The Jewish community of Dnipro actively participated in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Action for Post-Soviet Jewry (APSJ), a grassroots organization based in the Greater Boston Jewish community. This event highlighted decades of fruitful collaboration aimed at revitalizing Jewish life.
Zelig Brez, Director of the Dnipro Jewish Community, along with his wife Leah, visited Boston for a series of meetings with key figures who have shaped APSJ and other organizations supported by Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston (CJP). Discussions with CJP President and CEO Rabbi Marc Baker and Ariel Libhaber, Senior Director of Global Partnerships, focused on the impressive outcomes of their cooperation and future plans. They also met with long-time partners and friends, including Robert and Doris Gordon, Judy Patkin, Ery and Laura Magasanik, and Beth Moscowitz.
The Boston celebration honored APSJ’s significant contributions to Jewish life in countries that emerged from totalitarian regimes. Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki, extended warm congratulations via video, emphasizing APSJ’s impact in Ukraine and beyond. Zelig Brez’s presence at the Boston brunch further underscored the enduring bond between the Jewish communities of Greater Boston and Dnipro.
Debbie Kardon, Executive Director of APSJ, highlighted the vital partnership with Dnipro as a center of Jewish revival. She stressed the importance of strengthening these ties, especially during challenging times when Ukraine’s Jewish community faces crises yet continues to support and develop its members. Simultaneously, in Dnipro, activists from Action for Ukrainian Jewry – a recently established APSJ branch led by Ella Honcharova – gathered to share in the celebration.
Ella Honcharova introduced participants of the Dnipro brunch, including project staff, partners, and activists such as Chaya Prasolova, Oleksandr Rodinsky, Oleh Rostovtsev and other, who have been instrumental in implementing APSJ programs in Ukraine. With real-time translation, attendees in Dnipro felt fully engaged and connected with their counterparts in Boston, celebrating the unity of a community that has supported “Jews of silence” for half a century.
“For the Dnipro community, participating in APSJ’s anniversary was profoundly significant, – noted Zelig Brez. – It not only highlighted Dnipro’s role as a key partner but also demonstrated our shared commitment to advancing cooperation to new heights.
Returning to Dnipro, Brez shared a heartfelt message from Rabbi Marc Baker: “Next year in Dnipro”. The community eagerly anticipates welcoming a CJP delegation from Boston in the near future.
