Expanding Jewish Learning and Leadership among Indian Jews
Source: JDC Ambassador's Circle
Over four days this past October, a Jewish Educators Seminar and Workshop was held at the JDC-supported Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center (EPJCC) in Mumbai. The workshop was organized by the Buncher Community Leadership Program http://www.jdc.org/templates/default.aspx?id=1998 and drew educators, volunteers, and individuals representing JDC, including two Jewish Service Corps volunteers currently working in India; ORT India; and the local community—a dynamic group diverse in experience and background, ranging in age from 17 to 70.
There is no Jewish day school in Mumbai, where most of India's 5000 Jews are concentrated; Jewish education is almost entirely informal and there is a paucity of local teachers to do the work. The workshop was aimed at providing volunteers with tools to help enrich their efforts in providing Jewish education for the Jews of India.
The workshop was led by Mr. Steve Israel, a noted Jewish educator, whose efforts helped further JDC's goal in India - to ensure a self-sustaining continuum of Jewish knowledge and identity through informal Jewish education programs.