In the morning of August 4th, twenty two Jewish students landed in the airport of Almaty. There were met by President of Mitsva Association Alexander Baron. It was going to be a very busy program. Within eight days, a lot will be done: social and charity work, sightseeing, and holding Shabbat, Avdolah, Makkabiada, picnics, and a disco…

  Kazakhstani students came from Jewish communities of Almaty, Kustanay, Pavlodar, Karagandy, Shymkent, Taraz, Petropavlovsk. This vast geography made the meeting especially interesting, and ensured communication of the project information throughout Republican Community. The essence of the Program is the joint work of American and Kazakhstani peers. This project represents extended hands of friendship for joint work and vacation. Most of us have common roots. We originated from Ashkenazi (within pale of settlement) and Sefard communities. We can say that this project is a meeting through centuries!
  American and Kazakhstani students met in the Jewish Community Center Rimon. Alexander Baron greeted the project participants and told about Joint activities in Kazakhstan, about Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan and Jewish communities of the country. Students actively participated in the discussion, asked questions. Leron Edalaty asked about Iranian Jews - kakhlukhs and requested to organize a meeting with any of them. It turned out that her grand- mother is a Jew from Turkmenistan and Leron is interested in Sefard culture. We were glad to see again Perry Tacher from Peace Corps, who worked in the Project last year. When Perry dictated his mobile phone number in Russian, Kazakh, and Hebrew, he got applause from everybody. Alexander Baron showed the guests around Hesed Polina. The students saw Jewish library, reading room, exhibition of pictures of Israel and many other things. On August 5th, the work started. The guys were divided into groups of 5-10 people. Everyday students had a different task and in a new location. Everybody was engaged in patronage work, in repair, and cleaning, and as a teacher at children’s camp.

  The work in Hesed clients’ houses is not easy. Its nuances were conveyed to the students by Director of the Care at Home Program Valentina Sokolova. We were very pleased to see that old people thanked the students with tears in their eyes for the work they had done. They were delighted to show what the guys had done. David Haruny showed us around his apartment: "I thank very much the young people, thank Joint for coming. This is just mere happiness. Only Jews can take such a good care of elderly people. Jews always help and support each other". Valentina Zalevskaya looking at her cleaned apartment would repeat: "They brought joy at my home, happiness. They have done everything needed. My home is shining clean! What clean windows and curtains now! I thank everybody who participated in this work". Dina Sinitskaya lives alone in a private house. There is a lot of work and no ability to do it.The guys put in order not only the house but also the yard, garden, fence. Dina almost cried: "This work should have been done long time ago. But I could not. The young people have done it so nicely. I thank everybody. I will wait for them next year". All the clients said the same words. Liat Lemberg received a gift from Valentina Zalevskaya - sprouts of a lemon tree. The girl is going to take them to the U.S. and grow a lemon tree to remember the work in Kazakhstan. The project participants were asked a question: "What are you expecting from this trip?" and Aib Chalter Gampel said: "The most important is to help those who need it. This is our Jewish Mitsva". Nastya Borovkina: "To help the old, sick, lonely, get to know our American peers and learn more about American Jews". Both Americans and Kazakhstanis consider it to be very important to get to know each other, work together and make friends.

   Jewish Republican Library contains over 12,000 books. Besides, there are video and audio materials. Students worked here as well. They set in order book shelves. Students-volunteers repaired the cafeteria of Hesed Polina. The work in children’s summer camp requires creativity. Songs sang in Hebrew unite American students and Kazakhstani children. Soon Rosh-a-shana comes and everybody is pleased to learn and sing Shana Tova. In the mirror room of Center Rimon, students learn to dance with a dance teacher Anna Yeremina and children from the Jewish community. Together with artist Lilya Golubovskaya, they worked to create a huge painting "Creation of the world". Actually, Jewish students create their world themselves.

  In one of the best universities of Almaty, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research, a meeting with a Candidate of Political Science Leonid Pukhovech was held to discuss the topic "World Safety and Conflicts Solving" . The Professor talked about peaceful coexistence of various ethnical and religious groups in Kazakhstan. Then, we had a tour of the Central State Museum to learn more about history of Kazakhstan.

  On Augst 6th, Jewish students visited Almaty Synagogue and the tomb of the father of Lyubavich Rabbi . The guys liked the inscription on the Synagogue gate "Mashiah on the way". The guys were introduced to Rabbi Betselel and had a tour of the synagogue. Kazakhstani students-volunteers Roman Kozeritskiy, Delina Serovayskaya, and Nastya Ursolova conducted a tour "Jewish Alma-Ata".

  The Project "Find your Niche" is naturally a success story of the American Jewish Distribution Committee Joint. Joint work and having fun together enable us not only to do charity work but also make friends and learn more about Jewish students in different countries, communicate, learn and be ready to help each other.

Lyudmila Starodubova