The Sought Becomes the Seeker: Spotlight on a Jewish Volunteer in Kokshetau

Ever since the Jewish community came knocking on Boris's door three years ago, he has been a genuine leader. The JDC-sponsored Hesed welfare center had just opened in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan (one center of what is now a network of 174), and the community was initiating its search for new, undiscovered Jewish families in the town and its suburbs. A local gentleman mentioned the name of a family that lived in the nearby town of Schuchinsk. "Perhaps they're Jews, try to find it out," he suggested.

The family's address and phone number were located, and a representative of the Hesed in Kokshetau arranged for a meeting to take place several days later. The representative was greeted by a cheerful man with salt-and-pepper hair who introduced himself as "Boris."

Boris proved to be a passionate and dedicated person. Born in 1947 in Karatal, a village in Northern Kazakhstan, Boris and his family later settled in Schuchinsk, where his mother had grown up. Leveraging his degree from an Agricultural Technical University, he forged a successful career in mechanical engineering and has spent the past 15 years as a private entrepreneur. His wife, Anna, is a teacher at the Shuchinsk Pedagogical Technical College, and they have two sons, the youngest of whom immigrated to Israel in 2003.

"I was so thrilled to have been contacted by the Jewish community," said Boris, who was immediately interested in learning about Jewish organizations that worked in Kokshetau. A JDC professional told him about the local Jewish community center and the Hesed, and was heartened by Boris's response. "I expected that he would ask for something. But instead he said 'how can I help you?' Since that moment, we have been friends."

Within a few months, JDC proposed that Boris become a member of the Hesed Board, which he graciously accepted. "To tell you about Boris's enthusiasm, energy, and cheerfulness would require several pages," remarked the JDC representative. "I can say in brief that he performs several functions at once: he is a Board member, donor, and volunteer. He is always eager to help deliver food packages or medicines and do whatever is needed." Boris is also constantly engaged in the search for more Jewish families, whose Jewish identities were all but eradicated during 70 years of Communist suppression. Generous estimates suggest that some 30,000 Jews may presently live in Kazakhstan, with more than a couple of thousand concentrated in Kokshetau. "We want to invite them back into the community and remind them of who they are," says Boris.