Registered nurse Yelena Kogan recently traveled to Russia with The Jewish Federation and JDC Entwine on the Inside Jewish St. Petersburg trip. Read about her experiences in the interview below!
Why did you decide to travel to Russia with The Jewish Federation and JDC Entwine?
Yelena Kogan: I’m originally from Ukraine. I moved to the U.S. in 1996 when I was 9 years old. I felt the urge to rediscover Eastern Europe and see how much it’s changed. I also wanted to see how the Russian-Ukrainian Jewish community has evolved in the last 20 years—and I wanted to go to St. Petersburg because it is a beautiful city. We were in Russia during the White Nights. It stays light until three in the morning. It was beautiful. We saw a lot of museums, historical and cultural sights. Everything is open late during the White Nights, ‘til one in the morning and people are walking around. It was perfect timing for us to be there.
How did the trip impact you?
YK: The sightseeing was great. But I also felt a profound sense of purpose and appreciation, particularly when we did the home visits for the elderly. They were so grateful. We brought one woman basic groceries and she was so happy to see us. We also helped plant flowers at a Jewish preschool. The playground was so tiny. It had no flowers; it looked dead. We were there for a couple of hours planting and the director mentioned to us that it was a miracle we were there. Even if what we’re doing seems so small and basic to us, the Federation and JDC are making an extraordinary difference to these individuals.
What is something new you learned about the Jewish community in Russia?
YK: I learned that it has evolved. There is sense of pride now in being Jewish and the community is growing. When I left, there was no Jewish community and there was a lot of oppression. We couldn’t practice the religion. It’s more embraced now. I learned so much from them. They’re very humble and grateful people.
Are you currently involved with The Jewish Federation?
YK: I went on a Birthright Israel trip in 2012. After this trip I want to be more involved. Everyone on the trip was from L.A. so it’s easy to keep in touch. We just had a reunion event about our Russia trip to share our experience with the community and I’ve gotten e-mails about YALA events I want to participate in. I’m also hoping to go on the Russian-speaking trip to Argentina in November.
What would you tell others who are thinking of doing a Federation trip abroad?
YK: I would tell them to be open-minded. People have different expectations, but if you’re open-minded you’ll have a better experience. At first I didn’t understand how much we would be helping the Russian community. It made me realize that we can’t help everyone everywhere but making little changes for a few individuals makes a big impact on the community. Helping one person in one place is good enough. You don’t need to make extreme changes as an individual because to those individuals you’re helping, those are big changes.
For more information on short- and long-term immersive opportunities and scholarships, please e-mail Margalit at MRosenthal@JewishLA.org.
