Kaleidoscope is a snapshot of Jewish life in Europe in the 21st century through the words of young Jewish people. You’ll be able to read about the diversity of Jewish experiences as these young adults reflect on their lives and begin making their own choices about how they will live their Jewish lives in the future.
Kaleidoscope has been inspired by a project in the 1930s, initiated by the YIVO Institute.
They too were keen to document young Jewish life, particularly in Yiddish speaking countries, and they collected anonymous autobiographies by young Polish Jews (see more about that project below).
Similarly, Kaleidoscope showcases stories by young Jews, but our remit is wider. We want to hear from young Jews from all around Europe, written in different languages, reflecting diverse realities – those who come from small and large communities, people who are deeply engaged in Jewish life and others who may have just discovered their Jewish connection. Tell us about the everyday, tell us about the extraordinary.Tell us about inspirational acts, examples of success and failure that are relatable, both particular and universal.
Visit our Stories page to discover the stories of Talia and Sara who grew up in their respective Jewish bubbles in the UK and Hungary. You will also find the stories of Rachel and Liza who moved to Germany from Czechia and Turkey to continue their Jewish journey.
Every story is unique and yet we find common themes of meaningful Jewish experiences like camp, Jewish school and youth movements, reflexions about personal growth and how young Jews interact with wider society. And this is just the beginning!
For more than 25 years, the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe has supported the documentation of the Jewish past and with Kaleidoscope we are offering young people today the opportunity to add their voice to this evolving Jewish story.
The stories will be permanently archived in the Central Archives of the Jewish People at the National Library of Israel.
