The Fedeation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is conducting comprehensive training for coordinators and youth activists in 25 communities of the FSU and will be growing their reach to 40 communities. The training aims to instill a feeling of identification and reinforce their connection to the Jewish people, the Land of Israel, Jewish heritage, history and values. Participants will be prepared to serve as coordinators, madrichim, and activists in schools, camps, informal educational programs and youth movements in their local communities, and will receive encouragement to think about future roles in their community leadership.

A team of FSU-based professional counselors who have worked with youth, guest lecturers as well as a group of young rabbis who have been trained to serve as lecturers and leaders, will run the training. Mentoring will be available to local coordinators, madrichim and activists and the professional staff oversees the assimilation of the training in the local programs around the FSU.

Multi-day training seminars are held as part of the overall training. The seminars provide coordinators, madrichim and activists with methodical tools and skills for running group activities, as well as general Jewish knowledge, for implementing a full range of Jewish-themed informal educational programs. Through a series of ongoing lectures, workshops and brainstorming sessions, participants will learn how to: develop and implement detailed activity plans/manage projects; build budgets; basic fundraising skills; use technological tools for oversight; create computerized databases; develop multi-year strategic plans; research and develop creative solutions for dealing with problem situations and educational dilemmas; build healthy communication and collaboration among team members; develop personal skills; learn data and documents handling; and embed values and motivation. Additional lectures will deal with experiential ways of teaching Jewish values and strengthening the connection to local Jewish community and to Israel.