Project Roots enables Russian-speaking Jewish families conduct genealogical research and explore their family roots by accessing archives and materials in the US, Eastern Europe and former FSU with the assistance of a professional researcher.
The program empowers RSJ change makers to create their own community-building initiatives, with the support of a network of peers, educational workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and mini-grants for project implementation.
A customized, year-long family program for Russian-speaking Jewish parents and their children leading up to Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Convening of professionals building a strong, Jewishly connected RSJ Community across North America. Following two highly successful convenings, the COJECO RSJ Symposium 2019: The Power of Connection will gather participants to share learning and build networks. We will tap into our collective intelligence to address questions shaping the future of the RSJ community as part of the larger Jewish community.
Interested in a unique Jewish learning program co-created by Russian-speaking Jewish families and leading Jewish educators? RJKrug, Innovative Jewish Learning Program For Children and Parents opens its registration for 2019-2020 program year.
Bringing Russian-speaking Jewish young adults on 8-day educational trips to Germany to explore the past and present of Jewish life in Germany, and to experience modern Germany first hand.
We have launched a successful program for adults, children, teens, and families in Northern New Jersey, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey.
As the war in Ukraine rages on, our community is welcoming more refugees from Ukraine every day. COJECO has been working tirelessly to help people impacted by the War in Ukraine to resettle in New York and New Jersey. Read more about our efforts and Join!
Join COJECO in celebrating 20 yrs of strengthening the RSJ Community Honoring Val Mandel, Esq, COJECO Founding Board Member, Recognizing RSJ community leaders of Ukraine Emergency Response initiatives and Fashion collection presentation by designer and editorial stylist, COJECO BluePrint Fellow Leonid Gurevich
Yevgenia Nayberg is writing and illustrating a Russian language children’s book about the contemporary immigration experience through the eyes of a child. The book, titled “The Secret Society,” approaches the subject of being different metaphorically, through the story of a left-handed little girl and her “secret leftie society.” The story resonates not only with children, but […]
The mission of “100 Views of New Jerusalem” is to create a wider awareness of modern Jerusalem’s image. Michael’s drawings of Jerusalem’s aesthetic, lifestyle, and culture were all done on site, creating hundreds of initial sketches of the modern cityscape while exploring the terrain on foot. Meditating on the nature and spirit of this Biblical location, Michael refined and developed these initial sketches into a pictorial narrative that constitutes a published book and accompanying exhibition.
The photography installation 60 Reflections celebrated the 60th year of Israel’s independence through photographs of people’s “reflections” of Israel. L2COLab curated and participated in the exhibition in collaboration with a group of Jewish-Russian New Yorkers. In 60 Reflections , twenty-seven individuals contributed sixty images that together present a photographic panorama of how each sees and […]
About Face is a surreal drama about a Soviet Jewish immigrant family in America. After years of living in fear, the Berezovsky family fled the Soviet Union to start a new life in America. Nine years later, 16-year-old Lina struggles to stake her claim on an elusive American identity, while her grandmother remains tormented by […]
Across the Narrow Bridge is a documentary film about a group of first generation Americans of Soviet Jewish background who travel to Ukraine to explore the Jewish history of the region. Throughout this journey the trip participants share their feelings and their family stories on the issues of assimilation, living in fear of discrimination and […]
The Ancestor Blueprint photography project examines the relationship between ancestry, family history and identity. The project consists of a portrait series that juxtaposes contemporary images of modern-day Jewish subjects with Old World pictures of their grandparents, illuminating striking familial resemblances across generations and vivid contrasts shaped by historical, social and cultural discontinuities. The project is […]
Anya says, “Although I have worked in mediums ranging from oil to video, and had made a living as a graphic designer for the past ten years in New York, my work has focused on photography and painting, and finding a unique visual link between the two mediums. I have also explored lots of antique archival photographs, using their digital replicas in my collage and mixed media work.”
Arlekino Theater Troupe cultivates interest for cultural arts in Russian-speaking Jewish children, while instilling an appreciation for their Jewish heritage. This project has been flourishing as part of the Generation R programming at the JCC Manhattan since 2011, nurturing children’s self-expression, inquiry, and exploration, and promotes Russian language development. The program includes dramatic play, music, dance, […]
For his COJECO BluePrint Fellowship community project, Pavel Sklyar created a short documentary film “Banany Chronicles” exploring experiences of immigrants who arrived to America between the ages of 5 and 16. The film explored adaptation experiences of these young people who found themselves in new schools, learning new customs, and a new language. The film […]
Our bodies are live blenders of heritage, history, family, rituals and beliefs. Blender Bodies is a multimedia art installation that offers a different view that reflects the multicultural nature of Jewish communities around the world and exposes the common ground we all share collectively as human beings. The project is driven by an exploration of […]
Проект “Бабушкины сказки” באָבע-מעשׂיות “Бабушкины сказки” – это аудио-диск еврейских сказок и преданий для детей на русском языке. Это те сказки, которые нам и вам рассказывали бы наши бабушки, если бы они, во-первых, слышали их от своих родителей, а во-вторых, имели бы возможность, не боясь, рассказывать их своим внукам. В некоторых семьях так и случалось, […]
‘Bukharian Jews of New York’ is a photographic exploration of Bukharian Jewish youth in their formative years, when their identities and worldviews take shape. More than two decades after a major wave of immigration from Central Asia, there is now a generation of young Bukharian Jews born in America. Photographer George Itzhak creates evocative portraits […]
A musical, performed by talented children from the Russian Jewish community, with songs composed by BluePrint Fellow Dina Pruzhansky based on poems by masters like Samuil Marshak, Renata Mucha and others. Two performances of the Musical (one in Russian and one in English) took place on March 17, 2014 at JCC Manhattan. Both of the shows […]
ChaiLighter is a program that enables Jewish young adult/professionals traveling to Israel with an opportunity to create a customized extension.
The Chatting room is an interactive installation that explores the metamorphosis of meaning of cultural texts through online communication between people and algorithms. Rapidly developing information technologies transform the shape and the content of cultural exchange. Artist Vita Eruhimovitz examines this transformation using artificial intelligence chatting algorithms embodied in interactive robotic sculptures. This work explores […]
As a Russian speaking, Jewish, queer couple who wants our future children to be fluent in Russian and know about their cultural roots, we notice that there’s a deficit of Russian-language books with characters who look and live like we do. We see English language children’s literature grow more diverse and inclusive, but find that […]
COJECO was formed in 2001 as an umbrella organization for grassroots community organizations of Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants in New York to make their voices heard and respected. Today we represent over 30 such network organizations, including young adult leadership groups, Holocaust Survivors, professional associations, arts & culture organizations, and social justice groups.
COJECO was formed in 2001 as an umbrella organization for grassroots community organizations of Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants in New York to make their voices heard and respected. Today we represent over 30 such network organizations, including young adult leadership groups, Holocaust Survivors, professional associations, arts & culture organizations, and social justice groups.
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