When the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) sought to standardize the community management skills for professional leadership across the Russian Federation, Ukraine and other newly independent countries following the Soviet collapse, YourGlobalStrategy co-founders Michael Steiner (then with the United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh - UJF) and Shai Franklin (then with the National Conference on Soviet Jewry - NCSEJ) joined national Jewish leaders to organize training in Yalta, Crimea, for over 100 professionals from dozens of communities.

 

In addition to RJC Executive Vice-President Alexander Osovtsov, local sponsors included Russian Vaad (Council) President Michael Chlenov and Ukrainian Vaad President Josef Zissels. Americans leaders were also on hand to provide training: UJF President (and later national CEO) Howard Rieger, NCSEJ leader Lesley Israel, and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Associate Executive Vice-President Ted Comet. Rieger took the lead in preparing and presenting the topics, among them: Strategic Planning in Community Development, Fundraising for Community, Role of Lay & Professionals in Community Development, Community Conflicts Resolution. The four days of training took place in plenary and breakout sessions.

 

The Yalta workshops were followed by additional training in individual communities, and they helped set the tone for a generation of community professionals and established a lasting U.S.-FSU peer network.

 

For more information on this and other projects, please contact YGS Co-Founders Michael Steiner or Shai Franklin.