Caucasus Jews Bring Post-Passover Celebrations to Israel

Events were organized by local leaders, many of whom have benefited from JDC leadership initiatives within the Kavkazi community. These initiatives seek to empower Kavkazi adults to overcome the trauma of their cultural transition and ensuing integration challenges. These individuals are also encouraged to discover their own strengths and resources, which will further help their community adjust and rebuild its life in Israel.

These Gov Gil celebrations in Israel serve as a symbol of success for the Kavkazi integration and the JDC programs that encouraged such. The broader Israeli society has also come to accept and welcome the new comers and their traditions. Gov Gil has come to gain the same notoriety and acceptance as the Moroccan Mamouna celebrations.

Many Kavkazi adults who have participated in JDC's leadership programs, from students to grandmothers, attest that becoming involved as a leader has not only brought them closer to their community, but has strengthened their ties with their new home in Israel. Robert from Sderot is no exception. In 1991 Robert and his family made aliyah from Kavkaz. Having earned his high school diploma already, Robert was eager to attend college. However, before he could follow his academic dreams, he had to enter the Israeli Defense Forces and complete his national service.

Upon completion of service one more large hurdle stood in way of Roberts attending university, the cost of tution. Not willing to give up on his dream, Robert began looking into ways to afford school with out having to work a full-time job. It was during this search that Robert learned about JDC's Sachbak Student Leadership Program. The goal of Sachbak is to enable young Kavkazi students to fulfill their educational potential and at the same time harness their skills and energy to cultivate change in their own community.

Sachbak – a Hebrew acronym meaning "Student Friends of the Community" – encourages young Kavkazi adults like Robert to enter into higher education, by providing stipends. In return students must volunteer in their community. In addition to providing well-needed community support and assistance, the students are seen as role models of academic success for the community's youngsters.

For Robert this initiative responded to both his financial needs and his desire to help his community. As he explains, "I heard about Sachbak and decided that this would be an ideal way for me to study while simultaneously volunteering to give new Kavkazi immigrants the benefit of my experiences in Israel since making aliyah."

Together with a group of 14 other Kavkazi immigrants Robert helped develop three key programs: a pre-army orientation course, a pre-national service orientation course and a community leadership course. All too aware of the challenges facing Kavkazi youngsters at this crucial stage in their lives, the programs draw intimately from the young leaders' personal experience.

Robert shares, "We want Kavkazi children to know the options available to them. I knew I had struggled to integrate in the army and learn the specific customs and language and I thought other Kavkazi youth could benefit from my learning experiences…. There are so many issues facing Kavkazi youth, and many of them are not able to overcome these challenges and sadly, drop out of school and ultimately find themselves in at-risk situations. We hope we will encourage them to contribute instead of being drawn to disruptive behavior patterns."

This year Robert graduated from university with a Bachelor’s degree in Logistics and has decided to spend this year as a full-time volunteer for Kavkazi-Israeli children in Sderot. "Through my involvement in Sachbak I have grown to love Sderot and intend to stay here working in the community."