This report is the first in a series that presents findings from an evaluation study of Hesed Community Welfare Centers in the former Soviet Union (FSU). The study was initiated by the JDC-FSU Department and conducted by the JDC-Brookdale Institute in cooperation with the William Rosenwald Institute for Communal and Welfare Workers in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Hesed model, a multi-faceted service network, was designed by the AJJDC at the end of the Communist era to respond to the needs of an aging Jewish population with severe economic and health problems. It embodies three guiding principles: Jewish values, community orientation and voluntarism. Therefore, its goal is also to facilitate the development of viable Jewish communities. Today, approximately 170 Hesed Centers serve over 250,000 clients throughout the FSU.
The goal of the study was to evaluate whether the guiding principles remain integral to service provision. It was conducted at eight Hesed Centers in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and examined the perspectives of the directors, employees, volunteers, home-care workers and clients, and of local community representatives.
This report examines the perceptions of Hesed’s employees regarding opportunities for staff training, Hesed’s impact on their Jewish identity, and the role of volunteers at Hesed. The following are selected findings:
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The majority of the employees (64%) were working at Hesed for more than two years; among these employees, about half were working at Hesed for more than four years. The primary reasons for working at Hesed were related to job interest, professional development, a desire to increase one’s social circle, and a desire to assist the local Jewish population. Most (71%) said they had received professional training since beginning to work at Hesed. Still, many reported a need for further training in a variety of areas. The employees gave a highly positive evaluation of Hesed as a place of employment.
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The employees strongly believed that Hesed had reinforced their sense of Jewishness. This is reflected in their self-identity and attitudes, sense of belonging to the Jewish People, knowledge about Judaism, observance of Jewish practices, and relationship with the Jewish community. It was also found that Hesed had increased their level of general involvement with social issues in the broader community
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Most of the employees cited that Hesed plays a major role in the Jewish life in their city. Their responses indicate that Hesed cooperates with a number of other local Jewish organizations, particularly the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and other JDC programs. A very high percentage (95%) said that Hesed should broaden its activities for other needy segments of the Jewish population, primarily children and single-parent families.
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Volunteers play a vital role at Hesed. A high percentage of the employees (71%) said they work with volunteers. A vast majority of the employees said they are satisfied with the volunteers’ job performance (95%) and that they consider them an important part of Hesed (99%).
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Most of the employees said it is important to mobilize more volunteers, particularly in the 20-40 age group. They indicated that Hesed provides a variety of incentives to volunteer, yet they also recommended ways to improve the incentives and noted areas in which the volunteers require additional training.
The study was funded by the JDC-FSU Department. The findings are being utilized in the ongoing development of the Hesed network.