A special day dedicated to preparing for the holidays concluding the month of Tishrei – Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah – was held at the “Beit Zindlicht” Children’s Educational Center, the main preschool institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community.
During the classes, the children learned about the essence of the holiday – the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah Scroll and the immediate start of a new cycle of weekly portions, as well as the importance of celebrating this day with special joy and festivity. The teachers explained to the children how all five books of the Torah are divided into specific portions, the importance of every Jew being called up to the Torah reading, especially on Simchat Torah, and how important it is for young children to be alongside their parents and older brothers at this moment.
“We paid special attention to the exceptionally beautiful tradition of taking all the Torah Scrolls out in the synagogue and dancing with them, glorifying our holy Torah and the Creator who gave it to the Jewish people,” said the kindergarten teacher Malka Averbukh. “The children joyfully performed Hakafot with toy Torah Scrolls, kissed them, and demonstrated that they are fully ready to participate together with their parents in the Simchat Torah festivities, which will take place in the synagogues of the united and close-knit Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
