At the Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Yeshiva Ktana, the leading educational institution for boys of the Dnipro Jewish Community, Rosh Chodesh Adar was marked with vibrancy and inspiration, filling the day with a special atmosphere of joy, activity, and meaningful immersion in tradition.
The festive event began with an interactive challenge: students were presented with an encrypted message to decipher. Working together, the boys decoded the well-known words of the Sages about the month of Adar—that when Adar enters, we increase in joy. This format allowed them not merely to hear a familiar saying, but to experience it through shared effort and intellectual engagement.
Throughout the gathering, psukim were recited, words of the Rebbe were shared, and teachers spoke with the students about the significance of joy in the month of Adar—as a spiritual force capable of transforming one’s inner state and perspective on events. The boys discussed why Adar in particular is associated with increased joy and how this is reflected in Jewish tradition. A special part of the program was a creative project: the children crafted a work dedicated to the four main mitzvos of the Purim holiday. Through visual and practical engagement with these commandments, the students not only reinforced their knowledge but also began preparing for the upcoming holiday in an active and involved manner.
Rosh Chodesh concluded with festive dancing, which united all participants and infused the day with dynamism and expression. The joy of Adar was felt not only in words and explanations but also in movement, smiles, and the overall atmosphere of unity.
“We strive to ensure that Rosh Chodesh Adar for our students is not just a date on the calendar, but a genuine experience of the month’s meaning,” said Yeshiva Ktana educator Rabbi Akiva Romanovsky. “Through games, learning, creativity, and shared joy, children learn to perceive Adar as a time of spiritual elevation and inner light. We are sincerely grateful to the Dnipro Jewish Community and its Chief Rabbi, Shmuel Kaminezki, for their constant support and for the opportunity to fill our students’ school life with meaning, joy, and the warmth of tradition.”
