BGI Hornstein Fellows Explore Russian-Jewish History in Moscow
Hornstein Fellow Vlad Khaykin with students at the Lipman Jewish Day School.
A group of BGI Fellows in the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, including Dmitry Levin, Vlad Khaykin, and Svetlana Muterperel, traveled to Moscow, Russia this January 12 - 16 to learn about the present-day Russian Jewish community within the context of its historical roots. One of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was a visit to the Lipman Jewish Day School, which inspired hope about the future of Jewish life in the Former Soviet Union. The trip was an extension of a Hornstein-wide trip to Israel as part of the Foster Seminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Life. Read More
Yuri Foreman: A World Champion and Aspiring Rabbi Speaks to BGI and Brandeis Students
Yuri Foreman with BGI Fellows Esther Tadetnik '13 and Nera Lerner '12.
World champion boxer and rabbinical student Yuri Foreman spoke to the Brandeis community on February 8 in a program sponsored by the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry. Born in Belarus, Foreman moved to Haifa as a child, where he learned to box after being bullied. Foreman moved to Brooklyn in 2003 to pursue his boxing dreams and met a rabbi who inspired him to reconnect with his Jewish heritage. "You can pursue your dreams and at the same time be spiritually connected," Foreman said. He is now studying to become a rabbi himself. Foreman won the WBA super-welterweight world title in November 2009. Read More
BIMA/Genesis Alumni Continue Jewish Education
BGI-sponsored Russian speaking alumni of the Office of High School Program's BIMA and Genesis summer program at Brandeis have been continuing their Jewish education through monthly webinars. In the January session, 15 BIMA and Genesis alumni from the Former Soviet Union, Israel, and North America joined faculty member Jason Happel for an exploration of cultural, ethnic, and religious identity through the lens of musical experience. Jason used the the story of how renowned pianist Glenn Gould reignited Soviet interest in Bach to spark conversation about how Russian-speaking program alumni understand their cultural and religious identity. Read More
The mission of the Brandeis-Genesis Institute (BGI) is to prepare
Russian-speaking students from around the world to become effective
community leaders fortified by Jewish knowledge, a systematic
understanding of Russian Jewry, and a commitment to the future of the
Jewish people.
BGI-sponsored Russian speaking alumni of the Office of High School Program's BIMA and Genesis summer program at Brandeis have been continuing their Jewish education through monthly webinars. In the January session, 15 BIMA and Genesis alumni from the 