Source: Institute for Jewish policy Research
Part of a four-part series funded by the Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe that looks at Jewish life in east-central Europe since the collapse of communism, the Ukraine report calls for the development of a common organisational framework to bring together the various Jewish communities throughout the country; support from international foundations to enable the Jewish community to become less dependent on external sources of financial support; and a more inclusive policy on Jewish status issues given the high levels of intermarriage in the country.
In addition, the report stresses the need for enhancements in the field of Jewish education, with a particular emphasis on increasing the number of trained teachers and educators, and access to better quality Russian and Ukrainian-language educational materials. Given the extraordinary history of Jewish life in the country, the recommendations also push for the preservation of this heritage and the utilisation of it for community development purposes.
The report also explores the issue of antisemitism in Ukraine, and calls for the establishment of a centre to monitor antisemitic incidents, and to liaise with government, the police and security services to counter it.
Research for the report, based on interviews and focus groups with Ukrainian Jewish leaders, was conducted between 2011 and 2013. Whilst the opinions expressed do not reflect the most recent developments in what continues to be a turbulent period in the country, they nevertheless paint a detailed portrait of Jewish community life in the country, and offer a road map to understand many of the dynamics within it.