Two Highland Park residents awarded Tikkun Fellowships

Franklin Drob and Jane Faynshteyn of Highland Park are among six individuals who have been awarded 2016 Tikkun Fellowships by the Jewish United Fund’s Russian Jewish Division to help develop and support the fine arts and culture, further health and wellness, enhance Jewish education, all with Jewish flair.

Funded by the Genesis Philanthropy Group, Tikkun Fellowships help develop and support projects created by Russian-speaking Jewish individuals ages 22 to 40. Selected individuals receive a grant of up to $3,000 to develop projects that engage the community in a meaningful and significant way.

Using their fellowships:

Drob will provide chair yoga, relaxation response and well-being training to Russian-speaking seniors, and professionally produce a series of related web video tutorials in Russian. A Chicago native, Drob learned to speak Russian fluently from his grandmother. His relationship with her fuels his desire “to give back and improve the health and well-being of the Russian Jewish elderly community who gave us so much and were not privileged to always have the mind, body, health and wellness resources of today,” he said.

Faynshteyn will conduct a research study to learn the specific interests and attitudes held by Russian Jewish parents regarding educational and social opportunities for their young families. “If the data shows that there is enough interest in a Russian, Jewish preschool, I would like to further discuss this possibility with community leaders and (how to) make this a reality,” she said. Faynshteyn was born in Minsk, Belarus, and immigrated to Chicago in 1989 when she was 5 years old.

Additional fellows include Irina Talia Geister, Northbrook; Esther Gross, Rolling Meadows; Talia Prilutsky, Wheeling; and Marina Taleysnik, Chicago.

For information, visit http://www.juf.org/rjd/ or call 312-673-2351.

The Jewish United Fund impacts every aspect of local and global Jewish life, providing human services for Jews and others in need, creating Jewish experiences and strengthening Jewish community connections.