Nov 11, 2016
New JCC Opens in Kiev, Ukraine
In addition to the three Miami-Dade community centers, your donations to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign support Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) around the world, including Kiev’s brand-new Halom JCC. Through our overseas partner agency, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Center (JDC), Federation is helping to revitalize Jewish life across Ukraine by bringing many of Kiev's Jews together to create a self-sustaining Jewish community. Since opening its doors two months ago, the JCC, a hub for Jewish cultural, educational, community and social service programs and activities, has already welcomed 500 guests. Local and international government officials attended the ribbon-cutting, along with leadership from the JDC and The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).
The JCC model has served a particularly unique purpose in post-Soviet society, twinning an American Jewish community concept with the cherished and esteemed cultural and intellectual acumen of Jews in this region.
The name Halom, Hebrew for dream, along with logo of the facility, were chosen after a community-wide vote. Multiple organizations and services are housed within the Center’s four floors, which are spread over 17,000 square feet. These include Jewish Family Services (JFS), where at-risk families can access key resources they need, and a JDC office.
The Center has activities for children, including early childhood programs, baby and prenatal yoga, speech therapy and mental health assistance; in addition to classes ranging from music and cooking to Hebrew and English language courses. And for Jewish teens, the JCC-based Youth Club offers plenty of bonding opportunities, including leadership-training programs, Sunday school, weekend camping experiences, touring historic Jewish sites in Kiev and more.
For more information about Federation’s overseas partner agencies, click here.
