Mission: Project kesher (pk) is the largest jewish womens organization in the russian-speaking world, operating in russia, ukraine, belarus, moldova, georgia (collectively, the region) and israel to educate and strengthen jewish community through a network of more than 200 grassroots jewish womens groups and with over 3,500 project kesher-trained leaders. Kesher means connection in hebrew. As a volunteer-driven organization, leader/activists generate nearly 200,000 hours per year to lead torah study, create jewish communal programming, promote economic empowerment, and advocate for social justice grounded in the jewish commitment to tikkun olam. Pk invests in the creation of a network that can quickly pilot jewish programming prioritized by women at the grassroots level and replicate these programs through the use of technology, local support, volunteer engagement, partnerships, and strategic advocacy.
Programs: Project kesher supports leadership training that empower jewish women to design and implement jewish educational programs and engage in tikkun olam (repair of the world) through social activist initiatives on such issues as domestic violence, women's health care, trafficking in women and interfaith/interethnic tolerance. Project kesher supports jewish educational and identity building programs that reach more than 100,000 russian-speaking jews annually in 200 communities offering opportunities to deepen jewish knowledge, celebrate holidays, promote community service, support israel and embrace jewish values. Project kesher, in partnership with world ort, supports 17 vocational computer centers in belarus, georgia, russia and ukraine which, to date, have provided 40,000 people with computer training with an 80%+ success rate and a cost of less than $100 per person.
robin10
Professional with expertise in this field
05/14/2010
Rating: 5
05/14/2010
As a graphic artist and a Jew living in a free country, I cannot even imagine the lives that some of the women (involved with this organization) have endured prior to being helped by Project Kesher. The stories I hear and read about are truly inspirational.
We live in a country where Womens Rights have not come far enough in USA during the past 100 years. The States of the former Soviet Union has a long way to go. This is the only religious and political statements I will make publicly, and endorse.
In 2009 we developed a community health based women's health curriculum that suggestions on how to influence behavioral and policy changes on the local level in order to move health from the individual experience to a community-wide action. This health curriculum was paired with a Jewish text study module and integrated into our successful Beit Binah Torah study group lead by lay women leadership. Launched 4 months ago we are already hearing stories of empowerment and actions in our groups throughout the regions.
haniveah
Professional with expertise in this field
10/30/2009
Rating: 5
10/30/2009
In 1994 Project Kesher brought together Jewish women from the former Soviet Union with Jewish women from around the world. The first agenda was to help these women strengthen their Jewish identity. Since then Jewish women in Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Belarus have gone on to be leaders in doing community change work in their villages and cities. They work with other minorities to be strong advocates for women and have become one of the primary voices addressing domestic violence, economic justice as well as Jewish spirituality.
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