A $2.7 initiative to promote leadership among Russian-speaking Jews living in the US has been announced in New York.

The money will go to training lay leadership in the community and supporting professional development.

“While the Russian-speaking community in North America has achieved much professional success, these talents remain largely outside of the organised Jewish community,” said Stan Polovets, CEO and one of the five founders of Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG). The foundation is dedicated to promoting Jewish identity for Russian-speaking Jews worldwide and is running the new programme jointly with the Wexner Foundation for Jewish Leadership.