Imperial palaces still line the broad boulevards. Statues of Brahms and Beethoven tower above fountains. Elegant gardens designed centuries ago stand between columned museums. Vienna's architecture is timeless, but Nazi destruction drained the soul of the city, eradicating the great Jewish presence that once illuminated its culture and splendor. The Jewish flame that burned brightly here for centuries was almost extinguished. But not quite.

The Lauder Chabad School in Vienna, Austria
In the years since the Holocaust, Vienna's Jewish life has reemerged in multifaceted form thanks to the thousands of Russian Jews who have settled in Austria. Ronald S. Lauder first discovered this remarkable reawakening in 1987, when he visited a cramped, two-room Chabad School for children from the Soviet Union. Even though their parents had been denied access to Judaism for decades, here were a handful of youngsters learning Hebrew, studying Talmud and taking part in their own religious services. He was so impressed that he immediately decided to support this program. Today, The Lauder Chabad School has grown to include a pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, primary and secondary school.

Not only does The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation continue to provide annual operating funds, but in recognition of the profound success of The Lauder Chabad School, the Foundation agreed to construct and furnish a new building to house the growing numbers of students. Thus, in September 1999, the Foundation celebrated the opening of a beautiful Lauder Chabad School building designed by the widely acclaimed European architect Professor A. Krischanitz. Located on the edge of the renowned Augarten Park, the new facility occupies land made available by the Municipality of Vienna.

The Lauder Chabad School can accommodate up to 400 children and has a current enrollment of 350. The curriculum, designed to develop proud, informed young Jews, focuses on the creative teaching of Hebrew, Talmud, and Jewish history in addition to high-level secular studies. State-of-the-art computer technology is available and afternoon sports programs are conducted daily. To further its positive impact, the School's facilities are also available to non-Jewish neighborhood children, who can utilize the spacious library and participate in a variety of after-school programs.

During the summer months, The Lauder Chabad School becomes a day camp with activities that combine sports and arts and crafts with Jewish tradition. Throughout the year, the School provides evening courses and cultural programs for parents so they can share in their children's discovery of Judaism.

In 1997, The Lauder Chabad School proudly announced the establishment of a pedagogical training academy. Created by a team of educators in conjunction with the Israeli and Austrian Ministries of Education, the program prepares young adults, including graduates of The Lauder Chabad School, to be pre-school and elementary school teachers.

The Sephardic Synagogue and Community Center in Vienna, Austria
As Jews arrived from the far corners of the collapsed Soviet Union-- from Bukhara, Georgia and Caucasia-- it became clear that their special needs could not be addressed within the city's traditionally Ashkenazic communal structures. Working in conjunction with the Vienna Jewish community, we proudly helped to build and continue to support The Sephardic Synagogue and Community Center, which houses two separate synagogues for the Bukharan and Georgian traditions. Connecting the two houses of prayer is The Lauder Social Hall -- frequently the venue for weddings, Bar Mitzvah celebrations, educational programs and lectures.

The Sephardic Synagogue and Community Center has become one of the liveliest hubs of activity in Vienna. Passersby can hear the sounds of Jewish life resounding from within -- children singing, choirs rehearsing and congregants chanting the weekly Torah portion. This rapidly growing Russian Jewish segment of the community is adding a vital and colorful new dimension to Vienna's Jewish population.

The Educator's Network of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation provides a unique forum for Jewish teachers, principles and educators of the more than 52 Kindergartens, primary, middle and high schools that the Foundation supports and sponsors throughout Eastern and Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union.

The Educator's Network has already sponsored several Tal AM/Tal Sela training sessions for Hebrew and Jewish study teachers and will offer other opportunities for professionals to meet, learn and develop pedagogical and communal programs which will help meet the ever-growing needs of Jewish Students, their families and communities throughout the region.