COMMUNITY NEWS
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes
financial and volunteer resources to address the
communities’ most critical priorities locally, in Israel and
around the world.

Looking to Do a Summer Mitzvah?
These Organizations Can Use Your Help
T he ideal summer is filled with camp, travel, days
by the pool and being out in the sun. Given these
packed schedules, it is not a surprise that many direct
service organizations experience a summer lull in
volunteer engagement.

With a lower number of volunteers, many essential
organizations struggle to provide vital resources to
the community. While volunteering may not be top-
of-mind during summer months, it is the time that
hands-on involvement can make the greatest impact.

See below for organizations supported by the
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia that are
in need of volunteers this summer. Visit jewish-
philly.org/summer to learn more about the volunteer
opportunities and how to register.

10 JULY 28, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Jewish Relief Agency (JRA)
Mitzvah Food Program
KleinLife Save the Date!
JRA helps nourish more than 6,000 diverse low-in-
come individuals across Greater Philadelphia.

Opportunities for all ages include packing kosher
food boxes at JRA’s food distribution warehouse and
delivering those boxes to clients.

KleinLife’s Home Delivered Meals program fills an
essential need for 700 homebound seniors. Volunteers
coordinate a weekly time to deliver precooked meals.

In addition to home delivery, KleinLife has volunteer
community service opportunities including adminis-
trative support, education and facilitation program-
ming, and more.

Mitzvah Food Program serves 6,500 individuals per year,
distributing choice-based, nutritious food to all who are
in need, regardless of race, income, gender, age or reli-
gion. Donate, pack and/or help deliver kosher food pack-
ages from one of four pantry sites in Greater Philadelphia.

Fall Cemetery Cleanup at Har Nebo Cemetery
(Sept. 17 from 1-3 p.m.)
Honor those at rest by cleaning up Har Nebo, one of
our region’s largest and most historic Jewish cemeteries.

Volunteer tasks will include raking, picking up trash
and clipping overgrown vines. The cleanup will end
with a memorial service to honor all of those buried.




YOU SHOULD KNOW ...

Ben Yaroslavsky
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
Courtesy of Ben Yaroslavsky
B en Yaroslavsky was born in Be’er Sheva, Israel, to parents
who fled their west central Ukrainian home in Vinnytsia
after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The family later settled
in Hershey.

Though every immigrant story is unique, Yaroslavsky’s story shares
common threads with many Russian and Ukrainian immigrants of
his generation. As the senior-most member of Philadelphia’s Russian
Speaking Jewish Moishe House, Yaroslavsky, 28, has the opportunity
to show and grow those connecting threads.

Part of the international Moishe House nonprofit to connect
Jews in their 20s, RSJ Moishe House hosts Shabbat dinners weekly,
bringing together 15-20 community members, some Russian-
speaking, some not. Yaroslavsky, a pro-
gram manager for an aerospace and
defense firm, shares the three-bedroom
University City Moishe House with
up to two other residents who also are
Russian-speaking. “It’s very important to us to have
the physical space to create events and
foster a community and have it feel
intimate like you’re at someone’s home
and where everyone feels invited and
welcome,” Yaroslavsky said.

Last week, Yaroslavsky and Moishe
House resident Sofiya Zilberberg hosted
a “Beer Olympics” Shabbat complete
with outdoor mini-games. Next week,
they’ll host an ice cream social. In
the past, the house has hosted a “Free
Britney Shabbat,” holding a dinner
conversation about the end to Britney
Spears’ conservatorship, disability
rights and the #FreeBritney movement.

But what separates the RSJ Moishe
House from other Moishe Houses is the
connection of the residents that goes
beyond living in the same city, being of
the same generation and being Jewish.

In addition to the scheduled monthly
“Us Time,” where residents take break-
dancing classes together or go out for a
meal, the hallmark of the RSJ Moishe
House is the shared Eastern European
heritage of the residents.

“Philadelphia has a vibrant, wonder-
ful community. There’s so many great
events in Philly,” Yaroslavsky said.

“But few are tailored to the Russian-
speaking community. For many
Russian-speaking Jews, the language of
the culture they grew up with is really
what unites us.”
For first-generation Jewish immi-
grants and children of those who fled
the Soviet Union, Jewish traditions and
practices were sparse in their upbring-
ings due to the antisemitism they or
their families experienced.

“Many of the Russian-speaking Jews
feel that they have this multi-layered
Jewish identity, and that causes them to
interact with Judaism in a different way
than the larger population in Philly or
the larger Jewish population in gen-
eral,” Yaroslavsky said.

Quirky-themed Shabbat aside,
Yaroslavsky and Zilberberg try to tailor
the house’s programming to be cultur-
ally specific. They hold tea-drinking
ceremonies similar to the ones com-
mon in Russia, and though they share
a disdain for gefilte fish, they enjoy
cooking the food of their mother coun-
tries together.

Yaroslavsky recalls eating and learn-
ing to make food from other countries
in the Soviet bloc, such as Georgian
khachapuri and RSJ Moishe House
founder Jonathan Yakubov’s Uzbek
bachash. The Moishe House, created in
February 2020, weathered the pan-
demic together. Yaroslavsky, who
joined shortly after the house’s found-
ing, was largely responsible for its con-
sistent programming. Two years after
the house was created despite inoppor-
tune timing, the residents overcame
another personal challenge.

“It’s been pretty somber, with what’s
happening in that corner of the world:
the war in Ukraine,” Yaroslavsky said.

He has distant family still living
there, with relatives not willing to
abandon their businesses and loved
ones and leave the country. Yaroslavsky
said that living in the RSJ Moishe
House was unique during this time,
as residents supported each other
and looked to support the greater
community. “The feeling turned from desperation
to hopeful pretty quick once we real-
ized, we can actually mobilize people to
support these other Russian-speaking
Jews in their efforts to fundraise and
provide aid in Ukraine,” he said.

In addition to sharing resources on
how to attend the Stand with Ukraine
rally, donate to UNICEF and provide
direct donations to Ukrainian families
in need, Yaroslavsky and the Moishe
House residents began holding fund-
raisers and volunteering monthly with
the Jewish Relief Agency, which has a
large clientele of older Soviet Jews.

Yaroslavsky said that the opportuni-
ties to provide aid to Ukraine allowed
the RSJ Moishe House to turn “tragedy
to service and service to hope.”
“Being able to take this opportunity
to use our platform and resources to
support our community has been the
most meaningful experience to me,”
he added. JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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