The 2^nd All-Ukrainian advanced training seminar “The Sounds of Jewish Music” for educators and teachers of music working for Jewish schools and kindergartens took place in Kyiv on the 17th-19th of September, 2019. Its target audience also included directors of music programs of Jewish communities and organizations. 

The organizers and partners of the seminar were the Center for Jewish Education of Ukraine with financial support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities (VAAD Ukraine) and organizational support of the Center for Research of History and Culture of Eastern-European Jewry and the Publishing House “Dukh i Litera”, the department of learning languages of national minorities and foreign literature of the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine.

The aim of the seminar is advanced training of experts in the sphere of Jewish traditional music art and culture. 

This seminar became a pilot project in terms of approbation of certain training modules of the JE-TEMUS Project – “Jewish Traditional Education in Modern Ukrainian Society” which is currently being implemented by the Center for Jewish Education of Ukraine with support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

Among the seminar participants were teachers, educators, tutors, directors and organizers of musical and creative programs and ensembles with a degree in music education from various regions of Ukraine, namely Anativka, Bila Tserkva, Dnipro, Kyiv, Kryviy Rih, Lutsk, Lviv, Odessa, Kherson, Cherkasy, etc.

During the seminar the participants were listening to lectures, taking part in master classes, round table talks and discussions, exchanging experience, networking, getting acquainted with bibliographic sources in their professional sphere, learning about new education resources and opportunities.

The seminar resulted in development of a number of suggestions and guidelines for further joint activities.

Upon the seminar completion the participants received the certificates of advanced training and memorable presents from the organizers and partners of CJEU.

The seminar was prepared and conducted by the team of the Center for Jewish Education of Ukraine, in particular:

Raisa Mendelivna Gekhtman, the head of the Project “The Sounds of Jewish Music 2”, methodological consultant of CJEU,

Nataliia Valeriyivna Bakulina, the CJEU director, PhD in Education, the senior research associate of the department of department of learning languages of national minorities and foreign literature of the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine,

Victoria Vadymivna Yelfimova, the education programs coordinator of CJEU;

Roman Yuriyovych Mineyev, the seminar administrator.

For Implementation of the education program content and approbation of specific topics of didactic modules we engaged the experts in the sphere of history and traditional Jewish Music Art. Thus, the lectures and masterclasses were prepared by:

Raisa Mendelivna Gekhtman, the head of the Project “The Sounds of Jewish Music 2”, methodological consultant of CJEU, the co-author of development and implementation of education programs for advanced training of pre-school and secondary school educators as well as directors of programs related to culture, education and art (Kyiv);

Taissa Mykhailivna Sydorchuk – PhD in history, director of Omeljan Pritsak Research Center for Oriental Studies in the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, associate professor (Kyiv);

Iryna Anatoliyivna Serheyeva, PhD in history, the head of the Oriental Studies Department of Vernadskiy National Library of Ukraine (Kyiv);

Hanna Dmytrivna Yerish, a music literature professor, music director, editor, the connoisseur of music, an employee of the “Mygdal Or” Art Center (Odessa);

Nataliia Mykhailivna Utesheva (Kasyanchik), a music scholar and performer, a senior lecturer of the Vinnytsya teachers training university (Vinnytsya);

Oleksandra Mykolayivna Somysh, the head of the vocal-instrumental ensemble “SHTRUDL” earlier famous as “Varnitshkes” under the aegis of Teiva community, the manager of the «LvivKlezFest» Festival (Lviv).

Also the seminar was visted by a special guest – Yulia Alenina, the education programs manager of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation who greeted the participants and shared suggestions for active and fruitful partnership. 

The survey results revealed the highest and substantial expertise level of the program content, as well as the seminar organization and logistics, etc.

The seminar participants also appreciated and highly evaluated comfortable accommodation in the hospitable «Podol Inn» hotel as well as delicious kosher catering organized due to support of the hotel director Yakov Lerner and the Leyzer Reataurant director Eliezer Makhlin.