Judaism teaches one to care for those in need within your family, your community, your city, your country, and in general. This principle underlies the activities of the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria “Shalom” in the field of charity, mutual assistance, and care for individuals, families, and groups in need, both within the Jewish community and beyond it.
A large part of the social work of the Jewish organization is focused on elderly people, most of whom at present are survivors of the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War. Through funding from global Jewish foundations that support this specific group worldwide, most importantly the Claims Conference, the Bulgarian Jewish community is able to ensure a dignified old age for its members in their “golden years.” For them, there is a dining hall, social care services for those who can no longer leave their homes, medical care, provision of medicines, psychological support for coping with the trauma from Holocaust experiences, and more.
In addition to this support, it is of exceptional importance for the community to preserve and ensure a dignified life and engagement for these members. Therefore, within the “Chai” Day Center and a number of clubs, elderly people socialize, sing, dance, exercise, participate in various discussions, practice their knowledge of Hebrew, Ladino, Jewish traditions and customs, meet famous personalities, travel on excursions and camps, and have fun.
In 2009, the “Children in Need” program began to develop within the community, aiming to support financially disadvantaged parents, with a primary focus on single parents.
During the COVID-19 period, the organization, and in particular the social center, reviewed, reorganized, and adapted its way of working and the services it offers to its members. In 2021, the planning of a strategic process for the Social Center began, aimed at improving quality and modernizing working approaches.
At the end of 2023, we restructured the Social Center according to the target groups the organization works with and the types of services offered. A “Development and Support” department was created – “Room 508”: The Community Psychologists. The team of this department provides social and psychological support. Following the most modern trends in social work, we believe that engaging people in the process of change gives real meaning to our work. Without this, it would be difficult to achieve an improvement in the quality of life of the people we care for.
Social projects and support for members of the Jewish community are implemented in partnership with both international Jewish organizations and municipal social services in larger cities. In turn, the Jewish organization often initiates projects through which it shares its extensive experience with other non-governmental organizations and structures of the country’s social system.
