Hevesi talks to Bukharian youth

Bridging the divide between Uzbekistan and Forest Hills, Jewish Child Care Association’s (JCCA) Bukharian Teen Lounge youth welcomed Queens Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi on Thursday, August 10.
Hevesi shared first-hand knowledge about the political process and his experiences as a member of the New York State Assembly. Participation in the political process is a new experience for these young people whose early years were spent in the Soviet Union.
Hevesi also presided over the Teen Lounge Summer Internship Graduation ceremony that recognized the twenty Bukharian teens who worked this summer in the offices of non-profit agencies, doctors, lawyers, politicians, museums and other settings in Manhattan and Queens.
JCCA’s Bukharian Teen Lounge, at the Central Queens YM/YWHA, helps high school-aged immigrants who are among the 35,000 Bukharian Jews who recently emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Queens. Teens meet after school to socialize, become involved with Jewish tradition and activities and participate in life skills workshops, work internship programs and field trips.