The World Confederation of Jewish Community Centers (WCJCC)

Through affiliate organizations, WCJCC is able to tap into the best people in the JCC movement who are willing to offer their expertise to other JCCs.

Together with JDC; the FSU Mentoring Project already teamed 10 JCC Executive Directors from all over the world with their peers in the FSU.

A partnership that resulted in improving management skills, introducing fees for service, sharing experiences and a wide array of exchange projects.

"The favorable results so far are remarkable. And as we continue to use candles to light other candles, the warmth and brightness that they generate together is very satisfying for all of us."
Steven Schwager, Executive VP
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, NewYork, USA

"What we have received during these meetings is the aggregate knowledge of years of experience that we didn't have in Moscow."
Boris Rubinstein, Former Executive Director,
Nikitskaya JCC, Moscow, Russia

The WCJCC JDC "JCCs in the Former Soviet Union: The Next Generation" Mentoring Project was launched in September 2003.

The idea was to team distinguished executive directors of JCCs form around the world with their FSU counterparts. So far the project has teamed 10 JCCs in the FSU and has expanded to include several exchange programs.

Read the July 2007 Israel project retreat report
Read a 2005-2006 evaluation report of the project
View a PPT on the benefits of the project as presented to WCJCC President, Jerry Makowsky, while visiting Beit Dan JCC in Kharkov, Ukraine, June 25-27, 2006
There is a waiting list of both mentors and hosts to join the project
To read the project first phase proposal click
To read the project second phase proposal click
To read what people have to say about the project click
To read a poem by Uri Stizover, an Israeli mentor click
To read a JCC Circle article on the project click

WCJCC facilitated two other mentorships:

Arturo Bach, the Deputy Director of the Israel Association of Community Centers visited Latin America twice under the auspices of CLAM and FACCMA. He provided training sessions, one on one consultation and conducted many meetings. In June 2006 he will serve as a mentor in both Uruguay and Argentina.

Dorit Rom, the Director of International Relations and Resource Development of IACC, Israel, serves as a mentor to the Jewish community in Romania in their plan to build a new JCC.