Four educators from Ukraine pulled out all the stops in order to attend the World ORT Jewish Educators’ Seminar in Barcelona.
Yuliia Tkachuk, a Hebrew Teacher at Kyiv ORT School 141 and ORT Ukraine PR Manager, said it took her and her colleague, Oleksandra Shokhina, from Kyiv ‘ORT-Simha’ school, 36 hours to reach Barcelona.
Yuliia travelled by train to Chop, which is near the Ukrainian border, and then took another train to Budapest, from where she caught a plane to Barcelona. This took her nearly two days rather than the pre-war three-hour flight direct from Kyiv.
She said: “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to join the seminar in Barcelona. For teachers from Ukraine, who are working in extremely difficult conditions today, it is not only a source of knowledge, but also an invaluable space for inspiration, exchange of ideas and professional growth.
“The knowledge gained during the seminar will have a significant impact on our work. New approaches to teaching, modern teaching methods and tools that we have learned will become the basis for creating a high-quality and effective educational process even in the most difficult conditions.
“An equally important aspect of the seminar was the development of soft skills. These skills are key in our work, as they help us find a common language with students, parents, and colleagues, adapt to changes and make non-standard decisions.
Yuliia Tkachuk, Oleksandra Shokhina, Olena Berezorutska and Anna Tarasiuk
“This seminar also became a platform for inspiration, as we not only exchanged ideas with our colleagues, but also felt real solidarity and support, which is extremely important for Ukraine today. This seminar breaks down walls between people and countries, helps to overcome barriers of misunderstanding and creates effective, and most importantly, much-needed bridges in the modern world.”
She thanked World ORT for its generous support, which also gave delegates the opportunity to be part of the global educational dialogue. “Without your help, many of us would not have been able to join this incredible event.”
Oleksandra said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to join the community of Jewish educators. This creative and friendly atmosphere inspires and fills me with energy that gives me the strength to teach children with a smile and positivity despite all the difficulties created by the war.
“The exchange of experience, international connections and implementation of joint plans, such as telebridges between schools, will give our students additional motivation and opportunity for development and learning.”
Meanwhile, it took Anna Tarasiuk, an English and Jewish Tradition Teacher from Bila Tserkva Private Lyceum ‘Mitsva-613’, two days to reach the seminar. She had to travel to West Lviv, then on to Rava Ruska, from where she took the train to Warsaw in Poland. She spent two hours waiting on this last train for her documents to be checked, after which she flew from Warsaw to Barcelona. A journey that would normally have taken three hours was extended due to the war.
Anna found the seminar instructive, saying: “I have gained a wealth of knowledge. My goal was to gather fresh ideas for new projects, implement them effectively, and foster collaboration with colleagues from around the world.
“The initiative to promote Jewish traditions in English within our high school is particularly inspiring. Perhaps we could organize Zoom classes with students from Israel or Spain, facilitating discussions on Jewish holidays. This would allow them to exchange knowledge while simultaneously practicing English. Moreover, the experience could extend beyond cultural discussions to leadership development. Many students tend to downplay their talents, but such initiatives could help them build confidence and express themselves more openly.
“I truly appreciated the seminar – it was thought-provoking and left me brimming with ideas. I particularly enjoyed the art workshop, which offers excellent opportunities for both primary and high school students.”
Olena Berezorutska, a Teacher of Jewish Traditions and Hebrew Language at Odesa ORT Zhabotinski Lyceum #94, travelled for 21 hours to reach the seminar – a journey that would normally have taken half that time. She travelled to Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, from where she took a flight to Istanbul, then another flight to Barcelona.
She said: “I was hoping for a supportive international community and to gain experience from everyone. I’m happy to be in the community of educators who are supportive and share my goals. I’m interested in initiatives that combine technology and English, for example, or integrate Jewish education and tradition within another subject and multidisciplinary subjects.
“I would recommend the seminar – it contains so much useful information, which we can apply in real-life scenarios, and I will adapt my approaches after the seminar. I hope to continue our communication because it was an incredible experience.”
Since the war began in 2022, ORT students, teachers and their families in Ukraine have faced attacks at home and at school. ORT has urgently raised funds to ensure continuity of education along with the provision of psychological support, financial aid, and essential resources. Schools have adapted with bomb shelters and remote learning and, despite the challenges, ORT Ukraine’s commitment to maintaining educational excellence remains steadfast.
Read more about ORT’s campaign for Ukraine
