Kehilla Projects

The Washington - Moscow Connection Committee

The Moscow Connection Committee was created in 2005 to establish a partnership that benefits and strengthens Jewish life in both Moscow and the greater Washington, D.C. area, by building on the expertise of Jewish professionals and lay people in both communities and enabling them to learn from each other. The committee engages and involves new people as well as inspires volunteers, lay people, and professional staff. The partnership will establish and nurture personal relationships between community leadership and agency professionals in Moscow and Greater Washington.

In November, 2005 the members traveled to Moscow to learn about the community, visit international and national agencies supporting the community and establish a partnership with counter agencies and leaders in the Moscow Jewish Community.

The Washingtonians found an explosion of Jewish life in Moscow. In one week’s time, the group met with Russian Jewish educators, dined with members of Moscow’s Young Leadership group, visited local welfare agencies, met with Moscow’s spiritual and Jewish community leaders, and witnessed the hardships suffered by frail, elderly Russian Jews who struggle to survive on meager pensions.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Moscow Connection Committee regularly hosts groups of Moscow professionals and volunteers. The goals of these visit are to learn about the DC Jewish community, its agencies and synagogues, continue the discussions started in Moscow and nurture personal relationships between community leadership and agency professionals to create mutually beneficial programs that will strengthen Jewish life in Moscow and Greater Washington. Moscow delegations have included consists school principals, community center directors, Chabad and Choral Synagogue representatives, Hillel staff, young leadership, welfare agency directors and informal Jewish educators. During the visits, Moscow visitors meet their local agency counterparts and community leaders, and exchange ideas on partnership programs.