History and Current State of Jewish Communities

Paper title:	*History and Current State of Jewish Communities and Organizations in Ukraine*
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.4316/CC.2021.01.004
Published in:	Issue 1, (Vol. 27) / 2021
Publishing date:	2021-07-31
Pages:	67-90
Author(s):	Zoya Shwed
Abstract:	The main purpose of this article is to consider the dynamics and features of Jewish communities and organisations in Ukraine in the context of current socio-cultural and socio-political processes. This involves the following tasks: to reveal the principles and nature of the so-called "umbrella" Jewish organisations that unite local communities and to recon¬struct the dynamics of the Jewish segment in Ukrainian society. The analysis is based on a systematic reconstruction of theoretical models of religious phenomena and their connection with modern research subjects in the field of practical religious studies. The author argues that the activities of Jewish religious organisations and communities are manifested in vari¬ous spheres of life, particularly education, charity, and social work. At the same time, the article identifies challenges that remain relevant for religious communities and organisa¬tions, such as financing initiatives, the assistance in reducing the level of anti-Semitism in the country, and raising the level of Jewish education. The study of the functioning of Jewish religious communities in Ukraine in connection with the development of civic institutions allows to investigate the actualisation of this type of activities, as well as their impact on public life. That is why, in the context of the analysis and the goals formulated in this work, specific examples of the dynamic functioning of Jewish religious communities have been considered.
Keywords:	Religious communities, Jews, Organisations, anti-Semitism, Ukraine, Religious education, Social work.

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