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A forum recently presented in Almaty was dedicated to a program
of "Assistance to Jewish Children Living in Ecologically Negative Areas
of the East-Kazakhstan Oblast" designed by "Mitsva"
Association with the support of JDC. Participants of the forum were two JDC
representatives Max Wiesel and Natan Gelman. From Kazakhstani side there were
the President of "Mitsva" Association Alexandr Baron, Hesed directors
Natalya Dorman (Almaty) and Vladimir Lebedev (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
the director of Ust-Kamenogorsk JCC Elena Levina and members of
Semipalatinsk Jewish community.
Children are our future. Healthy children who have hopes are the
safe future. It was decided to create a youth ecological movement in the framework
of the new program. Seminars and training are planned to be conducted for the
youth, and later on they will work with younger children. Adults also agree
to help the youth. The program coordinator is Elena Volkova from Semipalatinsk.
The program of assistance to Jewish children in East-Kazakhstan
oblast is planned for 1 year. It will render the needy children social, psychological,
and medical assistance. Such project is unique and highly urgent.
In several months we will be able to tell about the first steps
of the new program. Today we can say that a group of active members of the Jewish
community is ready to start working. Maybe in future such projects will be introduced
in other ecologically negative regions of the country. "Mitsva" Association
and JDC invite everybody interested to take part in the program for the sake
of the future.
Galina Goldberg |
