JDC Professionals Visit
During October 30-31 one of so called TG (Team Gathering) groups took part in a working visit to Moldova. JDC senior staff from FSU and Jerusalem office visited youth club Haverim Shabbaton outside of the city, Jewish kindergarten of Kishinev, took the tour of Jewish Kishinev, made home visits to the Jewish Family Service clients, and made a tour of the KJJC programs a s a whole.
Guests were really impressed by hospitality and level of the programs, learned more about specifics of the history and present day situation of Moldova Jewish community.
‘Such visits are undoubtedly important as open for us other regions, help to understand better the problems and find new solutions”, said one of the guests. “This is a real and vivid opportunity of a practical exchange of experience that will for sure help in our future work”.
Mission of Friendship
During October 9-11 two very amiable and open people – Silverman couple from Vancouver (Canada) – came to Moldova and visited our community. Being for the first time in thus area they were completely surprised by the vibrant Jewish life they have seen here. During a few days of visit they saw Hesed programs in Tiraspol, met leaders of youth clubs, made a tour of Kishinev including the Jewish places of interest, took part in choosing the best project of the JCC KEDEM “Haverim” youth club and, of course, came to see KJJC programs. And Shlomo (Steve) even surprised the Jewish Family Service kids by his nice clown performance.
Penn State Hillel: Leaving a Piece of Heart in Moldova

The program was tight and included presentations and briefings of the JDC and KJJC activities in the country, home visits to Hesed clients, meetings with volunteers and staff of the local Jewish organizations, joint activities with the peers from Haverim club and the core of the program – volunteer work for the welfare center “Hesed Yehuda”.
Bringing Help and Health
Dr. Steven Mackler is a well known person in the Jewish community of Moldova and medical society of the country. Being one of the founders of the JHI project, initiator of Dental Project, active participant of Greensboro – Beltsy Jewish communities and North Carolina – Moldova partnerships he is constantly visiting our republic for over 12 years. And every time he brings new volunteers, assistance, support and friendship.
This time Dr. Mackler brought another mission of Dental Project with Dr. Burton Horwitz, who is coming for the 7th time in Moldova and feels in Kishinev like a local inhabitant, and five students from North Carolina who learn to become dentists. During a week the mission will have official meetings with the heads of the local hospitals and US Ambassador, but the core of the program is dental assistance to kids from the Jewish Family Service and Hesed in Beltsy, orphans from Straseni and Ialoveni.
JDC Working Visit: “To See Faces of Hope”
The JDC Resources Development Study Trip by
professionals from the USA
and Israel embraced first of
all welfare direction of activities in Moldova. The group of 12 people
visited Beltsy and Kishinev
welfare organizations, Hesed and Jewish Family Service, made home visits and
got briefings on the situation in the region in general and the Jewish
community in particular.
Tour of the KJJC that included all the range of welfare programs for elderly and children as well as cultural programs run by the JCC was impressive.