Promoting Volunteerism and Leadership In Ukrainian Jewish Communities

A Jewish community isn't a community without two of many important components: Volunteerism and Leadership. In an effort to promote those elements, JDC in partnership with the local organizations of Northern and Eastern Ukraine, hosted the first annual Volunteerism and Leadership in the Community Congress and Bazaar.

The conference hall was pulsating with action and excitement as community members from the entire region manned their booths, displayed their programs and organization, sold their activities to prospective members, and shared ideas with colleagues. Dozens of booths and hundreds of community leaders lined the walls of the modern conference center discussing different ways to promote volunteerism and leadership in the community.

After browsing the many programs and booths, all the participants heard from lay-leaders and volunteers in the community at the central conference. Six outstanding volunteers and lay-leaders in the community were recognized for their contributions to the community by honored guests Steve Hoffman, Doron Krakow, Steve Schwager, and Asher Ostrin.

The fair and congress were extremely successful and exceeded the six goals of:

1. Showing the importance of volunteerism


2. Promoting leadership and presenting role-models


3. Encouraging involvement with energy and creativity


4. Giving exposure to leaders, ideas, programs and volunteers, and enabling cooperation between them as well as regions, cities, and ideas


5. Recognition of leaders' and volunteers' hard work, efforts and contributions, as well as a huge boost to the public relations and creativity in each organization


6. Utilizing essential skills in attracting membership and donors

This was the opening event to promote volunteerism and develop leadership in the Jewish communities of Northern and Eastern Ukraine.