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Friends of Yemin Orde announces a new partnership between Yemin Orde Youth Village and Brandeis University, that is designed to enhance graduate learning opportunities for alumni of the noted youth village in Israel, and to reinforce the two institutions’ shared mission of educating and supporting promising young people. The Laurel and Orrie Friedman Fellowship for Alumni of Yemin Orde covers 100 percent of tuition and fees, health insurance, travel to the United States and a living stipend for the duration of the program (up to two years). Yemin Orde, the Friedman family and Brandeis University share a common vision of providing academic opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Friends of Yemin Orde is the U.S.-based fundraising arm of Yemin Orde Youth Village and Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives.
Yemin Orde graduate, Oleg Kremerov (seated on the right in photo), who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union in 1996, is the fellowship’s first recipient. He is currently studying for a Master’s in Business Administration at Brandeis’s International Business School (IBS).
“This partnership represents the long-term friendship and shared values between Yemin Orde, the Friedman family and Brandeis University. Education is a pivotal piece of the journey for our kids who come from mere survival to leadership and strength as productive citizens of Israel,” said Michael Frieze, Chair, Friends of Yemin Orde. Frieze also serves on Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees.
“Oleg Kremerov is an outstanding young man and he represents the best of Yemin Orde’s mission that is, transforming at-risk youth into productive and hopeful citizens of Israel,” said Frieze.
The Yemin Orde-Friedman connection extends through many years of friendship between Chaim Peri, Director-Emeritus, Yemin Orde Youth Village, and Orrie Friedman, who was a generous and dedicated supporter of Yemin Orde and, like so many of the Village’s children, faced financial hardship in his early years. Orrie Friedman died in 2009 at the age of 94.
“My goal in establishing this fellowship was to provide promising Yemin Orde alumni with the opportunity to pursue higher education and become leaders in their chosen fields of endeavor,” Laurel Friedman said. “My late husband, Orrie, believed in the potential of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to make something of their lives. Brandeis University is the ideal place for Yemin Orde alumni to pursue that dream."
Oleg arrived at Yemin Orde at 15 years of age from Belarus, a region that bordered the catastrophic nuclear accident zone of Chernobyl. He immigrated to Israel, alone, in order to practice Judaism without fear of reprisals or anti-Semitism and to pursue a better education and quality of life.
“Indeed, he restarted his life at Yemin Orde,” said Chaim Peri. Peri also serves as Founder, Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives, an independent organization created to expand the successful Yemin Orde educational methodology, called the Village Way, to other youth villages in Israel.
At Yemin Orde, Oleg excelled in his studies, joined the Village’s outstanding choir and deepened his knowledge and understanding of Jewish traditions and culture. “Everyone at Yemin Orde had true concern for my future,” Oleg said. “The teachers helped to provoke thought, to increase self-confidence and to design a world of values for me.”
After high school graduation, Oleg attended a one-year pre-military leadership program and then served for three years in the Israeli navy. He received his undergraduate degree from Tel Aviv University in life science and medical science. For the past eight years, Oleg has worked in production management in Israel’s hi-tech and health care industries.
Oleg is eager to begin next chapter of his life at Brandeis.
“I expect to improve my management and strategy skills and deepen my understanding of underlying economic principles,” Oleg said. “This will help me build a successful future career and increase my capability to contribute to society.”
Oleg enjoys studying geography and photography. He is an avid cyclist and plays the French horn.
Oleg remains in close contact with his mentors and friends from Yemin Orde. The promise that “Yemin Orde will never leave you” is important to the children at the Village and is a critical element to Yemin Orde’s successful education methodology, called the Village Way. It is this unique methodology that sets Yemin Orde apart from other youth villages in Israel.
Brandeis University President Frederick Lawrence has visited Yemin Orde on earlier trips to Israel. In May 2013, Chaim Peri received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the university at its spring commencement.
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