From Ljubljana to Buenos Aires: JCC Global’s Worldwide Footprint

This month, JCC Global has been privileged to accompany communities across continents – from Ukraine to Ljubljana – through learning, connection, and shared Jewish purpose.

DA’AT Seminar in Ljubljana: A Milestone for Jewish Educators in the Former Yugoslavia  Region

As part of the DA’AT program, 20 Jewish educators and community leaders from across the Former Yugoslavia gathered in Ljubljana for a three-day seminar of learning, connection, and inspiration.

For the past four years, JCC Global and Haver Srbija have joined forces to build a network of Jewish leadership in the region of former Yugoslavia. Thanks to a new two-year grant from the Pincus Fund for Jewish Education, this year marks a turning point — with a special focus on Jewish educational leadership.

These are small communities with rich histories shaped by Holocaust, communism and the Yugoslav wars and more recently COVID and the war in Israel. The seminar offered space to reconnect with peers, reflect on the local challenges, and imagine new ways forward.

As Dragana from Belgrade shared: “It was powerful to see how much we can achieve when we are pushed—and supported—to decide and act in the moment."

Special thanks to the Pincus Fund for Jewish Education, whose generous support made this transformative experience possible.

Strengthening Partnerships – From Good to Great

The “JCC Global - From Good to Great” program is in full motion!

Since the program's launch, we’ve held 57 group meetings (including work sessions, mentoring, and project development) engaging 526 participants. Six special events — including four Hub gatherings, a Free the Mind training, and a global Passover Zoom — brought together another 189 participants. Overall, over 715 people have joined us virtually so far.

Across Ukraine, Israel, North America, Latin America, and Europe, partnerships are taking shape — built on honest dialogue, shared goals, and the motivation to support one another across borders.

• JCC Global- RaZOOM Tutoring Center (Rozum means mind/intellect in both Polish and Ukrainian). Launched on May 1st. Young adults from JCH of Bensonhurst (NY, USA) and JCC Krakow (Poland), tutor children in JCC Solomonika (Dnipro, Ukraine), whose learning was disrupted by COVID-19 and war.

• JCC Global -Teens Connect - Launched on April 27. Teens from Beit Grand JCC (Odesa, Ukraine), Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC (NJ, USA), and Migvanim Ramat HaSharon (Israel) are getting to know each other through online discussions and will meet each other in person during a visit and summer camp experience in New Jersey during July.

• Kryvyi Rih teens visiting Budapest Spring Camp - Thanks to the initiative of Marcell Kenesei, CEO of JCC Budapest, the community hosted a youth delegation of 13 teens from Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, during JCamp Spring Camp in early May.

Directors’ Hub for JCCs in Ukraine: Building Capacity, Building Community

Our ongoing Directors’ Hub for JCCs in Ukraine remains a vital space for shared learning, leadership development, and mutual support.

In recent sessions with Cathy Trifonov, we explored: Strategic planning for 2025; Telling the stories behind the numbers; and SOARing forward with clarity and purpose.

We also launched a new series with Osnat Hazan, focusing on JCC governance models — examining board roles, structures, and the first steps in building active and engaged lay leadership.

In the Media: JCC Global Featured in Haaretz

We’re proud to be featured in Haaretz’s special “Cutting Edge” supplement, now available online.

The article, “Pioneering Social Innovation in Times of Crisis,” explores how Jewish Communiy Centers adapt and lead during challenging times – with a focus on JCC Global’s approach to resilience and collaboration.

Read the article here.

Looking Toward Shavuot: Values, Vision, and Community

Shavuot teaches us that receiving the Torah is not a moment frozen in time—but an ongoing, intergenerational conversation. JCCs around the world bring this idea to life—by renewing Jewish learning, connecting generations, and making tradition feel alive and relevant.

On June 3rd, Macabi Buenos Aires (Argentina), East Bay JCC (USA), and Mazal Tov JCC (Zaporozhzhia, Ukraine), will mark the holiday together – another example of Jewish Peoplehood in action.  

Hag Sameach from all of us at JCC Global!

Thank You for Being Part of Our Global Family

Whether through seminars, partnerships, or everyday moments of connection — our work is only possible thanks to our committed partners, educators, and communities like yours.

Stay tuned for more updates, stories, and opportunities to get involved.