First Jewish Preschool in Half Century Opens in Serbia

Published: 
September 14, 2010
Source: Chabad.Org News   
 
After 50 years without organized Jewish educational options, parents in the Serbian capital of Belgrade are ecstatic following this summer’s grand opening of a preschool by the country’s resident Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries.
 
“The Jewish community of Belgrade suffered a terrible loss after the Holocaust,” explains Davor Salom, an early supporter of the institution who puts the preschool in its historical context. “After the war, Jewish kids were educated in a preschool opened by the only remaining synagogue in Belgrade. It was run mostly by Holocaust survivors, but it was shut down due to low attendance.”
 
For more than 50 years, the problem of a preschool remained unresolved, largely due to lacks of funding and enthusiasm. But when Rabbi Yehoshua and Miri Kaminetzky opened their Chabad House in 2008, they concentrated efforts to bring about a change.
 
As the Kaminetzky's got to know the local Jewish community, they began to plan and gather support for the preschool. Proud memories of the old preschool helped them gather community support for the project.
 
Eight children currently make up the preschool’s inaugural class, but there are plans for larger classes in the future.
Updated: Sep. 19, 2010
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