The international seminar camp “Young Family” took place from July 29 to August 4 on the shores of the Kapchagai dam lake, 100 kilometers from Almaty. The camp was organized by the Mitzvah Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Kazakhstan and involved 54 young families - over 160 parents and their children. Alexander Baron, President of the Mitzvah Association, Deputy Chairman of the People’s Assembly of Kazakhstan, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Presidium member, participated in the opening ceremony.

The camp saw visitors not only from Kazakhstan families (hailing from Almaty, Astany, Taldy-Kurgan, Karaganda, Taraz, Semey, Petropavlovsk, and Pavlodar), but Tashkent, Orenburg, and Kharkiv. Thus, the project involves the Jewish communities of four countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine.

The project supports family values in young people through the study of family traditions in the history of Israel, consolidates young Jewish families through their identity as the most precious asset and foundation of communities and community life, strengthens communication and cooperation between the Jewish communities of difference countries.

“Mitzvah” put a great amount of trust in its youth wing, the madrachim, who had been responsible for most of the organizational process. The youths of the Jewish community of Almaty, having been trained in workshops and seminars, stepped up to this task admirably.

Alexander Baron noted that “the active involvement of youths into community projects in the capacity of organizators is an important step towards the building of a modern community that responds adequately to the needs of its members. Our seminar camp showed everyone how important it is to remember about those who are beside us, to devote time to family, to teach children love and respect towards familiy traditions as well as the culture and history of our people.”