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Kazakhstan's 13 Busy Heseds Serve as a Spiritual and Physical Lifeline
Idaya, whose eyes reflect kindness and warmth, insists that she would be terribly lonely without Hesed. "I have been volunteering here for seven years working with clients and distributing food and other relief packages," she beams. "I love coming here." She shares proudly that on a busy day, over 150 people visit the Hesed in Almaty — one of 13 JDC-sponsored social welfare centers in Kazakhstan.
A haven for elderly Jews, many of whom live on meager pensions and have no other lifeline, the Hesed helps to fulfill their physical needs through nutritionist-monitored food programs as well as medical services. Volunteers are crucial to these operations, with a cadre of some 50 doctors giving of their time regularly at the Almaty location alone. Hundreds more comprise the medical teams of the other 12 social welfare centers. Three of the medical specialists — Tatiana, Jana and Sima — share that the medical care provided by Hesed to its clients is literally vital, as the private hospitals are cost prohibitive for a pensioner and the public health care system has suffered greatly since the fall of Communism. Each of the women volunteers one day per week, during which time they see 15-20 clients such as Rurik. A 78-year-old Kazakhstan native, Rurik has lived alone since his wife passed away and relies on Hesed for both yiddishkeit and companionship. "I love coming to Hesed," he says. "I find it interesting, I love talking to others. And they keep me healthy, too!" As much as anything, the Hesed is at the heart of the spiritual fulfillment of so many Jewish elderly in Kazakhstan. Lubov, a teacher of Russian literature and a six-year veteran volunteer, is a fixture at the Almaty Hesed library, which houses over 9,000 books. She helps to select relevant materials for Jewish holidays and programs and enjoys interacting with those who come seeking information and familiarity in years of Jewish content. "Lubov is incredibly reliable," says Galina, the Hesed librarian. "Clients come to her to learn about the festivals and traditions…she is wonderful!" Through creative programming offered by these JDC-supported Heseds and Jewish Community Centers that dot the vast country's landscape, Jewish life in Kazakhstan is both growing and being rejuvenated. "We are still discovering more families," says Alexander Bar-On, Chairman of the Association of National Jewish Organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. And these families are becoming the building blocks of the local communities. Among a general population of 15.4 million and over 100 ethnic groups, the country's Jewish population is estimated at some 50,000. But while dispersed across expansive territory, from large cities to remote villages, local Jews are being encouraged to take ownership of their own future by taking responsibility for their own communities: institutions are increasingly being supported by local volunteers; local communities are electing their own Boards and leadership; JCCs are beginning to successfully institute fees-for-service; and even in Heseds, where clients are traditionally destitute, multiple Tzedaka boxes are a common sight. "Even the poorest are expected to give back somehow," observes one volunteer. And with all of the healthful signs of this progressive Jewish community, even in the face of funding and other challenges, it is easy to see why Mr. Bar-On so naturally shares, "There is so much for us to be proud of." November 2006 |
