(Brussels, May 1, 2025) – A ground-breaking series created by the European Jewish Congress of short online educational videos explaining various aspects of the diversity of Jewish life and culture has reached millions in recent months.
The series of short cartoons entitled “Glad You Asked” was part of an EU-funded project to raise awareness about Jews, Judaism and some of the challenges faced by Jewish communities in Europe.
As the final episode of the series — focused on Israel — was published today on social media, the videos have already been accessed by millions across various platforms, including Instagram, X, Tik Tok, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
The videos cover key aspects of Jewish identity in a light-hearted yet informative manner, touching on subjects such as Shabbat and Jewish festivals, while also addressing issues like antisemitism, the Holocaust, and Jewish history. They look at key Jewish life-cycle events, Israel, and the Jewish contribution to Europe.
The series culminated with an episode about Israel, in which the characters explore the diversity and resilience of the Jewish state — a vibrant democracy that has become a global leader in innovation, science, agriculture, and technology.
The cartoons feature three young people asking and answering questions in a light-hearted yet serious manner, using animated settings in European cities, Jewish homes, synagogues, and other locations.
EJC Executive Vice President Raya Kalenova said she’d been amazed at the response.
“People have accessed these cartoons on social media, commented positively on them and interacted with them,” Kalenova said. “It’s been a great success in the sense that we have opened up education about Jewish life in Europe and about the day-to-day lives of our communities to a new, younger audience.”
“That is a positive for a diverse yet united Europe and a key component in fighting ignorance and antisemitism,” she added.
This campaign is part of the “BADRI – Bringing Awareness, Dialogue, and Resilience Improvement” project, funded by the European Union through the CERV programme.
“We are grateful to the European Union for their support for this important campaign,” Kalenova said. “It has spread knowledge and broken-down stereotypes. That’s good for us, but I see it also as a major contribution to the betterment of European society too,” she said.
