Mr. Dreerman readily acknowledged that operating day school programs in five separate buildings is very expensive; unfortunately, he continued, none of the structures is large enough to accommodate more than one of the programs.[17] The number of weekly class periods allocated to Jewish studies in the regular day school differs according to grade levels, said Mr. Dreerman; arrangements for middle grades include five weekly periods in Jewish tradition, four or five classes in Hebrew, and one class each in Jewish history and Jewish literature.[18]  Another feature of the curriculum, he said, has been the recent addition of a separate stream of secular studies for those who are incapable of continuing their education in a university.  Following ninth grade, these youngsters now divide the school week, spending several days at the regular school for Jewish studies classes and adapted secular studies and several days at the boys and girls homes respectively for classes in such fields as computer repair for boys and hairdressing or sewing for girls.  Most youngsters, however, complete a traditional academic curriculum and then continue their studies at Ohr Somayach University in Odesa (see below) or at post-secondary institutions in Israel.

3.  The Chabad Ohr Avner day school is similarly divided amongst multiple buildings.  It enrolls a total of about 550 pupils, including approximately 50 youngsters in a heder.  The Jewish studies component in the regular school consists of three weekly classes in Hebrew and three classes in a combination of Jewish tradition, history, music, and art.  In most grades, classes are coeducational; boys and girls are separated only when enrollment at a specific grade level is large enough to justify two separate classes.

One of the school buildings is located on a large plot of land that could easily accommodate another structure, thus permitting centralization of Chabad education programs at a single site.  Development of a second building and transformation of the current site into a well-planned campus would cost five to six million dollars, said Chaya Wolf, wife of Chabad Chief Rabbi Avrum Wolf, and thus awaits better times.  In response to a question, Mrs. Wolf said that Chabad leases 12 minibuses to transport pupils between their homes and the various schools, an obvious major expense.

The Chabad school is private.  Families are charged $300 per month, a fee that includes tuition, lunches, and transportation, but does not cover full operational expenses.  Most families, said Mrs. Wolf, pay the full fee.  The private status of the school permits prayers to be said during school hours.

4.  The third Jewish day school in Odesa is School #94, a public school that receives significant assistance from ORT.  Established in 1996, the school currently enrolls 370 youngsters, a decline from September when the census was 450.  According to Principal Svetlana Manchenko, 80 pupils dropped out when the loss of a Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) subsidy forced the school to withdraw free bus transportation and curtail a school meals program.[19]  Transportation costs are too high for families to bear, said Ms. Manchenko.  The affected youngsters now are attending public schools near their homes, she added.  ORT also was forced to cut salaries of some Jewish studies teachers and to reduce Jewish holiday programming, expenses that also were covered by the Jewish Agency subsidy.

Ms. Manchenko expressed concern about maintaining the strong reputation of the school under current financial limitations.  Most pupils are from middle-class families, she said, but even middle-class families are suffering during the crisis.   Parents pay for workbooks and other school supplies, she continued, and contribute funds for school maintenance.  ORT provides support for technology upgrades and salary subsidies for teachers of technology subjects.

ORT schools in the post-Soviet states are well-known for their computer technology programs, which include work with robots and other mechanical devices.

The library in the Odesa ORT school is open and inviting, in contrast to some other post-Soviet Jewish school libraries that are little more than carefully-controlled uninviting book storage rooms.  This library also includes several computer workstations and a software collection.

The Jewish studies curriculum includes three class periods of Hebrew and one of Jewish tradition every week, Ms. Manchenko said.  Additionally, fifth graders study Jewish history one hour every week, and other grades have special classes in the Holocaust, Israel, and Jewish literature and drama.  Kabbalat Shabbat is observed on Friday afternoons.

In addition to formal classes, stated Ms. Manchenko, School #94 offers significant Israel programming informally.  All Israeli holidays are observed, and special attention is given to the lives and accomplishments of prominent Israelis who were born in Odesa.  ORT pupils visit Jewish seniors in the hesed, Ms. Manchenko said, and also have prepared small gifts for children who live in dormitories under the supervision of Rabbi Baksht.  (See below.)  Older students have visited other parts of Ukraine and Poland in exploring their heritage.  However, she commented, the loss of the JAFI subsidy may curtail some of these activities.

Computer technology classes are held once each week for pupils in grades one through four and twice each week for youngsters in grades five through eight.  Instruction is more intensive in grades nine through eleven; additionally, high school students may enroll in several electives focusing on different aspects of computer technology. 

5.  The Tikva Children’s Home operates three different facilities accommodating a total of 224 youngsters – 42 boys and girls up to the age of five in a refurbished preschool building, 88 girls between the ages of six and 17 in a new purpose-built structure, and 94 boys between the ages of six and 17 in an older building.  All residents of school age attend one of the Ohr Dessa schools.  Additionally, Tikva accommodates 150 young adults between the ages of 17 and 22 in separate dormitories; most of these young people previously lived in the children’s homes and now attend Ohr Somayach University.  (See below.)   The Tikva home operates under the overall supervision of Rabbi Shlomo Baksht.

Rabbi Refael Kruskal, International Director of the Tikva Children’s Homes, stated that each home for school-age or younger children has one or two resident couples serving as houseparents.  Additionally, each building has several counselors who interact with youngsters before and after school and during vacations.  The new girls’ home is built around an enclosed courtyard that offers opportunities for outdoor play.  The structure also includes an auditorium with a stage and fixed seating.  Three to five girls live in each dormitory room, all of which have at least one computer.  A compartmented bathroom is situated between every two bedrooms.

At left is one of the children residing in a Tikva home.

Photo: the writer.

The homes for small children and for boys are much more crowded; as many as 11 or 12 youngsters are accommodated in a single room in the facility for younger children, and eight to ten boys share a room in the boys’ building.  As is the case in other institutions for Jewish children in Ukraine, most youngsters are “social orphans,” that is, children from dysfunctional families, the majority of which are headed by a single parent unable to provide adequate childcare due to  impoverishment, alcoholism, narcotics addiction, or other issues.  Some parents are imprisoned.

The writer visited both the girls’ home and the building for younger children; she had visited the boys’ facility on an earlier journey to the city.  In each case, the youngsters appeared healthy and well-groomed; a number of activities were available for free time, and excursions were planned for school vacation periods.  Yet it was painfully clear that something was missing in these children’s lives as they immediately gathered around Rabbi Kruskal upon his entrance into their midst.

A counselor (in light blue sweater) helps children with arts and crafts activities at the Tikva home for young children.  At the same time, Rabbi Refael Kruskal (upper left) attracted his own small crowd of youngsters.

Photo: the writer.

Rabbi Kruskal readily acknowledges the need to upgrade the facilities housing small children and boys.  As the chief fundraiser for the Tikva program, he speaks with many potential donors.  (A group from England was visiting Tikva when the writer was in the city.)  Yet current global economic conditions do not bode well for additional support.[20]  In fact, said Rabbi Kruskal, Tikva has found it necessary to trim food expenses by serving less hot food to youngsters and also has curbed a welfare program that provided home care to frail elderly grandparents of youngsters living in Tikva homes and/or attending Ohr Somayach schools.

The Tikva home is by far the largest residential program for at-risk Jewish children in the successor states.  Individuals associated with Tikva aggressively seek out needy youngsters in other cities, often generating antagonism from rabbis in these cities who operate their own residential programs for at-risk Jewish youngsters.

6.  Chabad also operates a residential facility for at-risk Jewish children in Odesa.  The writer was unable to visit the Chabad program, which is much smaller than Tikva.

7.  Odesa Jewish University was established in 2003 for the purpose of providing a post-secondary school education in a Jewish setting to halachically Jewish young people.  It currently enrolls 262 students, the largest number of whom are graduates of the Ohr Dessa schools.  A minority come from other schools, including Jewish schools in Belarus and Moldova.  About 150 students live in a university dormitory.  Tuition and other expenses are covered by Ohr Somayach, which also provides a small stipend to students.

Students may elect any of six majors: early childhood and elementary school education, psychology, English, management, finance, or law.  Courses are taught by professors from accredited institutions in these fields; these outside educational institutions confer the diplomas that students receive at the conclusion of their course work.  In addition to secular courses, students also must enroll in a program of Jewish religious studies that includes Hebrew, Jewish tradition, Jewish history, Jewish literature, and other subjects.

Prior to the current economic crisis, classes met in a discrete building.  However, in an effort to conserve resources, the University has moved into the second floor of the choral synagogue associated with Rabbi Baksht.  Although some instruction occurs in separate small rooms, others convene around tables in a large hall directly above the main prayer hall in the choral syna-gogue.

Some Odesa Jewish University classes meet in small rooms located on three sides of the large hall in the photo at left.  Other classes meet concurrently at separate tables within the hall.  Most classes are small, but the noise level in the hall is signif-icant.

Photo: the writer.

The University sponsors a sports program and several musical ensembles for male students.  Graduates have obtained employment in a number of different Odesa businesses and other institutions; 14 graduates are now working in Ohr Somayach schools as teachers.

The goal of the university, said Rabbi Baksht, is to educate halachically Jewish young people in a setting that encourages appropriate social contacts and eventual Jewish in-marriage.  Ten to 15 marriages between students occur each year, he continued, and ten children already have been born to couples who met at Odesa Jewish University.

8.  The Southern Ukraine Jewish University Chabad – Odesa is the Chabad response to Odesa Jewish University.  Established more recently, it enrolls 50 students in nine specialties: early childhood and elementary school education, speech pathology, psychology, English language and literature, computer technology, computer-aided design, accounting, and finance.  The accounting and finance courses are supervised by a local Odesa business college, and a Kyiv pedagogical college accredits the remaining majors and confers appropriate degrees.  The rector of the University is a respected non-Jewish educator who resides in Kyiv; the onsite manager of the University is Rabbi Eliahu Kirzhner, a graduate of Odesa University.

Rabbi Kirzhner stated that the Chabad university has “four or five” sponsors, including several banks that intend to employ eventual graduates in accounting and finance.  Classes meet in a building formerly belonging to the Komsomol (Communist youth organization), and students reside in apartments rented by Chabad.  About 70 percent of the students, said Rabbi Kirzhner, come from outside Odesa and many have graduated from Chabad schools in their towns.  All expenses are paid, and students receive stipends.  According to Chabad Chief Rabbi of Odesa, Rabbi Avrum Wolf, monthly operating costs of the University are about $30,000.

Compulsory Jewish studies classes are scheduled for one-half of each day and professional courses meet during the other half.  Participation in prayer services also is mandatory.[21]

9.  The Hillel student group in Odesa appears to be exceptionally well-organized and vibrant.  According to Director Pavel Vugelman, about 1,300 Jewish young adults are associated with the organization, 150 of whom form an activist core.  Most Hillel participants, said Mr. Vugelman attend one of the 10 large universities in the city, although some are students at the Ohr Somayach or Chabad institutions.

Mr. Vugelman described a full program of activities that meet regularly on designated days.  On Mondays, he said, Hillel is devoted to intellectual pursuits, such as chess and intellectual contests (brain ring).  On Tuesdays, Hillel sponsors English-language and literary clubs.  Both have highly-qualified leaders, said Mr. Vugelman, and the English-language club discusses topics of great interest to students, such as Israel or philosophy.  Wednesdays focus on Jewish tradition, history, and culture.  On Thursdays, he continued, a business club engages 55 students and other young adults for discussions with successful Jewish business people in the city and visits to their enterprises.  Hillel hosts a Shabbat gathering every Friday evening, he said.  On Sundays, Mr. Vugelman continued, Hillel sports enthusiasts practice basketball and soccer in the gym at Beit Grand in preparation for matches with comparable student teams in the city.  A video club also meets on Sundays.

Hillel sponsors seminars on various subjects and rents large halls for major Jewish holidays, which attract as many as 1,000 participants.  Odesa Hillel will host a three-day intellectual games conference in May for teams from Hillels throughout the post-Soviet states.

Increasingly popular, added Mr. Vugelman, is a volunteer program.  Hillel activists visit with Jewish elderly and clean their apartments.  They collect clothing and toys for the Chabad children’s home and a non-Jewish children’s residence.  They also work in a pediatric cancer ward and with HIV patients.  Other volunteer activities include the cleaning of Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust memorial monuments. 

Pavel Vugelman and Aleksandra Zlobina are the Director and Deputy Director respectively of Hillel in Odesa.  Partially visi-ble behind them is a set of student-designed posters advertising Hillel activities.  Odesa Hillel also maintains a sophisticated website at  www.hillel.org.ua.  (An English-language version is accessible.)

Photo: the writer.

Hillel premises are located in a small suite in the center of the city, but they will soon leave this facility and occupy larger space split between two different buildings.  They have been assigned modest program quarters in Beit Grand, the JDC Jewish cultural center (see below), but they also are looking forward to much more spacious accommodations that the city is making available to them for a token rent of one hryvnya annually.  The municipal property, said Mr. Vugelman, is offered in recognition of the considerable volunteer agenda of the group; the space requires extensive renovation, Mr. Vugelman continued, but this work will become a Hillel project.  The plans include a film studio that Hillel will rent to individuals and groups in order to generate income.

Hillel in Odesa has had several exchanges with Hillel in Baltimore, which is a sister-city.  Eleven Odesa Hillel members recently visited Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

10.  Anna Misyuk is a social anthropologist, writer, and popular Jewish historian who has worked in the Odesa Literary Museum (Одесский Литературный Музей) for 30 years.  The Museum occupies a 200-year old palace in which it supervises 24 halls of rare editions, manuscripts, photos and other objects tracing the history of literary Odesa.

In the last decades of the Soviet period, Ms. Misyuk was active as a general dissident and producer of samizdat materials.  She had been unaware of the rich Jewish cultural history of Odesa, she said, until she met individuals associated with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in the early 1990’s.  She then began to study local Jewish history and culture and has subsequently become one of the editors of a locally-produced tourist guidebook to Jewish Odesa.  She also writes articles for local Jewish periodicals.

Anna Misyuk, a social anthropologist and writer who is often interviewed on local television about Odesa Jewish history, believes that Jewish literature is the key to Jewish civilization.  She organizes Jewish literary circles among the Odesa Jewish intelligentsia.

Photo: the writer.