Special events were held at the “Beit Zindlicht” Children’s Educational Center, the main preschool institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, dedicated to the 6th of Tishrei—the day of remembrance of the righteous Chana Schneerson. She was the mother of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the devoted wife and helper of Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav-Dnipropetrovsk from 1909 to 1939.
“The children listened to a story about Rebbetzin Chana and her family, learned about her qualities, made a greeting card, gave tzedakah for the poor, learned to help one another, to share, and showed their kind hearts,” recounted Malka Averbukh, a kindergarten teacher.
In one of the groups, a girl named Chana playfully took on the role of “Rebbetzin Chana,” demonstrating her kindness and hospitality towards people—she welcomed “guests,” treated them, and all the children learned kindness from her example. The children also collected food for those in need and gave tzedakah in honor of the 6th of Tishrei. In another group, a farbrengen was held in honor of Rebbetzin Chana’s memorial day—the children watched a video of the Rebbe, listened to the story of Rebbetzin Chana’s life, and even tried making ink, just as the Rebbetzin did for her great husband when they were in exile, where they had been sent by the communist regime.
“The example of Rebbetzin Chana is very inspiring, and her image is special for our city,” notes Malka Averbukh. “She was the Rebbetzin of Dnipro during a terrible period, and in our lessons, we particularly emphasized how much she did so that we could have the happiness of living in a united and close-knit Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
