At the “Beit LeBanim” boarding school, a unique social institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community where boys who require special care, family comfort, attention, and warmth live and study, the holiday of Lag B’Omer was celebrated joyfully and with great happiness. This 33rd day of the Omer count, associated with the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the cessation of the plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students, was marked by connecting to Chassidic tradition and the special joy of this day.
The central part of the celebration consisted of traditional Lag B’Omer activities around the bonfire – the children danced around the fire and sang songs dedicated to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, filling everything that took place with an atmosphere of Chassidic joy, unity, and inner experience of the holiday.
A separate part of the celebration was the shared festive meal – a barbecue was organized for the students, and friends and benefactors of the boarding school joined the celebration, sharing this day with the children and supporting the warm and friendly atmosphere of the event.
“Lag B’Omer at our boarding school was very joyful, with the feeling of a true holiday,” says Rabbi David Vaskovsky, director of the “Beit LeBanim” boarding school. “The children happily participated in all the activities, and it is especially important to us that through such events they connect to Chassidic tradition and the joy of fulfilling mitzvos. Moreover, our friends and benefactors shared this day with us, for which we are sincerely grateful. We are glad that we were able to celebrate this holiday as part of the vibrant life of our dear and beloved Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
