The Next Step 2025 - Grantees

Austria – Jüdische österreichische HochschülerInnen (JöH)

Project: NOODNIK Magazine issues #13 & #14 of 2025

The Austrian Union of Jewish Students (JöH) has been publishing NOODNIK, Austria’s historic Jewish student newspaper, as a platform for expression, education, and activism. NOODNIK involves Jewish students in all stages of publication – from writing and illustration to production – and its distribution extends to both Jewish and non-Jewish student spaces.

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JöH will publish two new issues (#13 and #14) of NOODNIK to cover key topics relevant to Jewish youth in Austria and Europe, including antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance, Jewish culture and tradition, and intersectional identity. These issues will also feature a permanent feminist section and content focused on LGBTQ+ Jewish voices, ensuring diverse representation within the editorial voice. The release of the new issues will also include events where the writers will read their articles in front of a crowd?

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Duration: 01.05.2025 - 30.11.2025

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Awarded sum: 12,000 €

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Czech Republic – Česká unie židovské mládeže

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Project: ČUŽM seminar

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The ČUŽM Seminar 2025 is a key annual gathering of the Czech Union of Jewish Youth, aimed at uniting Jewish youth from across the country – especially from outside Prague – for a weekend of informal education, leadership development, and community-building. The 2025 edition is planned for Liberec, a city with a rich Jewish history.

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This year’s seminar will include peer-led workshops, Shabbat observance, and interactive sessions on Jewish identity, tradition, and history. Designed and co-facilitated by ČUŽM board members and participants themselves, the program fosters a sense of ownership and active engagement.

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Duration: 01.07.2025 - 30.11.2025

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Awarded sum: 1.200 €

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Czech Republic – Česká unie židovské mládeže

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Project: Jewish Youth: Learning from the Holocaust

This project aims to deepen Holocaust education among young Czech Jews by fostering personal, emotional, and place-based engagement with Holocaust history and its aftermath. Focusing on both historical facts and personal connections, the two-day program will be implemented by the Czech Union of Jewish Youth and is open to Jewish youth across the Czech Republic, including those not yet involved in community life.

The program includes: 

• a visit to Theresienstadt (Terezín), where participants will engage with the historical ghetto and Small Fortress, 
• reflection sessions led by trained facilitators. 
• a visit of the Jewish Museum in Prague, with a focus on Holocaust-related exhibitions,
• a workshop on the post-war Jewish experience in Czechoslovakia. 

Duration: 01.07.2025 - 01.10.2025

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Awarded sum: 2.000 €

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Czech Republic – Česká unie židovské mládeže

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Project: Sunday Blues Crew

The Sunday Blues Crew, a vibrant initiative by the Czech Union of Jewish Youth, offers a unique antidote to the typical Sunday melancholy through art, culture, and community engagement. 

Open to both Jewish and non-Jewish participants, the Sunday Blues Crew provides a welcoming space to engage with Jewish culture, history, and identity in a relaxed, authentic setting. The gatherings also serve as educational opportunities to raise awareness about the Holocaust and antisemitism, particularly through the lens of art created by victims of genocide.

Meeting roughly once a month, the Sunday Blues Crew has grown over the years into a committed community, with post-event café gatherings that allow participants to reflect and connect. This initiative works to combat isolation and build an inclusive, engaged community, especially at a time when Jewish voices are often misunderstood.

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Duration: 01.05.2025 - 30.11.2025

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Awarded sum: 2.450 €

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Czech Republic – Česká unie židovské mládeže

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Project: Restoring Jewish Memory: Cemetery Cleanup Initiative

This volunteer initiative brings together young Jewish members to clean and restore two historic cemeteries – Mladá Boleslav and Kostelec u Křížků – over two summer weekends. Participants will cut grass, remove overgrowth, clean headstones, make minor repairs, and learn about local Jewish heritage through short educational talks, concluding each weekend with a remembrance ceremony.

Building on ČUŽM’s tradition of cemetery restorations in towns like Jičín and Boskovice, this project not only preserves neglected sites but also empowers youth to take ownership of their communal history. 

After the cleanups, ČUŽM will coordinate ongoing maintenance with local communities and Matana, while documenting and sharing the work via social media to raise awareness and inspire similar heritage efforts across the region.

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Duration: 01.06.2025 - 01.10.2025

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Awarded sum: 2.200 €

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Denmark – Jødisk Ungdomssammenslutning

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Project: Jewish Community Building and Youth Engagement in Copenhagen, Aarhus and

Malmö

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This project aims to strengthen Jewish youth connections across Denmark, Sweden, and the Nordic region by fostering a vibrant, inclusive Jewish community rooted in cultural heritage and active resistance to antisemitism. Building on previous years, the initiative will feature cross-border community events, educational workshops, and expanded antisemitism awareness campaigns.

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New programming includes: 

• Advanced leadership training for Jewish youth 
• Cross-border community events with the Danish participation in the annual Nordic Jewish youth event (SJUF)
• The expansion of community-building efforts to Aarhus and other underserved areas in Denmark

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Duration: 01.05.2025 - 30.11.2025

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Awarded sum: 10,400 €

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France – Union des Etudiants Juifs de France

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Project: UEJF Fall Universities and its implementation in the Universities

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The UEJF’s Fall Universities is a flagship training seminar that marks the beginning of the academic and activist year. Held annually near the city of Paris, this weekend event brings together over 200 students from across France to empower both seasoned leaders and newcomers, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and community to lead on campus. New students receive an introduction to UEJF’s activism, while experienced leaders are challenged to step into mentorship roles.

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The program includes: 

• high-level speakers, 
• interactive workshops, 
• and sessions on key issues such as Jewish identity, activism, and combating antisemitism. 

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Following the event, participants implement their training through local campaigns, interfaith dialogues, and campus debates, ensuring immediate, visible impact. For 2025, UEJF aims to diversify participation, introduce new topics like digital activism and mental health, and strengthen its mentorship model to further amplify the program’s impact on French Jewish student leadership.

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Duration: 01.09.2025 - 01.11.2025 

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Awarded sum: 14.000 €

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Germany – Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland

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Project: EDA Magazine No.3 - International Edition

The EDA Magazine, published by the German Union of Jewish Students, challenges narrow stereotypes of Jewish identity in Germany by amplifying diverse and authentic Jewish voices. Its next issue aims to expand its reach by including international voices from across Europe and beyond, with a special focus on communities without an existing publication platform. The project will include: 

• a three-day writers’ camp, 
• the production of a bilingual print issue, 
• a public release event. 

Duration: 01.05.2025 - 31.12.2025

Awarded sum: 10.000 €

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Greece – Jewish Youth of Greece

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Project: Sephardic Shabbaton

The Jewish Youth of Greece will organize the Sephardic Shabbaton 2025, a pan-European gathering of Jewish students and young professionals focused on Sephardic heritage, identity, and community. Building on last year’s successful event in Portugal, this edition takes place in Greece – a land with one of Europe’s richest Sephardic legacies, from pre-war Thessaloniki to contemporary traditions.

Over several days, participants will engage in : 

• educational workshops, 
• historical site visits, 
• cultural activities, 
• immersive Shabbat experiences designed to explore and revitalize Sephardic customs. 

The Shabbaton aims to foster dialogue and leadership among diverse Jewish youth unions across Europe, highlight and honor Greek Sephardic roots in a modern context, and strengthen Jewish life in Greece. By bridging past and present, this initiative deepens intercultural connections, promotes resilience, and empowers the next generation to celebrate and reimagine Sephardic Jewish identity.

Duration: 15.10.2025 - 19.10.2025

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Awarded sum: 18.000 €

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Italy – Unione Giovani Ebrei d’Italia

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Project: Auschwitz: A Journey Through Memory

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UGEI will bring together 30 young professionals, student leaders, and emerging voices from both Jewish and non-Jewish youth organisations on a deeply immersive journey to Kraków and Auschwitz, Poland. This inaugural trip reaffirms UGEI’s commitment to transforming Holocaust remembrance into a living, intergenerational experience with on-site guided reflection led by historians and survivor testimonies.

The program encourages attendees to contextualize what they witness: to confront the everyday machinery of genocide, the resilience of those who endured it, and the echoes of that history in today’s world. By physically placing young people at the heart of these memory sites, UGEI seeks to bridge the gap between abstract knowledge and personal responsibility, inspiring each participant to carry forward lessons of vigilance, solidarity, and human dignity in their own communities.

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Duration: 19.10.2025 - 22.10.2025

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Awarded sum: 12.000 €

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Slovakia – Slovenská Únia Židovskej Mládeže

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Project: Bratislava Jewish Heritage Tour

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This project offers a guided Jewish heritage tour of Bratislava for members of the community, providing a meaningful opportunity to explore the city’s rich Jewish history. Led by an expert guide, the tour will highlight key historical sites and share stories of the local Jewish community’s legacy and resilience. The initiative aims to deepen cultural understanding, strengthen community bonds, and make Jewish history more accessible to participants of all ages.

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Duration: 23.08.2025 - 23.08.2025

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Awarded sum: 520 €

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Spain –  Federación de Jóvenes Judíos en España

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Project: FEJJEShip

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FEJJEShip 2025 is a 9-month leadership and identity-building program for 20 young Jewish adults (ages 18–30) from across Spain, with a focus on including voices from underrepresented communities such as Ceuta, Melilla, Málaga, and Torremolinos. The program empowers participants to take active roles in their communities, grounded in Jewish values and social responsibility. 

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The program culminates in their leading role at FEJJETON, Spain’s largest Jewish youth event. FEJJEShip not only prepares individuals to lead but also strengthens the national Jewish network, ensuring a new generation of confident, engaged Jewish leaders in Spain.

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Duration: 01.05.2025 - 29.06.2025

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Awarded sum: 10.000 €

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Sweden – Judiska Ungdomsförbundet i Sverige (JUS)

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Project: 250 Year Anniversary Weekend

To mark the 250th anniversary of Jewish life in Sweden, JUS will organize a commemorative weekend for over 100 young Swedish Jews in Norrköping – a historically significant city for Swedish Jewry. The event will combine community-building with educational workshops and lectures on Swedish-Jewish history and contemporary life.

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The project aims to strengthen identity and historical awareness among young Swedish Jews by reconnecting them with an important yet often overlooked part of their heritage, with the input from local Jewish youth organisations across the country.

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Duration: 29.08.2025 - 31.08.2025

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Awarded sum: 5.230 €

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