 ORT FSU Students Win Contest for Knowledge of Israel |
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August 2007 - ORT students from the former Soviet Union won a 10-day tour of Israel after winning a competition run by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Education that tested their knowledge of Israel and Zionism. ORT schools in Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan, Kishinev and Kiev took the top five places in the competition, which attracted entries from 45 Jewish schools across the Former Soviet Union. ORT Moscow School came first. As a result, 40 ORT students spent 10 days touring Israel. For many of them it was their first trip to the Jewish State and they visited sites such as Yad Vashem, Masada and Independence Hall, the building where David Ben Gurion declared Israeli independence. “We believe it is very important to teach our children about the history of Israel and it is deeply gratifying to see that they are enthusiastic and accomplished students in this field,” said Avi Ganon, World ORT’s Representative in Russia, Belarus and Central Asia He added that last month’s decision by the Jewish Agency to provide World ORT with $1 million to support the Heftsiba program in 15 ORT schools in the FSU and Baltic States would ensure that this level of excellence would be maintained. “The connection built up between the children and the Israeli teachers provided by Heftsiba allows them to build a profound knowledge and understanding of Israel,” he said. “Had funding for Heftsiba been withdrawn then these competition results would have been almost impossible to replicate.” Under the Heftsiba program, Israel’s Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency help ORT to provide formal Jewish education in Jewish schools in the former Soviet republics; it is a partnership between local governments, World ORT, the Ministry of Education of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel and local Jewish communities. The Heftsiba schools have also been receiving support from World ORT through Regeneration, the ongoing campaign led by ORT America aimed at enlarging the network of ORT schools and centers in the region as well as enhancing existing schools’ IT provision and broadening the range of subjects on offer. Chaired by publisher Milton Gralla, a longtime ORT supporter, Regeneration established ORT’s Jewish schools as a thriving, highly reputable network. Israel’s Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency help the ORT network in the FSU and Baltic States to provide formal Jewish education in Jewish schools in the former Soviet republics; it is a partnership between local governments, World ORT, the Ministry of Education of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel and local Jewish communities. At the end of July, the Jewish Agency quashed fears that it would drastically cut its support of the program by announcing an increase in its funding. After an enforced absence, World ORT returned to Russia in 1991. It now coordinates operations in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Kyrgyzstan 53 projects in 32 locations serving more than 30,000 people. World ORT is the world’s largest Jewish education and vocational training non-government organization and has benefited more than 3 million people Jewish and non-Jewish in 100 countries since its foundation in 1880. Source: ORT America Press Releases |
