Constantin Brancusi header photo credit to Liviu Anca
It is the shortest month of the year and for many of us, one of the coldest. It’s the last month when we can count on snow and winter activities leading to that feeling of rebirth we get every spring.
We’d love to hear what February means for those of you who have found your home away from Romania in a warmer place.
Regardless of where you are in the world, we know that we can warm up your hearts with what we have featured this month:
Highlights:
Romanian Online Class Finally Here!
Martisoare Workshop - Online event
A Birthday Story
What We Celebrate This Month
Fundraising To Prepare Teachers
Romanian Online Class Finally Here!
Photo - Maria Ilinca Cosma (Chicago IL)
We’re answering your call for a Romanian class for children of Romanian Heritage.
We have partnered with ARCS to deliver a 14 session curriculum to take place from January 28 to May 13. This class is tailored for students of Romanian origin nationwide who do not understand, nor speak the language, but who have been exposed to Romanian culture and are curious to find out more about their heritage.
They will learn basic conversational skills in Romanian and will develop their pronunciation, vocabulary, writing, and reading knowledge.
They will gain confidence and will be able to connect with their Romanian family in meaningful ways. No knowledge of Romanian is required.
Groups of 4-5 students / 60 min, weekly.
Tuition: 14 sessions for $350 ($25/h)
We’re proud to help children connect to their heritage and feel like they belong to their Romanian community.
Time for Martisoare!
Join us in a spring celebration and learn about Martisor!
RUF has partnered with ARCS, Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), and Romanians of DC, in hosting this online event to connect with our Romanian traditions.
A Birthday Story
Photo - David Bora (Chicago IL)
Are you ready for the new year and all the birthdays? What do you wish for your birthday?
David came home from school one day and told his mom about the question he received from his teacher that day. He was asked, what are 3 things he wished for his birthday and his answer was “I don’t wish for anything, I think I have everything … actually, I wish for myself health, happiness, and kindness.”
A rather atypical response from a child but one that filled his mother's soul with joy! Her birthday was coming up, so she asked herself the same question. “What do I want for my birthday?”
The answer? She decided to make a few children with life-limiting conditions happy. She opened a Birthday Fundraiser through RUF Facebook platform and raised $1,640. These funds were used to sponsor summer camps for several kids and members of our global community donated their birthdays throughout summer
To know you contributed to another person's happiness, and you gave from the little you had to bring a smile on their face, is the most rewarding feeling.
Way to inspire your mom David, and all of us at RUF!
Constantin Brancusi Day & Dragobete
On February 19th the global Romanian community celebrates Constantin Brancusi and Dragobete on the 24th.
Did you know that the MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) in New York has exhibited Brancusi’s work? As a Romanian, it can be an incredible feeling to find him there among the most renowned artists in the world.
Constantin Brancusi expressed his love for Romania and God through his work. Inspired by the divine and by the simple life of the Romanian countryside, he stripped sculpture of all its secondary elements that were suffocating it and presented the reality at its essence. "The Gate of the Kiss" ( "Poarta Sarutului") was sculpted in 1938 and is another version of "The Kiss" ("Sarutul") created in 1907.
“I wanted to raise everything far above the earth. I made the stone sing for Humanity. My sculptures are even for the blind. What I give you as a gift is pure bliss.”
Both sculptures speak love and often couples choose to celebrate their union under "The Gate of the Kiss" on Dragobete.
Despite the great worldwide success of Valentine's Day, we are still quite attached to the age-old traditions. Some people celebrate only Valentine's Day, others celebrate Dragobete and those that are madly in love, both.
But unlike Valentine's Day, Dragobete is not only about roses, heart-shaped chocolate, jewelry, and love letters. Be tender to your significant other, show them your appreciation and your love not through material objects but through your attention and your presence.
Fundraising To Prepare Teachers
Did you know that last year, in rural Romania, the school dropout rate was 26%?
That’s because villages still represent some of the most vulnerable and most hostile areas for children’s education, especially now in the midst of the pandemic.
Beyond institutional intervention, the solution lies with teachers. People who, through their training and dedication, can offer children in rural areas a chance for education, by having a different approach, suitable for students' needs and classroom environment.
Teach for Romania builds such teachers. Some of them have recently returned to Romania after living abroad, in order to bring change where it is needed.
Join them in inspiring the future and donate for quality education in vulnerable environments in Romania!
Tax Season Is Upon Us
We are grateful for receiving your donations in the previous year. Your contribution is highly appreciated! For tax purposes, please reply to the Herald and let us know if you need a letter as proof of your donation. We can only issue letters for donations received on our website.
Amazon Smile Campaign
Select RUF as your charity of choice on Amazon today.
If you use the Amazon app on your phone, you will have to turn on "Generating Donations" on every device you use (Settings > Amazon Smile > Turn ON Amazon Smile). When you purchase from your computer make sure you use smile.amazon.com (not simply amazon.com). Amazon doesn't make it easy on us :)
Check out and share our Amazon Smile video on YouTube (courtesy of Cody Barbu).
Support RUF!
Constantin Brancusi header photo credit to Liviu Anca
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