Serbia

Overview

Serbia has seen years of conflict since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Ethnic warfare gripped the region for much of the 1990s, during which time Serbia and Montenegro were united in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. A looser federation, called Serbia and Montenegro, followed in 2003; this broke up in 2006, when both nations became independent entities.

Need

A decade of conflict created considerable ongoing welfare needs in Serbia. The country is plagued by high unemployment, and approximately half the population lives below the poverty line.

Response

JDC supports Serbian Jewry, the largest Jewish community in the Balkans, by working to ensure the community’s physical, material, and spiritual well-being. JDC efforts include:

• A partnership with SAVEZ, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Yugoslavia, that provides an extensive network of social and medical assistance to the elderly, including food, clothing, and home care for Holocaust survivors
• Programs that encourage networking among Jews of different age groups, linking Jewish communities that share a common geographic, cultural, language, and/or historic base

Impact

Property restitution is one of the major focuses of JDC’s work in Serbia and other Balkan states. With JDC’s financial and professional support, 513 restitution claims have been filed. Other JDC initiatives include:

• The Novi Sad Jewish community soup kitchen, which serves 60 free meals a day to needy Muslims, Christians, and Jews
• Large family seminars and Limmud-Keshet studyfests, which together attract more than 300 participants annually

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