Last week saw the graduation of young ladies from the Machon Chamesh Jewish Institute in Moscow, who received their Bachelor degrees in Public Relations and Economics. The diplomas were distributed at a moving graduation ceremony in Moscow’s Jewish Community center.

FJC’s Machon Chamesh Institute is one of the few higher education institutions in the FSU to combine Jewish and professional studies. Professional areas include Marketing and Economics, Psychology, Education and Finances. The graduation was attended by the Institute’s mentors and partners from abroad: New York’s Touro College vice-president Simcha Fishbein and European programs coordinator rabbi Menachem Lazar.

“The decision to study in Machon Chamesh was my best choice, it changed my life,” says Rivka Bloch, one of the Institute’s graduates. “Here I determined how I want to live my life: what career path I want to choose and what lifestyle to lead. Machon Chamesh provided me with the base for both.”

Machon Chamesh graduates receive Bachelor degrees that are recognized by both Russian and American education systems. In addition to professional studies, the curriculum includes enriched Jewish Heritage studies of tradition, language and culture.