Reaching Out in Israel

Almost 1 million Russian immigrants reside in Israel. To reach out to these new Israelis, Shvut Ami launched the Communities Program.  The program focuses on several Israeli towns, drawing participants from surrounding communities to achieve the broadest impact. Staffed by talented Russian community leaders, the Communities Program runs a broad range of recreational, cultural and educational activities to attract unaffiliated immigrants.  The program has successfully involved participants in leadership roles as “lay leaders” who can effectively teach fellow Russians.

	Bat Yam Just south of Tel Aviv, our Bat Yam branch also services the neighboring town of Holon. Over the past year the program has grown rapidly attracting over 140 individuals to classes in basic Judaism. Others participate in a wide range of recreational and cultural activities. Participants are young, professional and influential-testimony to the leadership abililites of program director Yosef Kaminetzky.
	Karmiel Situated in Israel’s north, the picturesque town of Karmiel is home to a large population of Russian immigrants.  The program’s new director, Moshe Shteinberg, is an experienced communal leader who developed  Jewish life as a community leader in Yekaterinburg (in the F.S.U.). Shteinberg works in partnership with a local school that has a local school that has a Russian student population, offering educational programs for both parents and students. Each week Shvut Ami’s top lecturers make the long 3 hour trip from Jerusalem to Karmiel and back, to provide participants with the very best in educational programming.
	Petach Tikvah Now in its third year, our Petach Tikvah Center is directed by Daniel Glicksman. The center is always bustling with activity: Jewish holiday events and get-togethers, Shabbat meals, or bar mitzvah and wedding celebrations of community members. The Petach Tikvah center offers an original program developed internally, called the Personal Development Course.  Participants are attracted to this course by the broad range of life skills the course offers.