World ORT helps Ukrainian teens enjoy summer school abroad
The program deepens ORT students’ experience in photography, video and audio production taught by professionals.
World ORT, a global education network driven by Jewish values and innovation, has helped three Ukrainian teens participate in a summer school in Bulgaria by facilitating their departure from the war-torn country.
The three students, Natan, 15, from Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, Ihor, 15, from an ORT school in Kyiv and Polina, 16, from the ORT school in Zaporizhzhia, traveled thousands of kilometres across the border to Poland, and then flew to Sofia in Bulgaria to attend the two-week program.
The program deepens ORT students’ experience in photography, video and audio production taught by professionals. Ihor chose to focus on photography skills, Natan studied video editing, and Polina took an audio production course.
Anna Chumakova, an ORT Ukraine staff member based in Kyiv, joined the the three teenagers, saying they were “so excited to take part.”
“Combining the opportunity to have a distraction from life at home and the constant air raids with the chance to learn so much and have this priceless experience, was really an amazing thing,” Chumakova added.
Polina said the summer school was an opportunity for her to distract herself from “the reality of life in Ukraine – and to gain a lot of new knowledge to help build my future career. We worked so enthusiastically on our projects and attained a really high level.”
“The camp had an atmosphere of peace, mutual support and friendship. It was a place where dreams could come true. I had always dreamed of recording a song in a professional studio – I was so pleased we recorded a Ukrainian song, it was very important for me. I have a lot of precious memories from this summer school,” she added.
Ihor expressed his gratitude to his new friends and teachers, saying: “The memories will stay in my heart.”
Throughout the 18-month-long war in Ukraine, World ORT staff and supporters across ORT’s global education network have worked to support the thousands of ORT Ukraine students, teachers, staff and their families affected by the violence.
“Natan, Ihor and Polina have had a life-changing opportunity – gaining valuable digital skills that will give them a head-start as they look to build their careers in digital industries,” Dan Green, World ORT Director General and CEO, said.
“This is at the heart of what ORT has done for more than 140 years. Adapting to ensure we continue this provision during a time of conflict is something that brings me and our professional team enormous pride,” he added.
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.
