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Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation "Hesed Besht" cooperates with international organizations, implementing various projects for clients and community members. One of the most reliable partners in the field of Jewish education is the L. A. Pincus Foundation (The LA Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora). For about five years, various training programs have been jointly implemented that contribute to the development of our diaspora throughout the territory of Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil regions. The last bright moment was the seminar "Gmilut Hasadim ("good deeds", - Hebrew). My personal Tzdaka", which was held on April 8, 2016 at the Community Center "Thiya" for representatives of the Jewish communities of Shepetivsky, Starokostyantynivskyi and Horodotskyi districts.
The seminar was designed for one day of fruitful communication and work. The guests of the Community Center were immediately divided into two categories by age: those who joined the older group and those who chose the path to the Child Development Center, where a special program awaited them. The adults were congratulated on the beginning of the seminar and wished fruitful work by the Information Manager of the Hesed Besht Children's Charity Foundation, Vyacheslav Nagnybida, who also brought to the attention of those present the topic of the seminar, the organization's news, and demonstrated the media capabilities of the hesedbesht.org.ua website. For people from geographically dispersed communities, such an excursion was interesting and useful.
Next, the project manager from the Pincus Foundation in Khmelnytskyi, a professional and virtuoso in the field of informal education, Halyna Atamanchuk, took up the matter. In the best traditions of informal communication, the guests were asked to sit in a circle. This is a necessary technique: in a circle, people see each other without obstacles, feel equal. Specialists note that the circle itself has much greater power compared to other ways of uniting people. The guests of the seminar got acquainted and received handouts. It was supposed to help them understand the topic of goodness and charity more deeply, and clearly see the ways of implementing Tzdakah. The video series, selected specifically for the event, touched on the topics of good deeds, selfless help, and individual stories of multiplying good in the world. The participants were offered various texts and various questions, which, in general, must be answered with the heart, not with words. The circle aroused great interest in the prayer "Mode Ani" and the story associated with it and its scientific substantiation. The first part of the seminar was concluded by a respected community member, Georgy Borenboim from the city of Horodok, who, as an elder, shared with all those present his thoughts on the topic of Tzdakah and Mitzvah in the life of the Jewish people.
During the coffee break, guests had the opportunity to visit all the museum rooms of the “Thia” Community Center. Some were here for the first time, some not, but even in their memory, the Holocaust Museum had many new exhibits. After the break, adults and children gathered for a master class on making a personal box for Tzdaka. Various techniques and materials of decorative and applied arts were at the guests’ disposal, and most importantly, the skill of our artists Yana Vinyarska and Olena Torbina. The master class was also served by a team of volunteers from the local branch of the All-Ukrainian Volunteer Network “Community”, who made sure that there were enough materials and that there were no complications. After all, making a personal Tzdaka is not an easy task and it should be approached carefully.
The seminar participants had lunch in the cozy atmosphere of a nice restaurant. After that, they returned to the Thiya Community Center to watch and discuss the life-affirming film “Until I Played the Box.” The plot of the film left no one indifferent, as it raised the ever-current themes of life on the verge of death, goodness, and its transformation.
Thus, the day passed rather quickly, but extremely fruitfully. The guests returned home and all managed to celebrate Shabbat in their own homes, taking with them homemade boxes for Tzdakah, positive emotions from communication and a baggage of new knowledge. This is precisely why seminars are held under the patronage of the Pincus Foundation and the “Thia” Community Center and all its employees work.
