Maria Skibitskaya is a physician, a graduate of the Kuban State Medical University (general medicine specialization). She was born in Krasnodar, in a family of doctors. A patriot of her city. An athlete with a sports rating in synchronized swimming. Works as a physician, providing a qualified medical assistance. Long lines of patients prove this – many people want to get fast and efficient help, which Maria provides.

Maria is actively involved into the social life of her city, giving lectures and writing articles for scientific and popular magazines and participates in cardiological, surgical and therapeutic conferences. Involved into scientific work.

She is also an activist of the Krasnodar Jewish community. Maria is an author of the project The School of Health, where she gives lectures on health and a healthy way of life. She generously shares her knowledge with other people and carries out preventive work. She is full of enthusiasm and creative plans. Her first volunteering action took place in the framework of Metsuda, where she helped elderly people.

Being a graduate of the Metsuda, Maria has created her own volunteering project The School of Health, where she gives various workshops dedicated to a healthy way of life.

Maria considers, that every person must help those, who need help, when she has an opportunity to do that. “Volunteering for me is the joy of others, gratitude, positive emotions. These things lack so often nowadays!”

Curiosity led us to volunteering. My sister and I attended Romanian language classes at the International Training and Professional Development Center at KEDEM and became interested in the stands of the Volunteer Center. They were so bright and interesting that we wanted to learn more about it.

So we became volunteers for the "Call Center" project, which is designed for communicating with elderly members of the community. Our task is to provide information about upcoming events, congratulate them on holidays, conduct surveys, and find out what assistance they need. When the military actions started in Israel, we also called the elderly to provide prompt assistance.

We have also been involved in other volunteer initiatives. Last year, Kristina participated in the "Clean Chișinău" campaign on the Day of Good Deeds, and I helped organize a master class for the elderly in Buděšty. Together, we also assisted in conducting a master class for participants of the "Day Center" project.

We participate in the IMPROmedia project, and among other things, voiced an animated video on the history of Purim. We also joined the "Memory in Documents" project, but it is currently suspended due to the military actions in Israel. We have made several festive visits to community members with gifts and have also participated in workshops on making crafts and gifts for the elderly.

Volunteering for us is an opportunity to lead an active life, communicate, and help those in need of support. We take part in various events organized by the Volunteer Center and KEDEM, and we are very glad that we once followed our curiosity!

Hello, my name is Vyacheslav Tomlin, and I have been a regular participant in the JR project since childhood. I am now 21 years old, and over the course of my participation in the project, I have experienced many unforgettable moments. Since the age of 10, I have actively taken part in various events, workshops, seminars, and summer camps, gaining a wealth of skills and impressions.

I have been a participant in programs, and now I actively assist in conducting activities for children of primary and middle school age. I always take the initiative and gladly respond to everything happening in our center. With the kids, we play active and intellectual games, bake goodies for Hesed, and in the summer, I help in the day camp as a counselor.

The center has become not just a place but a second home for me. It is always cozy and warm here, and I willingly participate in all events and initiatives in our friendly community.

Hi all! My name is Nikita Katernyuk, I am 15 years old and I am in the 10th grade. I like making new friends and trying new things. For a long time my main goal was to improve my communication skills, to become a more sociable person. Then I realized that volunteering is a great opportunity for my socialization. After a long search for a suitable volunteer center, I settled on the Republican Volunteer Center (RVC). I have many good memories associated with this place, because even as a child I attended a children's camp from KEDEM, but then I did not yet know about my Jewish roots. When I first came to the RVC, I was struck by the huge number of projects that are aimed at helping the elderly and children. The opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Jewish people, which is provided by the RVC, is also very important for me. For 2 months of my volunteer activity, I managed to participate in such projects and promotions as delivery within the framework of the Healthy Vitamin Box, Call Center, "The Origins of Mercy" seminar, "Love Story", "IT-DED", "All to the museum” and “Chisinau residents of the 20th century”. I try to join all directions of the RVC, but for the most part I specialize in the project "The Origins of Mercy". Volunteering has become a real passion for me, and I am just starting my journey in this field. I am very glad that I am part of the team of the Republican Volunteer Center! It was here that I developed new abilities and talents, and also learned that I am part of the Jewish people. Jewish culture has become very important to me and I will learn more about it.

Кuleshova Еugenia Iacovlevna. 28 years old. Advertisement Expert. How did she get to the volunteer center? In 2011 I have finished the leading seminar «Metsuda», the goal of which it was to create my own volunteer project. And since then, the volunteer activities have become an integral part of my life. Now, I can’t imagine my Sunday without Volunteer Center, without my project concerning the work with the teenagers. And even my 10 year old son is involved in a large number of promo events together with me. So, the opening of the Volunteer Center meant for me the only one thing -I’ll soon have a huge number of like-minded people who want to change this world for the better.

Why to be a volunteer? Because this is now the only possible (real and available to everyone) the way to change something around yourself. To make the world better, purer and kinder. Don’t sit and complain but to change, create, improve, and develop. Why is it actual today? For many reasons, actually. Of course because I have already said that only with your own power, desire and love you can change something. Since I mostly work with the teenagers, so, I can name several more specific reasons for them. This is a great way to find real friends. Not those who will be together with you only in social networks, but those who will be tested not only by a word but also by his deeds. This year, it was much talked about that we remember the veterans only on 9 May. So, our guys can proudly say that it isn’t so! I know that our teenagers visit the veterans not only on holidays, but also during the weekdays. It’s nice to be a part of something big and good, and the Volunteer Center is best suited for this.

My name is Baronina Elena. In 2019, I graduated from the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, majoring in Academic Singing under the guidance of Professor Mukhamedov Galina Iminovna. After graduation, I started working at the State Theater of Musical Comedy (Operetta) of Uzbekistan as a Soloist-Vocalist. A year later, I also became a teacher at the "Theatrical Dance Studio at the Operetta Theater."

My students never miss classes and enthusiastically participate in all the projects of our studio. We have performed on the stage of the State Theater of Musical Comedy (Operetta) of Uzbekistan, where we were warmly welcomed by the audience. Additionally, we always enjoy performing at concerts organized by the "Jewish Renaissance" project of the "Joint" Branch in Uzbekistan. There, we experience a pleasant, warm, family atmosphere, and the audience is kind and responsive. We love performing and exchanging experiences with the "Shoshanim" Theatrical Dance Studio of the "Jewish Renaissance" project.

Looking forward to new meetings in our joint projects!

Savchenko Evgenia - volunteer and head of household at the State Institution Center of Culture "Vitebsk". She became an active participant in the Your District project, which helped her to understand that she could be helpful for other people. Evgenia participated in various volunteer programs and projects of the Community, and for her it has always been interesting, informative and exciting. As for her values, she believes that Kindness can't be big or small and together, as a team, we can do anything.

Having the MD degree in Medicine, she is a radiologist, Fruma Zalimanovna was born in 1929. Despite her not young age, she is full of energy and enthusiasm, which are so necessary in volunteering. Our heroine started her social work in 1946. Fruma Zalimanovna is the Assistant of the Chairman of the Medical Council of the University and a part-time mentor for the student volunteer movement «Milky Way». To the Volunteer Center of the synagogue she was invited in July 2013 as a consultant for the Organization of the Jewish Museum, then she became a principal consultant. Fruma Zalimanovna says that she is engaged in volunteering solely by ”The Call of the Soul”. She is totally sure that it is especially important today, because our society has lost its moral values. Fruma Zalimanovna also manages to write the books in history and in medicine.

Hello everyone! My name is Liza, and I am the coordinator of the animal assistance project (assistance to the Krasnodog animal shelter). All the inhabitants of our planet, including myself, see homeless animals every day, and I want to do at least something to help them. I found out 2 years ago that in our city there is a shelter for animals “Krasnodog”. Our volunteers and me went to help the shelter, and I was very impressed. I saw many injured animals, and they suffered from people’s behavior. When I had seen this, I wanted to show people what happens to those whom we do not care about. That’s how the project, which I coordinate, has appeared in our volunteer center.

Somehow it so happened that a person is the main treasure of the world; it was important to express one's attitude towards people through action, to be useful. What is even more important - to work with your people, with those who share these values and keep those energy, experience, knowledge and deeds circulate. Purposefully looking for a charitable organization. I don’t remember at all why I didn’t immediately come to the Gomel Jewish Volunteer Center, but it met my expectations and I stayed. Our coordinator has assembled a great team of smart, unique, and very kind people. We learned from each other. Training, children, people, hiking, trips, assaults, a lot of food for the mind and soul - it has the power to teach a lesson. I realized that helping is always two-way, always an exchange: you help someone obviously, but it is he who gives you the opportunity to prove yourself, to do something necessary and good - this is also help on his part. I realized that the resource is much wider than "you give me, I give you", that there are a great many options. I understood what it is like to be on the other side of consumerism - to create, think broadly and have the strength to change something. Then there were cases, conflicts and their solutions, interesting discoveries, gratitude, and volunteering became a way of life. At a certain moment you just understand that "I'm ready", and it's impossible to go back.

My name is Boris Zaitsev, I work as a radiologist in a hospital, but I always find time for good deeds. I ended up in the volunteer center thanks to a friend, together with her we came to a Jewish event, where I learned about the possibility of volunteering. I have long wanted to do good deeds, but it is difficult to do it by myself, because you don’t know to whom to provide help, how to do it correctly and how often. And here they will always call, invite and help direct their forces in the right direction.