is the leader of Nahar HaEsh, the Israeli Folk Dance Group from Belgrade.

It was like magic the night when JDC board members came to Serbia, my small country in the far corner of Europe. Together we shared a Shabbat dinner and celebrated the historic opening of the communal hall in the basement of the Belgrade Synagogue. It should be noted that during World War II, the Nazis used the Belgrade Synagogue as a German Officers Club.

The whole Shabbat seemed like a miracle – I remember when the hall was just full of dust and boxes that JDC sent to help the Jewish communities of Yugoslavia. The hall had previously been used as a warehouse for humanitarian supplies during the war in the Former Yugoslavia. It was like someone hit that hall with a magic stick and it was transformed into a gleaming, festive place.

During our dinner, we exchanged views with JDC Board members. I felt proud to show them what we had accomplished in the past two years. On this night, my community, together with JDC, marked our progression from vulnerability to strength.