ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: Why is it hard to be a Jew in Serbia?

Sonja Viličić was born in Serbia, and worked for the American Joint Distribution Committee in Hungary in various positions as an informal Jewish educator, including as program director of an international youth camp.  Today, Sonja lives in Belgrade, Serbia, where she is one of the founders and Executive Director of Haver Srbija, a non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization that promotes a diverse and inclusive society in Serbia.  Haver advocates against prejudice, discrimination, antisemitism and xenophobia, fosters intercultural dialogue, develops individual skills for creating inclusive intercultural environments, and spreads tolerance through informal education.  Its aim is to introduce Serbian society to the culture, history and traditions of the Jewish people and to develop the community members’ Jewish identities by encouraging them to be actively involved in the organization. Sonja is also a Jewish educator at the European Union of Jewish Students. 

This week Sonja is speaking with us about the history and current status of the Jewish community in Serbia, and about Haver Srbija.