This book explores the resilience of Jewish civil society organizing in Ukraine during the tumultuous early months of the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion. Developed in collaboration with Paideia - the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden, the research chronicles a project that involved Ukrainian Jewish communities during wartime through Paideia's alumni network. Drawing on rich empirical data, the authors examine the multifaceted work of Jewish organizations and organizing efforts, from sustaining rituals to engaging in humanitarian work. The book examines single case studies and broader cross-organizational analyses, shedding light on the capacity of Jewish groups to repurpose activities, pivot from serving specific communities to addressing broader societal needs, and mobilize resources under extreme conditions. This resilience, the authors argue, is shaped by a complex interplay of factors: pre-existing organizational structures, transnational networks, and the fusion of symbolic and material elements rooted in the Ukrainian-Jewish experience. By situating these efforts within a wider context, the book uses different streams of organization studies to provide an in-depth analysis of resilient civil society organizing during wartime. Aimed at organization scholars, civil society researchers, activists, and those interested in Jewish culture and Ukrainian history, this book offers critical insights into the possibility of civil society resilience in the face of war.

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access Explores civil society organizing in wartime Teaches about the organizing of civil society resilience Provides insights on the organization of Jewish life and culture in Ukraine

Autorentext
Noomi Weinryb is Associate Professor of Business Studies at Södertörn University, Sweden, focused on organization studies and civil society research. Zhanna Kravchenko is Associate Professor of Sociology at Södertörn University, Sweden. Her work focuses on civil society's organization and resources. Avital Shein 's PhD is in Government and Politics. She works at Paideia - the European institute of Jewish studies in Sweden. Jaakko Turunen is a lecturer in Public Administration at Södertörn University, Sweden. His research focuses on semiotics and the role of knowledge. Sofiya Voytiv 's PhD is in Sociology. Her research focuses on diasporic mobilization, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and social networks of elites. Yair Lipshitz is Senior Lecturer in the department of Theatre Arts at Tel Aviv University, Israel, specializing in Jewish theatre and performance.

Inhalt

1.Exploring the organization of civil society resilience.- 2.The case of Anatevka: place-making and resilience at a critical juncture.- 3.Legitimizing resilient resource mobilization exploring Jewish fundraising accounts.- 4.Semiotics of resilience: Two kinds of sensemaking for organizational adaptability.- 5.Many roads to follow: Jewish civil society organizations' collaboration patterns during wartime.- 6.Resilience and organizational identity: the development of Hesed community centers in the face of war.- 7.Theorizing the organizing of civil society resilience.