Meet Michal Stamova: Project Kesher’s Jewish Education Consultant

Michal Stamova is a leading expert in Jewish history, culture, and tradition, and serves as Project Kesher Ukraine’s Jewish Education Consultant. A long-time member of the Ukrainian Association for Jewish Studies, she has dedicated nearly 30 years to both formal and informal Jewish education. She is also a skilled translator, bringing core Jewish texts — including the Passover Haggadah and prayers — into Ukrainian.

Michal’s connection to Project Kesher began more than a decade ago, when friends invited her to join the Kyiv women’s group. “They were so proud of the seminars — charismatic, intelligent, inspiring women,” she recalls. “The atmosphere was unique: creative energy, positivity, and an informal, meaningful approach to Jewish learning.”

In 2012, her community began collaborating with Project Kesher, forming women’s groups, celebrating holidays, and launching joint initiatives. When Project Kesher Ukraine began shaping a distinctly Ukrainian Jewish identity in 2018, Michal joined the team as a Jewish education consultant. She now helps articulate the organization’s values, goals, and mission through authentic Jewish sources — and grounds them in the traditions of Ukrainian Jewry.

“What attracted me most was the focus on Ukrainian-Jewish heritage,” she says. “We developed educational courses in Ukrainian, launched translation projects, and created programs that truly respond to women’s needs. The team is warm, committed, and deeply human.”

Michal is also a mother of three daughters and a woman of many passions — reading, dancing, gardening, cooking, collecting vintage items, and exploring the world. Her multidisciplinary background spans music, history, philology, and most recently, psychology — a reflection of her boundless curiosity and love of learning.