Project Spotlight: Fellowship-supported World ORT

The Fellowship  |  March 26, 2019

World ORT, a group of Fellowship-funded Jewish schools throughout the former Soviet Union (FSU), estimates that 20 percent of students wouldn’t be able to attend their schools without The Fellowshipfunding their hot meals, bus rides, and school security systems. We received this heartfelt thank-you letter from a grateful parent in the FSU:

Dear Supporters,

As the mother of 10th-grade student Margarita (Rita), who attends the Samara School #42 ORT “Gesher,” I want to express to you big gratitude for providing free meals in our school. I raise my daughter alone, and our family is constantly experiencing financial difficulties because we live on my wage only. We do not have help from anyone. I dream of giving my daughter a decent education, so I enrolled her to this school, about which I heard many good reviews. This spring, Rita participated in the international Olympiad on the history of the Jewish people. She became a finalist and got to visit Israel. Israel made an indelible impression on her, and now she wants to get a higher education in Israel. Now Rita pays special attention to Hebrew lessons at school. Joining a group of other 10th-grade students, she will participate in the program “Masa in Israel” (a study abroad program hosted in Israel).

In her school life, free food plays a very big role. Rita enjoys a visit to the school cafeteria, where the food is delicious, varied, and well-prepared. I often talk with her on the subject of health and I am happy with the healthy menu made in the cafeteria. They serve hot dishes: porridges, casseroles, and cutlets with different side dishes. They always have a choice of drinks: juices, tea, and hot cocoa. Most of all, my daughter likes fruits. At school, they offer mandarins, bananas, and apples for breakfast.

My daughter attends school from 8am to 4pm, and I never worry she will go hungry. Thanks to the free meals, I know my daughter is well taken care of.

Once again I say to you – many thanks for such a great gift for my child!

Vlasova