Two years ago, there was a story in The Jerusalem Post about how Jewish life was flourishing in Belgrade thanks to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and thanks to many young people who were away during the Milosevic years and were coming back from Israel to Belgrade. Today, it looks like a visit to Belgrade provides a seminal moment in the development of a Jewish soul. Ariel Zipkin put up a blog over at OyChicago.com (An online community for Jews in the loop) about his trip to Belgrade. Here's a short excerpt, but it's worth reading the whole thing:
"I have never felt so comfortable and welcome anywhere in the world, besides Israel. This reminds me of the saying: "Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh (All Israel is responsible for one another)." Not only does this saying describe the way we were treated in Belgrade, this exemplifies the mission of JDC and how they operate. The work that JDC conducts daily exemplifies the Jewish way of thought, the idea that we are responsible for one another. I am proud to be a part of a community that cares for people worldwide and feel fortunate to have had the experience to visit the unique and wonderful Jewish community in Belgrade."
My take: If your Jewish identity means anything at all, I suspect you might find a visit to Serbia anywhere between quite interesting and life-changing. And if you haven't been to Serbia, trust those who have. It's that special. A visit to Belgrade can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences in one's life.
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishF...http://www.oychicago.com/blog.aspx?id=57...Reprinted with permission from
http://www.ambassador-serbia.com