The project of the Jewish Community of Dnipro “Stars Dnipro”, implemented with the support of STL, held celebrations of Yud Shvat, Tu Bi Shvat and now began preparations for an important event in the life of the program and the Jewish community of Dnipro, the upcoming wedding of Yosef Yitzhak Nahshon and Hai Mushka Segal.
“The principle of our program is from the beginning theoretical preparation and study of the meaning of the upcoming event, and then live it in real time with the fullest immersion in the atmosphere of Yiddishkayt, – says the head of “Stars Dnepr” Chaya Maltseva, – before Yud Shvat we studied the meaning and traditions of this day, and on the evening of the holiday itself all visited the Shabbat meal in the family of Rabbi Moishe Leib and Rebbetzn Shoshanna Weber, and the next morning the students of the program participated in the activities of the community – prayers, farbrengen, classes. We prepared thoroughly for Tu Bi Shvat, studying the philosophy, traditions and meanings of the New Year of the Trees, and celebrated the holiday itself in the informal education space on the 8th floor of the Menorah Center. Now we have begun preparations for a very important event for us – the wedding of our teacher, mentor and friend Yosef Yitzhak Nachshon and Chaya Mushka Segal, who is also a very important person for our program, for the Segal family home is always open for our classes and our students visit this wonderful family very often, and in addition, Chaya Mushka is a fantastically wonderful interpreter at the farbrengens in which our students participate.”
The Stars Dnipro program has, as Khaya Maltseva explained to us, two departments – a basic one, where students attend weekly classes for two hours, and an intensive one, with eight hours of classes several times a week in small groups. On Sundays, all groups and departments join together, which helps with cohesion and unity among all students. In the intensive program, where seventeen students study Humash, Shulhan Aruch, Tanya and Chassidut in depth. In the basic course the introduction to Jewish tradition is carried out on a more adapted level, so that after a year of classes the boys and girls will be able to move to the intensive department.
“Learning in our program is an opportunity to become not just visitors, but conscious participants of all events in Jewish life, – stresses Chaya Maltseva, – our students are not just present at the prayers, but well understand what, when and why it happens, now we have begun preparations for Purim and students in the lessons of “Loshen Koydesh” learn to read and understand the original text of “Megilat Esther”, so that at the reading of the Scroll not just formally fulfill the commandment to listen to the Megilah twice, but also at least a little understanding of what they hear. We strive, as we should in our Movement, to combine consciousness, cognitive understanding and faith with active action in approaching the Torah and the commandments, which is the basis of HaBaDa – Hokhma, Binah, Da’at.
