I was born in town Penza, after school graduation I moved to St. Petersburg and entered there St. Petersburg State University of culture and arts to the speciality of cultural studies with the specialization in Geography. I studied the history and culture of different countries and peoples. During my studies I was working in different cafes and in guest service. After the graduation, without any hesitation, I finished the courses of Guide around the Europe, which gave me the opportunity to find a job in tourism, where I would be able to travel and always to learn something new. But in 2012, because of the personal problems I needed a change of the situation and, as the topic of my licence thesis was the culture of Latin America countries, I decided to go to Mexico as a volunteer. I took part in several social projects, and the experience that I’ve gained there, helped me to look at many things in a new way. Our most valuable resource is time and it’s very important for me to spend it with the maximum benefit, and to volunteer, making something good, useful, desired completely donated and then you, actually, get much more pleasure. Thanks to this trip, after my return, I decided not to be restricted only by the foreign volunteering and I am happy to participate in any local projects. I believe that the so-called «work for free» makes us very rich, it teaches us to be tolerant, kind, positive, energetic, and self-confident. In my opinion, this is an invaluable experience and an opportunity to be developed spiritually, morally, creatively, etc.

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.

Being the worker of the museum, Makerova Olga got known about the possibility to take part in the creation of the first Jewish museum in Voronezh “History of Jewish Community”. Olga was very glad to collaborate with the community, because she considers that the museum is a historical memory in the exhibits for many years. Today, Olga carries out an active work in the collection of the documents, photographs and the objects of the Jewish population life inside of the city and outside of it. When the items are found, she designs the Museum window-cases and creates the exhibition. The activity of the museum worker demands the meetings with the people, trips after the exhibits, their delivery to the place, the study of the historical literature, investigation of the other documents, etc. All this work is included in Olga’s research, collecting and documenting procedures. Our heroine assured that she makes everything with the great enthusiasm and that is why she considers her activity as a volunteering one. Especially, it is very pleasant for her to know that the young people actively participate in the process of collecting the information for the museum and the book “The History of the Jews in Voronezh Region ”

The familiarity with Judaism and Jewish life, I began with my aunts, who studied at a Jewish Orthodox school, approximately at 12 years. They led me into the synagogue and helped to settle. Then I began to attend the synagogue more often. It was the time when I kept Shabbat, Koshrut, and Tfilin. I am interested in the volunteering. Because the youth must know about its roots, understand who they are and be proud of them. But when you are young, it is difficult to understand this, and especially by yourself. So, I try, as much as possible, to help the young people to learn their history, to help to understand that the Jews are one big family.

Olga has graduated Voronezh State University, the faculty of Journalism. She began to work according to her profession in the multiproduction and urban newspapers in the city of Togliatti. And there, at the beginning of 90s, she started to collaborate with one of the first Jewish newspapers in Russia- Samarian “Tarbut Laam”. She published her articles in Israilian Russian speaking press, and her articles were about the problems of second alia. Today, Olga is an observer of RIA «Voronezh» and she highlights the problem of inter-ethnic and inter-faith accord in the region. All this time Olga has collaborated, and during the recent years, she is the editor of the newspaper of the Jewish community «Beseder». Her job she finds very interesting because each new issue of the newspaper — is the communication with outstanding people of the community, knowledge acquisition and its transfer to the members of the community through this newspaper. But the most important thing for Olga is that the young people and even children are involved in the newspaper issuing. She is very glad that can benefit to the community, realizing this informational project.