EDUCATION - THE KEY TO THE FUTURE
THE PAST:
For over a hundred years, Slovakia had one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in Europe. Then came the Holocaust, and mass deportations that decimated Jewish life here. After the War, those that survived the concentration camps returned and tried to rebuild their lives.
But the physical devastation of the Holocaust was soon followed by the spiritual devastation of over forty years of Communist totalitarianism. By the time of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, only a miracle could reignite the Jewish spark and bring it back to life.
And the miracle is happening. The Jewish communities of Slovakia have begun the valiant effort of re-vitalizing their social, cultural and religious life.
Since the appointment of Rabbi Baruch Myers as Rabbi of the Bratislava Jewish community in 1993, he and his wife Chanie have had the privilege of being part of this exciting revitalization.
CHABAD OF SLOVAKIA
As part of this effort, they founded Chabad Jewish Educational Center of Slovakia in 1998. Chabad of Slovakia is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to plan, organize and carry out Jewish educational activities.
The mission of Chabad of Slovakia is to re-connect Jews with their Jewish heritage by providing them with the opportunity to learn about and live Judaism.
Our activities are for all Jews, regardless of their age, affiliation, background, belief, level of knowledge or observance. We serve and embrace the full spectrum of Jewish people in Slovakia. In recent years, we have expanded to meet the needs of the growing numbers of tourists from Israel and around the world, and provide year-round services for meals, acommodation in one of our modern guestrooms, and a " Home away from home"!
The governing value of Chabad of Slovakia is simple: the key to Jewish continuity is learning.
Our goal is to make Jewish education available to every Jewish individual in Slovakia, whether it be through attending a class, joining in a holiday celebration, reading a publication, learning in our accredited kindergarten of children's after-school programs, or taking part in any of our activities. Through these programs, the wisdom of our tradition becomes truly relevant, enriching the lives of those who study it.
THE JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER OF SLOVAKIA
These activities have resulted in a reawakening of Jewish identity and a growing interest in reconnecting to Jewish heritage. In response to this growth, the Jewish Educational Center of Slovakia was founded in September, 2000. In 2019, w ith the help of a generous sponsor, we purchased a newly-renovated, five-story building in the heart of Bratislava's historic Old Town, which serves as a "one-stop address" for all Jewish needs. Our building includes a social hall for events, kindergarten and specially-designed children's after school education rooms, a dedicated floor for hotel rooms, and even a beautiful new mikva!
The center provides a central location and meeting place for a wide spectrum of educational activities. As the only Jewish educational institution of its kind in the Slovak Republic, it has already evolved into “the” location for Jewish education.
Here is a place to learn and to laugh, to challenge and to explore, to play and to grow, and to feel at home.
THE PRESENT:
Today, you can hear the sound of children singing.
The sound of prayer in Hebrew.
The sound of adults, animatedly discussing a point of the Bible.
Combine this with the sight of a lit menorah.
The sight of a set Shabbat table.
The sight of the survivor dancing with the university student on Simchat-Torah.
All of these are living testimony that the spark of Judaism cannot and will not be extinguished. Not by anyone or anything, ever.
THE FUTURE:
Our children are knowledgeable and proud. Our parents’ hope is renewed – they have the opportunity to know that which was previously denied. Our grandparents share in the joy which comes from the chain of the generations continuing.
The soul’s call is being answered.
The next generation will know.
Education- the key to the future.
Our activities include:
The Ronald S. Lauder Gan Menachem Jewish Kindergarten
The Bratislava Hebrew School (Cheder)
The Gan Israel Summer Day Camp
Shabbaton Weekends for Teens
Jewish Women's Club
Adult Education Classes
Lectures and Seminars
Community Pesach Seder
Full range of Jewish holiday events
Publications
Rabbinate and kosher food certification