Jewish Life In Russia

DANBURY — Congregation B’nai Israel will expand its “Jewish Experience in America” series to talks to present a first-hand report from overseas on “The Jewish Experience in Russia Today” at 11 am Sunday, November 14, at 193 Clapboard Ridge Road. The program is free.

The speaker will be George Bruckman, who together with his wife Vivienne, recently returned from a Federation-sponsored mission to Russia and the Ukraine with many fascinating insights on what they saw and learned about Jewish life in what was formerly the Soviet Union. As part of the mission, they had an opportunity to experience the area as “insiders” — to participate in diplomatic briefings and consult with the Jewish support groups and the social service agencies. They visited schools and colleges and met with Jewish residents in their own homes.

Both are extremely active with the American Jewish Committee, doing diplomatic outreach work in New York City — particularly with consuls general and ambassadors to the United Nations — and concentrating on building bridges for the diplomats to the Jewish community in metropolitan New York.

When they are not traveling, the Bruckmans are weekend residents of Danbury. George Bruckman is a partner in the Manhattan law firm of Goetz Fitzpatrick Most & Bruckman, LLP.