"Joint" Committee and "Mitsva" Association continue in Almaty work on formation of an active youth wing of the Jewish community of city. Two age groups take part in the project: the guys from 17 till 25 years old - "Hofshi Noar" club and youth from 25 till 35 years old - club "Young family ". The majority of these people already have heard a course of lectures "Young Leadership ", also offered to the Jewish community of Almaty by Joint Committee.
In past weekend in a hall of Jewish Community Centre "Rimon" the first meeting of younger group of youth club "Hofshi Noar" with the new curator of the youth programs, representative of Joint Committee, Elli Ben Nun was held. In meeting also have taken part the head of representation of "Joint" in Central Asia Max Wiesel, president of "Mitsva" Association Alexandr Baron, psychologist Irina Zaltzman.
To conduct the seminar with the maximal feedback, Mr. Ben Nun at the first day of staying in Almaty has leaded a number of meetings - acquaintances. It was offered to the young people in time, convenient for them, to come to Community Centre and to get acquainted with the representative of "Joint". And the guys, having run "for five minutes", with interest spent in conversation with the new coordinator of the youth project and hour and 1, 5.
Coming here, I disposed myself more on official interview, - the member of youth club Inna Starodubova tells - And was pleasantly surprised! It seems, we have spoken with Elli Ben Nun approximately an hour. For this time I have told to this, still to man, poorly familiar to me, but tremendous interlocutor, about the interests and enthusiasms it is much more, than for last year good familiar.
He spoke with youth about a role of the Jewish community today.About how long participants of the program "Young Leadership" are the members of youth club, what they got from the last seminars? What from the spent programs like the guys more, and what less, what they would like to change in a today's condition of a community.
The next day the guys from younger youth group again have met with the new instructor. And already having gathered all together, in practice, with the help of trainings, role games, conversations and discussions demonstrated the vision of a role of youth in life of a community. Support in work with group Mr. Ben Nun was rendered by the constant adviser of club the psychologist Irina Zaltzman, who also read to the guys lecture about bases of planning of the projects. As it not the first meeting devoted to the given question, the participants of a seminar felt quite confidently, and the questions, given by them, were based already on practical experience.
The next day the lesson in the second youth group - "Young family" has passed. And, as the representatives of Joint Committee Max Wiesel and Elli Ben Nun unanimously have noted: " In spite of the fact that this group formed rather recently (it hardly is less than year), its participants - people quite adult and independent - are complete on enthusiasm, they are ready to work for the boon of a community, at them the huge amount of ideas which they look forward to put into practice ".
At participation again of Irina Zaltzman, which during one month worked with the senior youth group on a theme " Planning of the projects ", young women and men have discussed with the representatives of Joint Committee the ideas, "which have "ripened" at them, concerning development of community programs. The participants of meeting with enthusiasm, with skill, sounded needs of a modern Jewish community in Almaty. Not stopping especially on needs and wishes of the age group, they have presented to attention of the employees JDC, and also leadrs of "Mitsva" Association, Hesed, and Jewish Community Centre "Rimon" of a problem, with which to have to collide to the senior generation of a community, and also children and teenagers.
Then time of practice has come. The representatives of club were divided into groups and have engaged in preparation for presentation of the projects. To pleasure of the participants of a seminar, all 4 projects were recognized by the representatives "Joint" as viable and actually interesting.
Due to past meetings the youth of the Jewish community Almaty, could answer, first of all for themselves, such important questions: " what is a modern Jewish community of Kazakhstan? ", " What the youth already today can help with in development of a community? ", " what is a role of youth in life of a community? ".
Totally in the program "Young Leadership" more than 40 men are engaged. Some of them already are well known in a community. They are not only participants of various holidays, exhibitions, creation meetings spent by the Jewish organizations of Almaty. Many not the first year in quality volunteers help development of Community programs, try on base of Community Centre "Rimon" to embody the projects.
As the curators of the project promise, some young people which can prove the solvency as the young leaders of a community, will have an opportunity to graduate of training on fundraising, strategic planning, psychology of creation of a team in one of the Jewish communities of USA.