All of our work is based on our belief that continued success is integral to the future of the Jewish People.
We are dedicated to offer programmes as gathering places, where people of all ages
and from all walks of Jewish life, can meet, more inspired by their Jewish heritage
and more connected to their communities and to one another.
Education
ECJC objectives are to explore common issues such as improving standards of education, teacher training methodologies, enriching curricula, student exchanges and broadening the vision of Jewish education policy.
Arachim -"Values"
Arachim is the "brand name" of ECJC Conferences on Jewish Education in partnership with JDC. Arachim Conferences have been held in Budapest, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and Warsaw. The last Arachim was held in May 2017 in London, United Kingdom. All the Arachim activities are held in partnership with JDC Europe and the Lauder Foundation.
The conferences usually include training seminars and workshops, stimulating community educational strategists and directors, foundations supportive of education, teachers, informal educators or youth workers in order to approach educational themes creatively, develop new technical skills and exchange curricula and programming ideas.
ECJC also develops regional Encounters, devoted to specific topics or issues, in full partnership with Educational organisations from the field of formal and informal Jewish Education. A seminar for Kindergarten Teachers was held in Milan together with the Alliance Israelite Universelle for a specific training on Pessach Values and Pedagogic Activities, a special seminar for Kindergarten heads on The Initial Steps of Jewish Education, and a special seminar for Principals of Schools called “Facilitating Change”, held in London with professionals from the University of Manchester. The Arachim Focus seminars attract an average of 20 Professionals to go deeper into a specific subject for 3 days of intensive training.
Recent Programmes
Upcoming Programmes
Arachim 9
TBA
Arachim 8 - Connections & Creations
London, UK - May 2017
Arachim Mission to Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland - March 2016
Arachim 7 - New Ideas & Networking
Warsaw, Poland - November 2015
Social Welfare
Based on the Talmudic precept of "Kol Israel arevim ze le'ze" (all Israel are responsible for each other), ECJC provides the opportunity for every Jewish Community in Europe to act with solidarity and responsibility and to ensure that fellow Jews in Europe will never be denied the most basic rights: to leave in times of war, or to receive food supplies, care and medical treatment in dire economic crises such as in 1995 in Ukraine or in 1997 in Bulgaria.
Social welfare is a multi facetted key issue in Europe today covering among other subjects: migrants, old age, disabilities, inherited diseases, child wellbeing, home care, volunteerism, end of life and palliative care, Shoah Survivors and services management.
From 2005, a New Area of Child Wellbeing was created to develop awareness and promote exchange of best practises on issues of Child Care, special needs and learning disabilities.
Best practice professional exchanges of different target groups have conducted field visits to other communities. Exchange visits have included: Krakow (volunteering) Paris (child welfare) London (Elderly care) Amsterdam (Senior Care) Prague (Old Age Homes) Paris (Alzheimer & Dementia Care) Bucharest (working with isolated populations) and London (Socialisation for Seniors).
Conferences have included: What's Jewish in Jewish care? London, Children with Special Needs, Paris, Living with Dignity – Senior Care, Prague, Active Ageing, Vienna, 8th Conference of European Social Welfare in Budapest, Nurturing Supportive Communities in London and the 10th European Conference on Jewish Social Welfare, held in Amsterdam with inclusion of professionals of the University of Amsterdam and Hogeweyk, the revolutionary Dementia Village in Wesp, Netherlands.
A revolutionary Think Tank was held in Oxford in April 2012 with collaboration of JDC and JDC-ICCD to plan for the future of the Jewish Social Services in 2025 – Envisioning the Future, Planning Scenarios.
The ECJC social welfare track leadership has seen that professional and volunteer exchanges build cooperation, promote consideration of alternate styles of solution-finding, provide avenues for professional development and will ensure that social and welfare services retain Jewish values and ethics.
Recent Programmes
Upcoming Programmes
Arachim 9
TBA
Arachim 8 - Connections & Creations
London, UK - May 2017
Arachim Mission to Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland - March 2016
Arachim 7 - New Ideas & Networking
Warsaw, Poland - November 2015
Small is Beautiful
Under the name of Small is beautiful, ECJC holds an annual encounter for leadership of Jewish Organisations which count with less than 5000 affiliated. This was specifically requested by one of the ECJC Board Members, as the reality of smaller organisations is quite different to the larger ones, and they all share common challenges. This forum has already met twice, once in Athens and once in Bratislava, to discuss relevant problematics and opportunities. Issues discussed were Sustainability and Fundraising, Narrative of the Communities and volunteering. The next meeting was held in June in Stockholm, and the key issue will be the inclusion of Interfaith marriages in the different communities, under the name of “The Arithmetic of Interfaith Marriages: Do they add, rest, multiply or divide?
Recent Programmes
Upcoming Programmes
Arachim 9
TBA
Arachim 8 - Connections & Creations
London, UK - May 2017
Arachim Mission to Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland - March 2016
Arachim 7 - New Ideas & Networking
Warsaw, Poland - November 2015
Civil Society
“ECJC wants us all to concentrate on the opportunities being presented to us as significant contributors to the enrichment of European society more than focussing solely on the challenges and threats to security”.
ECJC Board Member
This track was adopted at the general assembly in May 2004 in Budapest. The first expression of encouragement of responsible EU citizenship was the seminar European Encounters - Strengthening the knowledge of professionals in the new accession countries, (EU awareness, techniques for accessing public funding and project management), run as a pilot seminar in conjunction with CEJI and JDC, with support of Hanadiv Charitable Foundation and the Dutch Humanitarian Fund. This seminar was repeated in 2006 in Sofia. For 2016, a Special Seminar on Accessing EU Funding has been held in London, with support of the European Jewish Fund and EAJCC to train professionals from the different European Jewish Communities in Europe how to apply for EU funding under the different grant programmes. Due to the success of this seminar, a new edition will be held in February 2018 in partnership with other Jewish organisations.
Today is an important moment for Jews in Europe and Jewish communities in Europe.
The mission of ECJC is to assure the Jewish future for our people to preserve and celebrate our rich Jewish heritage, to cultivate Jewish values and quality Jewish life in our community and to create and maintain a sense of neighbourhood by providing gathering places for individuals, families and organization of Jewish life as well as the general community.
ECJC shares a place with EJC in the Board of the Claims Conference representing Jewish Interests in Europe.
© 2021 - ECJC - European Council of Jewish Communities