More than 40 IDF officers spend educational week in Ukraine
Mahut programme which was launched in 2010 brings top officers from Russian-speaking communities, with the intention of linking them to their heritage and culture.
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
More than 40 Israeli serving officers have been taking part in a unique week-long programme in Ukraine, as part of the Mahut Project.
Mahut, now in its ninth year, was launched in 2010 in partnership between Genesis Philanthropy Group, the IDF Education and Youth Corps and the American Friends of the IDF.
It’s aimed at bringing senior IDF officers from all branches of service to Russian-speaking communities, with the intention of linking them to their heritage and culture.
Previous delegations have visited Lithuania and Latvia and have learned about Jewish history in the Baltic region. This year, the group visited Ukraine, specifically to places which have become important in Jewish history. Commemoration ceremonies for victims of the Holocaust took place at extermination sites, but there were also opportunities to meet members of present-day Ukrainian Jewish communities.
Mahut is often described as a life-changing experience for the participants. The aim is to strengthen the Israeli and Jewish identity of IDF officers and NCOs and to develop and enhance the bonds between IDF commanders and the Jewish people.
Specifically, the project aims to expose the IDF’s future leadership to the history and cultural heritage of Russian-speaking Jewry — and the contemporary life of Russian-speaking Jewish communities in the diaspora.
When the officers return from the FSU they either join, or create, various projects to encourage new immigrants and their children, as well as populations with special needs, to embrace meaningful service in the IDF.
Lt-Col Mika Goldstein, who is responsible for the delegation on behalf of the IDF, said: “Mahut is a mission that the Education and Youth Corps sends out as part of the educational and values training programme, which focuses on Israeli-Jewish identity and cultural competence. This is a journey of learning — intellectual, academic and emotional. The officers who took part in Mahut missions over the years testify that the programme provided them with the opportunity to learn, examine and shape their identity as commanders in the IDF”.
Natalie Shnaiderman, director of global grantmaking for the Genesis Philanthropy Group, said: “We believe that direct contact with Jewish history and Jewish communities in the diaspora is an important tool in building the Jewish identity of the younger generation of Russian-speaking Jews in Israel, and we are proud of our partnership with the IDF in this unique project”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
