Our History
Project Kesher (PK) was founded in 1989 to develop Jewish women leaders, grow pluralist Jewish communities, and advocate for civil society. In 2009, PK incorporated Project Kesher Israel (PKI) to support program graduates from the post-Soviet States.
PKI’s early programs addressed the immediate needs of the Russian-speaking community - financial literacy in Israel, Jewish education, and learning how to live in a diverse society, adjusting to their new life in a new place.
With the influx of 200,000 immigrants and refugees from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus due to the war in Ukraine, PKI’s work has grown exponentially.
PKI has focused on helping ensure a successful personal and professional adjustment to living in Israel through programs that introduce immigrants to Israeli life while helping them cope with the impact of war and the stresses of change. Priorities have included: providing financial assistance and language classes, hosting seminars around Jewish education, emotional support, financial literacy, and supporting Israeli LGBTQ+ immigrants.
The Russian-speaking community in Israel faces a plethora of challenges including a language barrier (26% of the 1.5 million Russian speakers in Israel do not speak Hebrew), harmful anti-immigrant stereotypes and discrimination, a new political structure, economy, and culture shock. In order for women from the Russian-speaking community to succeed in Israel, they need a professional network, classes and training in Russian, and a supportive community. When women are given the tools and language to address the systemic inequalities they are facing, they immediately begin to work on solutions. Russian-speaking immigrants had limited access to Jewish life and culture before coming to Israel, which is another major cultural barrier to integration in Israel.
