The COJECO BluePrint Fellowship
All Projects
“The Secret Society” A Russian Language Picture Book
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 […]
Yevgenia is an award-winning illustrator, painter and stage designer. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, she graduated from The National School of Arts. Yevgenia’s paintings have been featured in solo exhibitions in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Moscow as well as in numerous international group art shows. She designed sets and costumes for over 40 theatrical productions and received a number of prestigious awards for her stage designs. Her illustrations appeared in magazines and children’s books as well as on album covers, book covers and theatre posters.
100 Views of New Jerusalem
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.
Michael Korosty was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He started his education as an artist at the age of seven, and upon moving to the U.S. in 1989, completed his formal art education at the Pratt Institute. Michael is works in the mediums of painting and drawing. He has been teaching art to adults and children at his studio, as well as at various private institutions since 1994. Having provided art services to the local South Brooklyn community for years, after the impact of Hurricane Sandy, the studio was relocated to Manhattan Beach.
60 Reflections
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 […]
Luba Proger has a background and education in fine arts, graphic design, and photography. Upon moving to the United States, Luba continued her studies and earned a degree in photography and graphic design from the Pratt Institute, NYC. Luba has been making photographs for over a decade. In recent years she got involved in curatorial work, where she conceived, and developed a number of arts, photography and theater projects. She currently resides and works in New York City.
Luba Proger and Leonid Khanin have been collaborating since 2004 under the name L2coLab. Their combined multidisciplinary education and experience in fine art, architecture and photography has allowed them to create multidisciplinary art and theater projects, addressing ideas of inner beauty, multiculturalism, and belonging. They are experimenting with immersive environments by use of space, innovative video and audio sampling techniques that stimulate viewers’ perception between themselves and their environment.
Leonid Khanin is an architect and an artist. He has been involved in a variety of art projects utilizing conceptual design and realization. His art projects combine set design, video and photography. Through the Blueprint Fellowship, in partnership with Luba Proger, Leonid created a unique theater experience through a staging of The Purim Spiel Shadow Theater which gave new life to the Jewish tradition of the Purim Spiel. The show was performed on an inflatable sphere and accompanied by new musical arrangements of well-known songs from Russian cartoons.
Luba Proger and Leonid Khanin have been collaborating since 2004 under the name L2coLab.
Their combined multidisciplinary education and experience in fine art, architecture and photography has allowed them to create multidisciplinary art and theater projects, addressing ideas of inner beauty, multiculturalism, and belonging. They are experimenting with immersive environments by use of space, innovative video and audio sampling techniques that stimulate viewers’ perception between themselves and their environment.
About Face
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
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 […]
Dmitriy Khavin was born in Odessa, Ukraine. His first job in film was working as a lighting assistant at the Odessa Film Studios. Since 1992 Dmitriy has lived in New York where he works as a director, producer, editor and cinematographer on documentaries and television programs. Dmitriy’s television credits include programs for HBO, PBS, Discovery, MTV, Link TV, Jewish Life TV and many others.
Ancestor Blueprint
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 Roz is an artist, photographer and designer residing in New York on the Spanish side of Harlem, was born and raised in Moscow in an eclectic family of artists, musicians and photographers, learning to live in the middle of a self generated art scene – visual material being the source of both self exploration and collaboration.
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 Theatre
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, […]
Jane Tuv is the Director of Russian-speaking Children & Families Programs. Under her leadership, program offerings catering to Russian-speaking Jewish families and children at the JCC tripled, with participants coming from all boroughs of New York for classes, holiday events, Shabbat dinners, and performances. Through Jane's meaningful programs for the Russian-speaking Jewish community and her dedication to high-quality, progressive early childhood education, a vast number of underserved Russian-speaking families who felt disconnected from the greater American-Jewish community, have shown a significant spike in involvement in Jewish life, and have brought the traditions experienced at Generation R programs into their home.
In addition to her role at Generation R, Jane is the founding director of Arlekino Theater Troupe, a performing and fine arts program, which strives to instill an appreciation for Jewish heritage in the arts in young children whose parents emigrated from the Former Soviet Union. She has partnered with more than 20 Jewish organizations in the Tri-State Area to bring expressive arts education to the Russian-speaking Jewish diaspora. An informal Jewish educator, Jane designs programs with a focus on the Reggio Emilia approach, nurturing children's curiosities, imagination, and self-expression.
This year, Jane became one of five recipients of the Jewish Education Project's Young Pioneers Award for her work at Arlekino and Generation R and was also selected as one of Jewish Week's "36 Under 36." This past February Jane also launched a progressive Russian language program for infants and toddlers in her neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, which has garnered high acclaim. Jane's teaching career spans Pushkin Academy of Russian Heritage, the Farber-Bruch Early Childhood Center at the Marks JCH of Bensonhurst, the Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at the JCC Manhattan, and the Parenting Program at Temple Shaaray Tefila.
Banany Chronicles
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 […]
Pavel Sklyar was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He was initially introduced to Jewish history, culture and traditions at the Jewish school, which was established in Kiev by Rabbi Bleich in 1991. At the age of 13 he, together with his family, immigrated to New York City, where he continued his study and explore Judaism. His other interests include traveling, photography, film, and investing. Pavel graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Currently he works full time as a Business Planning Analyst at a Fortune 500 telecommunications company. He is also the President and co-founder of MMIC Investment club.
Blender Bodies
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 […]
Ronit Levin Delgado (born Tel-Aviv, Israel) a multi media artist and a Fulbright scholar, lives and works in NYC. Levin Delgado holds a MFA in the Studio Art at MSU, NJ (2013) and a BFA from Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem (2008). Levin Delgado has won many honors and awards bestowed on her, including the Ministry of Culture scholarship, 2011-2013 Fulbright scholarship and in 2014 she was chosen to be the recipient of the First Annual Prize for Bezalel Alumni Ambassador. Levin Delgado has had solo exhibitions and participated in numerous international group exhibitions in Israel, Europe and the US.
Bobe Mayces
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, […]
Masha Shkolnik is a journalist and a songwriter who was born in Moscow, Russia. Masha is known for her journalistic career with RTVi cable network as a reporter followed by working as a host and a manager for Russian radio stations in New York such as Novaya Zhizn’ and Davidzon Radio. Masha has recorded two CDs with her songs and is working on recording the 3rd. Masha develops her career in the areas of learning and development and as a hobby organizes creative events and camps for kids: www.children123.com. Masha’s articles, poems, lyrics, and MP3s as well as CDs for sale can be found at www.mashashkolnik.com
Bukharian Jews of New York
‘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 […]
George Itzhak is a filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He works in both narrative and documentary, and has several projects in development and production that deal with issues of Russian immigration, Jewish life and culture, and the history and people of the Middle-East. His latest projects include Reading Tehran in Tel-Aviv, a documentary that premiered at the New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, and Broccoli, a Russian-language short film premiered in the summer of 2014. George began his career in television news with internships at NBC, a stint at the Sochi Olympics, and he currently works at NBC’s Nightly News.
Central Park: An Original Musical Story
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 […]
Dina Pruzhansky is a Russian-Israeli pianist and composer based in New York. After winning a number of nationwide music competition in her native country Azerbaijan, she moved to Israel. Since 2006, Ms. Pruzhansky resides in New York City. An alumna from Mannes College for Music, she has appeared in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States, Russia, Israel, Belgium and Germany, and has shared the stage with many leading artists, including the soloists of the Metropolitan and San Francisco opera houses and the soloists of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. New York City recital venues include Merkin Hall, Le Poisson Rouge, Steinway Hall, Bechstein Piano Center, Union Club, the Yamaha Piano Salon, Scandinavia House, The Ukrainian Institute, the Russian Permanent Mission to the U.N. and others.
ChaiLighter
ChaiLighter is a program that enables Jewish young adult/professionals traveling to Israel with an opportunity to create a customized extension.
Biana Lupa has been working in the Jewish communal world for five years with organizations such as RAJE, Hillel at Baruch and the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island. Biana received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration (non-profit concentration) from Bernard M. Baruch College and a cum laude Bachelor’s Degree in International Criminal Justice and Government from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She has always been a service-oriented individual who enjoys helping others. Biana has received several awards and honors, most notably, the John Jay Scholarship and Service Award, and a certificate of appreciation in recognition of ongoing support of the Russian Jewish Heritage in New York. She is also being honored as a dedicated alumnus at the RAJE Annual Dinner on March 15, 2012. Aside from volunteering, in her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and being a published writer.
Chavruta Chatting Room
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 […]
Vita was born in Ukraine, grew up in Israel. She studied computer science and bioinformatics at Hebrew University. Vita has worked in research and teaching and traveled extensively. While living in Sydney she started sculpting and quickly realized that she found her purpose. She completed a BFA in Multidisciplinary Art at Shenkar and moved to the USA for a Visual Arts MFA at Washington University in Saint Louis. Currently, Vita lives and works in New Jersey, teaching art and pursuing her studio practice. She works in multiple media, often incorporating programming and electronics to create interactive art. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally.
Cheburashka Wears a Kippah
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 […]
Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tatyana immigrated to the US with her family at age 11. She received her BA in Sociology Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master’s in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College Columbia University where she focused on the use of games and social media in education. She has been an educator for 12 years, the past 5 of them at The Jewish Education Project working with day schools and congregational institutions all over North America to innovate classrooms and make learning more engaging and personalized. She currently works at an all boys school on the UES teaching coding and STEAM. She shares a home with her wife and about as many books as could comfortably fill a small public library.
