Moscow

St. Petersburg

TulaVilnius

Polotsk

Gomel

Vinnitsa

Tver

Rybinsk

Kazan

Kineshma

Samara

Riga

Tallinn

Tbilisi

Volgograd

Yekaterinburg

Bishkek

Chernovtsy

Khmelnitsky

Kishinev

Kiev

Lviv

Lutsk

Odessa

Simferopol

DnepropetrovskCherkassy

ZaporozheKrivoy-RogMakeevka

Tambov

ORT de Gunzburg Secondary School #550 “Shorashim”ORT Secondary School #274 “Yerushalaim”ORT Vocational Training Center at the Jewish Community Center YESOD

St. Petersburg, Russia

Vilnius Sholom Aleichem ORT SchoolThe ORT Jewish Community Media Center

Vilnius, Lithuania

Tambov ORT-KesherNet CenterTambov, Russia

Kiev ORT Educational Complex #141Jewish State Educational Complex "Simha"Educational Center ORT-Hilel, Kiev

Kiev, Ukraine

ORT Technology LyceumLyceum “Rambam”

Kishinev, Moldova

Gomel ORT-KesherNet CenterGomel, Belarus

ORT Tallinn Jewish SchoolTallinn, Estonia

ORT Network Jewish Secondary SchoolRiga, Latvia

Polotsk ORT-KesherNet CenterPolotsk, Belarus

Lawson ORT Career CenterYekaterinbug, Russia

ORT “Mishpahteinu” Secondary School #12Kazan, Russia

Samara ORT Secondary School #42Samara, Russia

Lutsk ORT-KesherNet CenterLutsk, Ukraine

Khmelnitsky ORT-KesherNet CenterKhmelnitsky, Ukraine

Vinnitsa ORT-KesherNet CenterVinnitsa, Ukraine

Cherkassy ORT-KesherNet CenterCherkassy, Ukraine

Krivoy-Rog ORT-KesherNet CenterKrivoy-Rog, Ukraine

Lviv Jewish SchoolLviv, Ukraine

ORT Specialized School #41Chernivtsi, Ukraine

ORT Secondary School #94Odessa, Ukraine

Vocational Training Centers

ORT Jewish Day Schools

ORT-Affiliated Schools

ORT Kesher-Net CentersTula ORT-KesherNet Center

Tula, Russia

Rybinsk ORT-KesherNet CenterRybinsk, Russia

Kineshma ORT-KesherNet CenterKineshma, Russia

Tver ORT-KesherNet CenterTver, Russia

ORT Technology Center at the “Levi Yitzchak Schneerson” Ohr Avner School #144ORT Technology Center at the Cultural and Business Center “Menora”

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

Tbilisi ORT-KesherNet CenterTbilisi, Georgia

Makeevka ORT-KesherNet CenterMakeevka, Ukraine

Volgograd ORT-KesherNet CenterVolgograd, Russia

ORT “Aleph” Jewish GymnasiumZaporozhe, Ukraine

ORT Jewish School “Pri Etz Chaim”Bishkek, Kyrgystan

Simferopol ORT-KesherNet CenterSimferopol, Crimea

ORT Moscow Technology School, Gymnasium #1540ORT Tekhiya, Center of Education #1311Moscow ORT Technology College

Moscow, Russia

BELARUS

UKRAINE

GEORGIA

RUSSIA

ESTONIA

LATVIALITHUANIA

MOLDOVA

KYRGYSTAN

BELARUS

UKRAINE

GEORGIA

RUSSIA

ESTONIA

LATVIALITHUANIA

MOLDOVA

KYRGYSTAN

ORT programs add value to Jewish communities throughout the former Soviet Union

ORT America supports the international educational network of World ORT. For over a century ORT has provided training to enable hundreds of thousands of students worldwide to obtain knowledge and skills to lead independent, productive lives. ORT educational programs enrich students, teachers and communities, and make the world a better place.

75 Maiden Lane, 10th Floor, New York NY 10038 | info@ORTamerica.org | facebook.com/ORTamericaORTamerica.org

ORT Jewish Day Schools

World ORT enhances education for individuals of all ages in the former Soviet Union, giving youth a solid academic foundation and adults the tools to develop rewarding careers.

“Our students excel thanks to the profound instruction in general subjects, extra-curricular tutoring and participation in different municipal, regional and international competitions. We try to improve the educational process by providing new courses in technology and informatics. When I see my students becoming inspired for further study and growth, I’m very proud of their progress,” says Syuzanna Khachatryan, an informatics and technology teacher and manager for ORT regional development at Kiev ORT School NVK # 141.

Program Snapshot: Seventeen ORT Jewish day schools provide a robust STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum coupled with Jewish studies. With an emphasis on Jewish values, ORT day schools are known for excellent teaching, well-equipped facilities and family involvement in Jewish celebrations and events.

Greta Freilikhman is a computer science teacher in the ORT Chernivtsi School #41 in Ukraine.

“I wanted to become a teacher from childhood,” Greta explains, “and I chose computer science and technology because they are constantly changing disciplines. Thanks to ORT, I have modern computers for working with children, which allow the introduction of new technologies and methods into the educational process. And our students can study additional subjects such as design, robotics, graphics and video editing.”

Maria Eliza Vereina is a sixth grader at Moscow Tekhiya ORT School #1311. Passionate about art, last year she participated in the Assembly Art exhibition at the Russian Academy of Arts and took third place in the teenager category. “Before sending me to Tekhiya ORT School, my parents visited many schools, but we felt at home here. At this school we have intelligent teachers, good security, beautiful walls and state-of-the-art technology,” Maria Eliza explains. She credits the school with helping her excel in art. “Last year my personal art exhibition was organized at school, and I appreciate the help of my school in developing my artistic talent.”

“We always knew we had Jewish roots. Jewish relatives surrounded me as a child, but in Soviet times, we never thought about observance of any Jewish traditions. Everything changed when our daughter Arina entered the ORT Mishpachtenu School. The traditions of the Jewish people seemed to burst into our life! We began to celebrate Shabbat, we had Hanukkah at home, and the children enjoyed going to Sunday school at the synagogue. Our daughters appreciate the school, and they happily immerse themselves in the knowledge and traditions of the Jewish people. What they gain will help us support the Jewish community of our city,” says Nastya Zabolotnikov in Kazan, Russia.

Distance Learning inthe FSU

A Distance Course Is Impetus for New University Laboratory

In the far southeast region of Russia, just across from the city of Heihe in China, Galina Fedchenko is an associate professor of informatics at the Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University (BSPU), and keeping up with developments in technology and mastering new technologies is essential for her profession.

Galina enrolled in an ORT distance course on the modelling of robot-cars, offered by the ORT vocational training center in Yekaterin-burg. She became enthusiastic about the prototyping, electronics, mechatronic and robotics technologies that were featured, and mastered the techniques and ordered equipment to create a university laboratory specializing in robotics. “Thanks for such an interesting, multi-subject course. The course materials will be extremely useful for the additional training of students.”

Since then, Galina has become the lead teacher at the Children's Scientific Educational Center at BSPU, teaching classes in robotics, microelectronics, 3-D modelling and programming, and she actively shares her knowledge with teachers in Blagoveshchensk.

Program Snapshot: Some ORT vocational training centers offer distance learning courses for individuals living too far to attend on site. Accessible online, the courses provide structured content and guidance, allowing students to progress in their particular specialty.

Vocational TrainingCenters

Mastering Computer Basics Results in a Closer Family

Victor Novomeiskiy, who is 71, began at the ORT Yekaterinburg center two years ago, mastering basic computer skills and learning how to navigate the internet. Victor loves jazz music and when he discovered the ease of accessing it online, he bought a laptop and infused his life with jazz. Last year Victor took a course on how to archive family data; he digitized his family documents and classified them via excel. Victor created a family tree and shared it with relatives in other countries, who added information to what he had provided about five generations. Thanks to his new computer knowledge Victor has added meaning to his life, as the family tree has united his entire large family. He is grateful for the knowledge he obtained at the ORT center.

Program Snapshot: Seven vocational training centers provide courses for adults to maximize their ability in languages, computer software, project management and teaching. They also offer an introduction in computer basics for elderly people.

Two fifth graders from Moscow ORT Technology School won awards at the City Science and Research Technology conference. Ruslan presented his project on belt transmission, taking first prize, and Dmitry presented the crank mechanism and piston motor, receiving mention for the most meaningful presentation. Their teacher, Boris Bronstein, is proud of them. “Many of our students participate in conferences, sharing their “engineering” developments. The ORT network provides everything for students in our school to develop their thinking and ingenuity,” he said.

Natalia Medvedeva, ORT Technology Centre Director, Dnepr Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Ohr Avner School #144: “Participation at Nadav Shoham Robotraffic Competition is a great opportunity to simultaneously see, communicate and understand the culture and values of boys and girls from different countries united by one common goal - Robotics. This is a wonderful project that gives students and teachers in FSU schools the desire and opportunity to develop in a technical and scientific environment, to touch the history of Israel, to be acquainted with the colleagues from different countries.”

Women Maximize Their Potential in the Job Market

Nadezhda worked as a storekeeper without computer skills in Lutsk, Ukraine. “The director said records must be transferred to an electronic version. I inquired where I could get quality instruction for computer skills. The office staff suggested I contact the ORT-KesherNet Center; I immediately signed up for an initial course. Successfully finishing the course, I managed to solve the digital transfer challenge.”

In Volgograd, Russia, Irina, a graduate of a course on internet usage asked her instructor to help install Skype on her home computer. As the mother of a child with disabilities, she could not leave home to attend another course. The teacher made a manual for Irina with the help of incoming students who inserted screenshots as part of their instruction; it was sent to Irina, and the students discussed it with Irina on Skype for their next lesson. Irina formed a group of mothers of children with disabilities to discuss problems they face, consult with one another and share useful information while at home looking after their children. Particularly for this group of mothers, being able to expand the circle of communication is very important and helpful.

ORT Kesher-Net CentersProgram Snapshot: Sixteen ORT vocational computer centers train women for the workforce in Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, operated in partnership with Project Kesher. With over 20,000 graduates who have obtained skills for employment, the centers are open to women of all backgrounds.

International andRegional Programs forTeachers and Students

Video Conferencing Leads to Learning Opportunities in Math

Tatyana Mansurova, a math teacher at ORT Technology School, Gymnasium # 1540 in Moscow, appreciates the ORT resources available to students. “The ORT virtual math club project was implemented for tenth graders at our school, and our students participated with others from ORT schools in Riga and Dnepro. The video conference format enabled us to compete with students from different schools and countries,” she explained. Tatyana believes the program motivates students in math and has another benefit. “In addition, the format allows our students to feel a part of one international organization – World ORT,” she added.

ORT Teens Learn Advanced Media Methods at Seminar in Bulgaria

At the Digital Skills Academy in Bulgaria, held at the Lauder-ORT Dimcho Debelianov Jewish School #134 in Sofia, 26 teens from ORT locations in the former Soviet Union, Israel and elsewhere gained media skills from courses in digital photography, video production and audio production. Through workshops, lectures and field trips, the ORT students learned how to present information interactively, integrate social media and user-generated content, online streaming and other techniques for effective outreach.

Aner is in the communications and film study track at school in Israel, and he aspires to be a director. “I’ll be more advanced when I finish here,” he said. “My experience will give me a lot of tools and techniques that I can teach my teammates – we can become the best group in class and make the best film.”

Program Snapshot: ORT operates training programs with in-depth explorations of various subjects, seminars, internet collaboration projects and digital distance classes for students and teachers throughout FSU countries. Programs for teachers include the World ORT Educators’ Forum, Hatter Technology Seminar and the Wingate Leadership Training Program.