Tatyana came to Hesed in 2010. I participate in volunteering with my son Kirill in his project called “Zikaron”. I take an active part in cleaning up the Jewish cemetery and putting in order abandoned graves. I am always happy to help teenagers and youth clubs. I help them to bring their children to volunteer actions and back as a social taxi. In addition, I assist in organization of holidays. Our family always brings food products which are given to older people.

I am a volunteer, I like to write prose, act on stage or put on small plays.

My volunteer career started with a Shabbat at home of an elderly single woman, who has hearing problems. I also worked with children with disabilities.

I do volunteering because I like to make people happier, make them smile, give them attention and let them understand their importance. I also like to feel that people need me while helping them.

At the moment I am working on creating a project for BBYO and I have already two ready-made projects.

17 years old

Student

I am fond of photography.

I take part in many volunteer activities, but I never miss cleaning the cemetery. I think that we need to help people after they followed to the afterlife.

24 years old

Reception document service assistant.

Hobbies: I write poems, prose and I enjoy being photographed.

My volunteer career began when I was at school in 11th grade. My friend and I signed up for an action against extremism and drug trafficking. We walked around ​​the district and made photos of “advertisements” of drugs, smoking mixtures, and various inscriptions such as swastikas, which offend different nationalities. We sent all the information to a police officer.

Later, I was a volunteer in the search and rescue team «Liza Alert» and searched for missing people. I placed announcements about the search, notified the public about the results, and I was also the organizer of the «Memorial Day of the Perished Children» supported by «Lisa Alert».

I wanted to be a volunteer from a Jewish organization, and I learned about the existence of Hesed Ester and the fact that everyone could participate in cleaning the Jewish cemetery. This is very important for me as a Jew, as a member of the community, and it gives me great pleasure to do this activity. There is such a nice and useful action as cleaning the cemetery — thank you so much for it!

I am 42 years old and I am working as an engineer.

My hobbies are knitting, embroidering, making toys, sewing, creating various handmade crafts with children. I hold classes on knitting and embroidery with the middle aged and older people with pleasure (if it is necessary). My volunteer career started with creative activities for children and mothers.

My name is Svetlana Balashova. I am 37 years old.

I live in Samara. My hobbies are listening to music, reading books, visiting exhibitions, theaters. I have pets. I started to volunteer this year. How did I become a volunteer? It all started with cleaning up at the Jewish cemetery in June 2018. Why did I decide to go into volunteering? The decision came to me spontaneously, my soul wanted to do this. I take part in cleaning the Jewish cemetery, because I want to do it and it is very important for me.

Just six months ago, Julia became a mother, but this did not prevent her from being an active volunteer for the Jewish community.  Last year she took part in more than 30 volunteer activities, some of which she had organized herself.  This year, Julia graduated from the “Lehava” program «and her final project was a course of psychological support for the volunteers Hesed Abraham.  The lady is sure that the volunteering is not simply a hand of the help from the strong on the weak, but the ability to live a “full” life.

Anna is a coordinator of Lehava program, organizer of volunteering projects in Jewish community of St. Petersburg.  Anna is involved in volunteering more than 10 years and thinks that year by year an amount of initiatives offered by young people is increasing.

Anna believes that if we take this world as our home each of us wants to make it more beautiful, more comfortable and more kind.

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.

Тkachenko Еlizaveta, 33 years old, manicure master. How did she get to the volunteer center? — Mother of two children, at difficult life circumstances, has asked for the help in the children’s program. Later, she decided to assist us in the organization of the holidays for children. Now, she also provides help and support to our moms in difficult life situations. Why to be a volunteer? Quotation: «I am helped, that is why I help too, and I can not live without it now».

Why is it actual today? Quotation: «if I have the possibility to help to somebody, I consider, that I must do it, the word «volunteer» I heard not long ago, but I am busy with it all my life».

Vadim Igorevich Isaev, 41 years old, doctor. Hobby — fishing.

Vadim Igorevich joined the community in June 2016. His first action was shoveling the snow and ice near the community. He also actively participated at the community events, congratulating the elderly members of the community. Vadim Igorevich took part in charitable volunteer actions at the infant home. At the moment, he is organizing and participating in the «Jewish Ural» project.

Vadim takes part in the volunteer movement, following his heart.

His motto: “Do good on Earth, do good for the benefit of others!”

Elizabeth Koshkina, 45 years old. Economist. She likes to travel in Russia.

Elizabeth was actively involved in the life of the Jewish community of the city after returning from Israel in 2011. She teaches Hebrew and introduces children to the traditions of Jews abroad. Here Elizabeth got acquainted with the Kesher project, through which the scrolls of the Torah were given to the Jewish community of Nizhny Tagil.

Participation in the volunteer movement allows Elizabeth to maintain a connection with Jewry in an assimilated society.

The last project, in which Elizabeth takes part, is called the Jewish Ural.

Sofia is a graduate of the Young Leadership Program Metsuda. Most of her life she has been an active member of the Jewish community of our city. Since she was 12 she participated in the summer camps of Sokhnut, its field schools, seminars and festivals. She taught her first own class at the age of 14.

“Now it’s my second wave of coming back to this new family. This time is more conscious, because I don’t only know that I can give something to the community, but that I want and I must do it. It’s not pathos at all, it’s really wonderful to have such a family. Just think about it, there is a Jewish community practically in every big city in the world. Which means, that if you are Jewish, you will never be alone and abandoned in a new city. I have a really big Jewish family, only in Krasnodar it consists of more than 30 people. When I am travelling, an ultimate point of my program is a synagogue or a Jewish community. Last time I had a very warm reception in the Ashkenazi synagogue in Baku.

Now I am actively exploring my family history and writing queries to Ukraine, because I want to have not only oral family stories, but real documents as well.

Take care of your community, work in it, nurture it to have something to transfer to the next generations».

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!”

Let me introduce myself! My name is Diana Dvortsova. I am a graduate student of Adyghe State University. I live in Krasnodar for the second year. I am an Oriental historian, specializing in the history of modern Turkey, in particular, studying the works of Orhan Pamuk, Turkish intellectual, writer, Nobel Prize winner in literature (2006). I am also interested in sociology and art history. I am the grant holder of the international project “Institution Centered Conflict Studies” (ICCS). I am exploring the factors of social integration of repatriates, who live in the republics of Adygea and Abkhazia.

Thanks to the work in the project I thought for the first time about the number of people around me, who need help. I joined the team of the “Southern Volunteer Center” in 2017, and am glad to be part of a large friendly family, because it is a great happiness to make a little better your life and the lives of other people.

David is Candidate of Technical Sciences, senior coach of the national Krasnodar draughts team, Honorable Worker of Science and Education, a specialist in the field of food industry and ecology. He was born in Krasnodar in a Jewish family. Due to communicating with his older brother and sisters, he expanded his horizons in many areas. He gained organizational skills from his father, helping in the development of the city draughts federation.

David has been actively helping the community since 1997. He has been helping to maintain order and cleanliness of the Jewish city cemetery for many years. He got used to sharing experiences, educating students, giving lectures to them. He shared his experience and knowledge in the community, doing community work, participating in community activities and life; he participates in the Health School project. David takes part in amateur art activities, seminars and volunteer work, helps leaders in organizing activities from the first day of the creation of public organizations.

So let’s get acquainted! My name is Alexander Kamyshev. I was born in Krasnodar in 1972. I am a scorpio. I have a degree in radio engineering, another in optoelectronic physics. I have also more additional professions. I have many diverse interests — from electronics and botany, to theology and esotericism. I like being helpful. I like to share my knowledge, skills and experience.

Nowadays society is looking for something new and interesting. All people are bored. Therefore, my knowledge and new information interest people. And I am interested in them. When I first felt it, I realized the importance of sharing information with others, because it gives energy and power to develop yourself more and more. We will not be alone, because we are sharing and people will be interested with us. Over time, we will be recognized as specialists in one or several areas. And people will ask you questions! I think, to give, to give, to give — this is the motto of the real Master! And this is the most wonderful feeling in the world!

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.

Rina grew up in love and attention. She finished secondary and higher education in the field of visual arts, dreamed of becoming the second Marc Chagall and being world famous, rich and with her head held high. But fate decided otherwise. In January 2015, because of an accident, Rina Chuguevets became disabled in a wheelchair. Now she sees things more clearly. It turns out that someone feels uncomfortable, something is not adapted to people with disabilities, and someone needs someone. I started to think every day that «I CAN HELP YOU». When Rina had recovered, she changed the prestigious work of the art historian in favor of a simple teacher at the correctional school. You give much more than you get. And this is not only about money. Then she began to help in various charitable funds, took the dog from the «Krasnodog» orphanage. She has provided assistance to this place until the present day.

Now there is absolutely no question how and whom to help. There are lots of requests, which find her open heart. Rina became experienced volunteer in the community after she had graduated from the “Metsuda” program. Today, Rina manages several volunteer projects, including the Shemesh project, aimed at socializing and helping children with special needs and their parents. The project volunteers organize and hold holidays, concerts. In addition, there was recently held the premiere of the play of the Shemesh puppet theater.

Eremina Margarita, I am 26 years old. I study in college of art and culture on theatrical creativity, and I also participate in the youth Jewish theater. I have got to the volunteer center because I attended the youth Jewish club, and I have learned about such remarkable programs. Why am I engaged in the volunteering? Why is it actual today? To bear to people good things is the same as the most valuable gift; people became more mercantile nowadays, and now even the smile on their faces is a rarity, to see a smile on their face is a great happiness for me and pride there are the same adherents with me as I am. The time which is spent for the volunteer actions, I consider the most wonderful and the most remarkable because at this time we give the happiness to people.

Lokshina Tatyana Evgenyevna, 38 years old, a translator Having arrived from Israel in September, 2014, I have got my friendly family in Hesed «Tikva» where I am always helped and on any question answered «to rise on my legs» in the city in which a lot of things weren’t familiar for me. Precisely, I decided to offer my help in those small affairs, feasible to me, and which are the usual work of the volunteer center. Today, I lead the direction – «Family volunteering». The sense of this direction of the volunteer activity is in the following: the lonely client of a Hesed is consolidated to a family, and we several times a month visit him and whenever possible we help the family. The work of the center is always actual. It is very important to have any support and in difficult life situations to get this support.

Savonichev Alexander, 29 years old. I am a builder. I have got to volunteer center quite recently, just 3-4 months ago (I was brought by one good friend of mine) and I have already managed to participate in a huge number of different actions: departures outside of the town, the work of madrikh with the children, both cleaning of cemeteries, and a campaign of the visits to the veterans, and the participation in big city campaigns. But the Moked Lokashish project, with which we help elderly people to do small repair works, is the closest to me. As for me, it is actual to be the volunteer today because every time, I feel as I bring benefit to the society and indirectly I do many people a little happier.

My name is Denis. I am 19 years old. I am the coordinator of the Birthday project.

Everyone who is a volunteer, probably, asks himself what is volunteering for him/her? Volunteering for me is one of the opportunities to help people selflessly. Such situations show our humanity and sense of community. I understand that helping others, I also help myself.

Volunteering is a two-way process of sharing good deeds.

My name is Alina. I am 21 years old. I am studying to be an economist. I’ve got acquainted with the Jewish community, starting with the Taglite. After this unforgettable trip, I started going to the youth club and there I learned about the volunteer center. I’ve been a volunteer in several directions for several years.

I feel the greatest pleasure from my volunteer activities with children. It is an amazing feeling when the little eyes of children start to shine, when you appear.