JDC Entwine celebrates a diverse mosaic of global Jewish identities. As Russian Speaking Jewish young professionals with family immigration stories out of the former Soviet Union, we approach Jewish community differently! We welcome you in all your layered identities, and invite you to explore, connect and activate. This work is made possible with the generous support of Genesis Philanthropy Group.
Connect with our Russian-Speaking Jewish Community Manager, Michelle Rutman! Grab some chai in NYC or schedule a virtual meet & greet, she’s here to get you connected to our trips, events, or just to chat about the pros of tapachki.
GET Involved ПРИСОЕДИНЯЙСЯ
Travel Together
Connect with other Russian-speaking Jewish young adults and the larger global Jewish world as insiders and immerse in the experience and joy of travel. Choose from trips specific for our community, your local region, or general trips open to all; you’ll experience cultural immersion and global exchange, complemented by dynamic conversations. Once your bags are packed, remember to sit for a minute before running out the door.
Events in Your City
Let’s get together at our upcoming events happening throughout the country! Whether we’re recreating our family’s recipes or watching childhood cartoons, these events offer a unique opportunity to meet and connect people with similar upbringings. See you there!
Volunteer with Insider Connections Global Virtual Service
Calling all Russian (& English/ Hebrew/ Arabic/ and beyond) speakers! —A concrete way to connect both a JDC client abroad and yourself to the global Jewish community. For just an hour or two a week, you can engage in meaningful service from home. A new cohort launches regularly—heads up for a Victory Day-themed cohort launching in May, an opportunity for Russian speaking participants to connect with Russian speaking veterans in Israel!
Find Your Family Story in the JDC Archives
If your family immigrated out of the Soviet Union with a stop in Vienna and Italy, chances are you have a JDC touchpoint in your story. Explore JDC Archives database for historic photos from JDC’s work in the region since Stalin era. Entwine’s Russian Speaking Jewish community manager can help you navigate searching up family records that have not yet been digitized in the collection. Reach out to us>> to talk out your vision.
Host a Films From the Field Watch Party!
Art is a great access point to global communities, and film is a great place to start! This toolkit sets you up with opportunities to explore Jewish community stories in Cuba, Poland and beyond—or you can adapt discussion guides and popcorn recipes to screen other films from Old Country you’ve been meaning to (re)watch with friends.

Host a Global Shabbat or Passover Dinner
The self care ritual of marking a shift from work mode to chill mode is a sort of rebellion against the values of the dehumanizing oppressive regimes that separated us from these traditions for generations.
Develop your personal relationship with intentional philanthropy
Download Entwine’s Guide to Giving, and explore what giving means to you and how you can make an impact on communities around the world.
Watch ПOCMOTРИ ВИДЕО
Read ПОЧИТАЙ
Podcast ПОДКАСТ
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Not Your Babushka’s Russian Speaking Jew
What values guide your compass and how do you activate? Host Margarita Korol speaks with fellow Russian Speaking Jewish young professionals about their complex identity and finding community locally and globally.
Margarita Korol, the host of Not Your Babushka’s Russian Speaking Jew podcast, is an artist born in Ukraine the week of the Chernobyl disaster to a Jewish family. Her mother’s side fled Soviet persecution as refugees for Chicago with the aid of JDC and other community organizations.
This project has been made possible with the generous support of Genesis Philanthropy Group.