Former member of Knesset, Orit Zuaretz, herself a convert to Judaism and immigrant to Israel, has been appointed director of the new Maslul program in St. Petersburg, designed to prepare potential Israeli immigrants and sometimes, converts to Judaism, with a solid Jewish education and background before they get on a plane.
Zuaretz came on aliyah from the Soviet Union as a child in 1971, before any preparatory programs existed. There were financial difficulties and educational concerns. “Today’s olim deal with identical challenges,” says Orit, “but the system is softer, gentler, and that helps the change feel less drastic.” St. Petersburg joins centers in Moscow, Kiev, Dnipro and has already helped 25 people. Maslul courses in Russia are also accredited by the Israeli Rabbinate as meeting the Jewish learning targets required for conversion, significantly shortening the process for olim.