Our Roots
A partnership program with Khmelnitsky, Ukraine and Beit Shemesh, Israel
JCC Global-From Good to Great is a project designed to enhance the capacity and sustainability of JCCs in Ukraine, which have been impacted by the war.
Pozez JCC is dedicated to Global Jewish Peoplehood and connections between Jewish communities worldwide. The J is excited to build our Jewish community locally and internationally, so we jumped at the opportunity to strengthen relationships between Jews in Northern Virginia (NoVA), Ukraine, and Israel. We believe in people-to-people connections and are inviting families from NoVA to join a six-month project. Families will have an opportunity to connect with families from Khmelnitsky and Beit Shemesh while exploring the history of their own family.
Program Outline, OUR ROOTS 2025:
April – May: Recruit 10 families to be paired with families in Ukraine and Israel
May 13: First meeting of the NoVA group
June 8: First virtual meeting of families from NoVA, Ukraine, and Israel
June: Families will be matched with their counterparts from other countries
June-December: Weekly communications via WhatsApp (send partner families one picture a week in answer to a prompt by organizers)
August, October, December (dates TBD): Virtual meetings with partners on Sunday mornings
Who Should Apply?
- Families with at least two generations (parents and kids). Grandparents are also invited
- Families must have children ages 4 to 25
- It is a plus, but not required, for someone in the family to speak Ukrainian, Russian, or Hebrew
If you are interested in participating in this fantastic opportunity to meet Jewish families from Ukraine and Israel, please, complete this form. After your form is received by the J, Zina Segal will contact you for a virtual conversation so that we can match you better with families from our partner communities.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Zina Segal at zina.segal@theJ.org.