Synagogue Outreach Network (SON) is a new Initiative launched in 2011 by COJECO (Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations), funded by UJA-Federation of New York’s Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal.

The Synagogue Outreach Network (SON) is aiming to find new opportunities for innovative outreach that would infuse our congregations with the valuable contributions of Russian-speaking Jews, as well as new ways of bridging the gap between “second-stage” Russian-speaking Jewish population and congregations of various denominations in Manhattan, Long Island, Staten Island, Westchester and Brownstone Brooklyn. Some 226,000 Russian-speaking Jews live in the New York area today. While the vast majority of this émigré community strongly and positively identify as Jews and support Israel, most remain outsiders to the Jewish institutions and especially synagogues. This project involves training with professional bi-cultural and bilingual staff who understand the nuances of the émigré community; as well as coaching, and the opportunity for synagogues to apply for outreach implementation grants.

The current SON grant applications submission is closed.

For more information, please e-mail Olga Markus, Synagogue Outreach Coordinator at synagogueoutreach@cojeco.org or call the COJECO office at 212.566.2120.