JDC Ambassadors Mission to Turkey and Uzbekistan

Explore the vibrant Jewish communities of Turkey and Uzbekistan
January 15-21, 2010

Mission Highlights:
- Spend a memorable and unique Shabbat with the Jewish community of Istanbul
- Learn about the challenges and hopes of the Turkish Jewish community
- See firsthand the educational, welfare and community development programs that energize the Uzbek Jewish community
- Marvel at the magnificent monuments in Samarkand


Istanbul - January 15-17, 2010
Turkey's Jewish community is one of the oldest Diaspora communities in the world, dating back to the Second Century CE. Today there are roughly 23,000 Jews in Turkey, the vast majority of whom live in Istanbul.

Over the last decade, the Jewish community has been hit hard by Turkey's economic crisis. JDC has helped the community establish an economic unit that offers employment counseling, job placement programs and small business development assistance. It also continues to provide scholarships for children to attend Jewish schools, camp programs and JDC training seminars.


Uzbekistan - January 17-22, 2010
The history of the Jews of Uzbekistan is long and fascinating, spanning more than 2,000 years. The two distinct Jewish communities that live in Uzbekistan - Ashkenazim and Bukharan - live separate yet harmonious lives, and both enjoy cordial relations with their Muslim neighbors.

JDC began working in Uzbekistan in the early 1990s to bring relief to those most in need, to foster Jewish renewal and to establish a supportive network of services for the Jewish community.


**Participants will be asked to make a $25,000 gift to the JDC Ambassadors Circle to help support JDC's mission of Rescue, Relief and Renewal of Jewish community life in Israel and around the world.

For more information, contact Dov Ben-Shimon at (212) 885-0841 or dov@jdcny.org.