The annual “Success-2026” awards ceremony took place in the “Sinai” Hall of the world’s largest Jewish center, “Menorah.” The event was a vibrant culmination of the school year and a celebration of the achievements of the students, teachers, and parents of the Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Jewish Lyceum No. 144, the leading educational institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community.
The ceremony began with the performance of the National Anthem of Ukraine. After that, Olena Krasnova, Director of the Jewish Lyceum, addressed all those present. She summed up the year and thanked everyone involved for their collective work, emphasizing that the lyceum’s success is not an internal victory but the achievement of the entire community. She paid special attention to the importance of the “GPS-Soul – Your Life Navigator” project for the lyceum, which helped students reflect on values such as faith, humanity, joy, community, and the uniqueness of each individual. “Our students are our pride,” stressed Lyceum Director Olena Krasnova. “I thank the teachers for their wisdom and dedication, the parents for their support, and the students for their diligence and striving for development. I wish everyone inspiration, new successes, and faith in their own strength!”
Next came the solemn honoring of the most important people in any educational institution – its teachers. First, the deputy directors – Tetiana Ivashkova, Maryna Kruchinina, Halyna Nakonechna, Aliza Rabinovich, and Svitlana Romenska – were invited onto the red carpet. Then, all the teachers from all the lyceum’s departments took the stage: the Primary School Department, the Hebrew and Jewish Traditions Department, the Philology Department, the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Physical Education Department, as well as the Inclusive Education Department.
Traditionally, a key moment of the ceremony was a video address by the Leader of our generation, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, about the importance of education, raising children in the spirit of Torah, and responsibility for the future of the Jewish people. Afterwards, the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro, Shmuel Kaminezki, addressed the participants of the celebration, wishing the students new successes, the blessing of the Almighty, and continued growth in their studies, Jewish traditions, and good deeds.
The first and most prestigious student category was “Honor Student.” Awards were given to lyceum students who consistently demonstrated high results in all subjects throughout the year:
Malka Brez
Liuba Kaminezki
Karen Pinkus
Sara Rivka Weber
Fruma Esther Segal
Yocheved Segal
Rachel Segal
Raizel Malka Romanovska
Chaya Mushka Romanovska
Yehudis Gaysinska
Chaya Mushka Gaysinska
Ksenia Mykhailusova
Georgiy Kyrychatyi
Oleksandr Myropolskyi
Michael Zolotarevsky
The next large block of awards was the category “Winner of Competitions and Olympiads,” in which many accolades were presented. The lyceum students once again confirmed their high level of preparation, winning awards at the city, regional, national, and international levels. First, the winners of the All-Ukrainian Hebrew Olympiad were honored, followed by winners in various events organized by World ORT. The next stage honored winners of creative competitions at various levels, and this block concluded with prizes for achievements in scientific competitions, research projects, and competitions in the field of information technology.
In the All-Ukrainian Hebrew Olympiad, which is a specialized subject for the lyceum, three girls won, each in their age group:
Roza Shoshana Nachshon
Esti Segal
Chaya Menucha Feldman
For their successful performances in the competition “Winged by Word,” the following were recognized:
Rose Zolotukhin
Georgiy Kyrychatyi
Alina Mykhailova
Arina Buzhanska
Michael Zolotarevsky
Daniel Medyanyi
Next, students who worthily represented the lyceum in international tournaments, competitions, and Olympiads organized under the auspices of World ORT were recognized:
Rose Zolotukhin
Mykhailo Lozynskyi
Oleksandr Cherkashyn
Agnia Yashynska
Arina Buzhanska
Ilana Kaminer
David Semenets
Matvii Katryshev
Simona Novikova
Oleksandr Myropolskyi
Mykyta Volkov
Maksym Kandybur
Anna Kroshevych
Alisa Shnaider
For high results in subject Olympiads, language competitions, and educational projects, including the 26th International Petro Yatsyk Ukrainian Language Competition and the 16th International Taras Shevchenko Language and Literature Competition for Students and Youth, as well as stages of the All-Ukrainian Subject Olympiad in English, the following were awarded:
Yelyzaveta Talan
Georgiy Kyrychatyi
Maksym Kandybur
Sofia Satunovska
Ivan Shcherbakov
Daniel Medyanyi
Ksenia Mykhailusova
Special attention was paid to winners of numerous creative competitions, including international ones, and in this section of the “Winner of Competitions and Olympiads” category, the following were recognized:
Veronika Kruhlyak
Alisa Shnaider
Daniel Medyanyi
Ksenia Mykhailusova
Ivan Nalyvaiko
Particularly significant were the achievements of lyceum students in international scientific competitions, research projects, astronomy, and information technology. Awards were received by:
Alisa Shnaider
Nelli Proshchenko
Lev Kupianskyi
Lev Kandybur
Mykhailo Ostrovskyi
Volodymyr Horokhov
Tali Halpert
Oleksandr Myropolskyi
Amina Mekhtiieva
Yehor Liukshyn
A very important category for the Jewish Lyceum is “Master of Tests.” Awards in this category were given to students who achieved the highest results during school-based independent testing:
Alisa Shnaider
Lev Kandybur
Mark Kropyvskyi
Oleksandr Myropolskyi
Mykyta Volkov
Hryhoriy Kolobov
Georgiy Kyrychatyi
Next, the category “Breakthrough in a Subject” was announced. This award honors students who have made a significant step forward, overcome difficulties, and achieved noticeable results in a specific subject. The awardees were:
Sofia Yavorska for a significant breakthrough in the study of chemistry
Hryhoriy Kolobov for a true breakthrough in Ukrainian literature
The ceremony hosts then moved from educational categories to awards related to spiritual development and the cultivation of leadership qualities, guided by the principle: “The future begins with the values we impart to children today.” To underscore the importance of this part of the ceremony, elementary school students were invited on stage to recite the famous 12 Pesukim, which the Lubavitcher Rebbe commanded every Jewish child to learn.
The first category in this block was the “Dress Code Star” award. This recognized lyceum students who stand out for their special style, neatness, and culture of appearance, and who daily demonstrate that adhering to the dress code is not a restriction, but a manifestation of respect for oneself, for the school, and for tradition. The laureates of this category were:
Polina Zelinska
Diana Liflyanchyk
Mark Bondar
Rose Zolotukhin
Ilana Kaminer
Tzylya Nikitenko
Sabrina Aranovska
Marharyta Khurda
Sabrina Salanzhiy
Arina Buzhanska
Simona Novikova
Oleksandr Myropolskyi
Miriam Promyslovska
Nikole Morozova
Amir Arsenyuk
Daniela Sapozhnikova
One of the most important categories of the “Success-2026” awards was “The Rebbe’s Diamonds.” This award recognizes lyceum students who are examples of respect for the traditions, values, and culture of the Jewish people. The “Rebbe’s Diamonds” statuettes were received by:
Rose Zolotukhin
Mark Bondar
Agnia Yashynska
David Chertok
Alina Mykhailova
Natan Sydorenko
Matvii Katryshev
Miriam Promyslovska
David Zinchenko
Nikole Morozova
Rivekka Saienko
Maya Riabukha
Artem Martsenishyn
Anna Ryzhenkova
Lev Kapustin
Alisa Shnaider
Anna Petrushenska
Daniel Medyanyi
Of particular significance for this school year was the lyceum-wide project “GPS-Soul – Your Life Navigator,” within which students, together with teachers, reflected on faith, responsibility, good deeds, friendship, community, and the spiritual compass points that help a person find the right path in life. Throughout the year, all classes in the lyceum participated in the “GPS-Soul – Your Life Navigator” project, accumulating points for activity, initiative, creativity, participation in lyceum life, and performing good deeds:
The winner of the project among students in grades 1-4 was 2-A class, led by Viktoriia Pliner
The winner of the project among students in grades 5-11 was 6-A class, led by Olena Raskina
The final student category was “Leader of the Year 2026.” It was emphasized that a leader is not just a person who participates in school events; it is someone who knows how to lead, support a team, take responsibility, and be an example for others. The winner of “Leader of the Year 2026” was chosen from among the participants of the student self-governance body SLESH, each of whom also received a special award. The current members of SLESH are:
David Zinchenko, 5th grade
Andriy Bychkov, 5th grade
Miriam Promyslovska, 5th grade
Kira Bondar, 6th grade
Nikole Morozova, 6th grade
Artem Martsynishyn, 6th grade
Mykhailo Ostrovskyi, 7th grade
Veronika Kruhlyak, 8th grade
Viktoria Oleinyk, 8th grade
Milana Serhiienko, 9th grade
Amina Mekhtiieva, 10th grade
Anna Kroshevych, 10th grade
Nelli Proshchenko, 10th grade
Daniel Medyanyi, 11th grade
Anna Petrushenska, 11th grade
Alisa Shnaider, 11th grade
Amidst the enthusiastic applause of the hall, the name of the winner of this prestigious category was announced – Alisa Shnaider was declared the Leader of the Year 2026 by the decision of SLESH.
But the awards did not end there, as a special prize was also introduced – “SLESH Discovery 2026,” which was awarded to 6th-grade student Artem Martsenishyn.
The second important part of the ceremony concluding the school year at the lyceum was the honoring of the graduates. However, our website feels that this part deserves a separate report, which will be published shortly.
An equally important part of the “Success-2026” awards ceremony was the recognition of the teachers. As was emphasized, Jewish tradition teaches that the world rests on those who transmit knowledge further. A teacher is someone who sees potential where others might not notice it. For knowledge is not just information; it is light that is kindled from person to person.
However, before presenting the teacher categories, important and pleasant news was announced: based on the results of the 2025-2026 school year, the lyceum’s teachers were awarded certificates from the Department of Education and Science of the Regional State Administration for their many years of diligent work, high level of professionalism, significant personal contribution to the education and upbringing of the younger generation. Lyceum Director Olena Krasnova presented these certificates to:
Olena Ilchenko
Tetiana Ivashkova
Tetiana Syrotkina
Svitlana Chernyshova
Svitlana Romenska
Before the presentation of awards in the teacher categories, a touching song dedicated to the teachers of Dnipro was performed, written by Svitlana Chernyshova, a Ukrainian language teacher at the Jewish Lyceum.
This year, the “Success-2026” awards for teachers were presented in five categories. The awards began with a brand-new category, “Voice of Modern Education,” won by English teacher Alla Lytvynenko. Throughout the year, she actively expanded her pedagogical experience using innovative technologies in education, participated as a speaker in many national and international conferences, and has numerous publications in professional educational journals.
In the second teacher category – “Star Mentor and Partner” – the award was given to the educator who discovers talents, inspires, supports, and leads students to victories – a person who not only teaches but changes the lives of her students: computer science and technology teacher Olha Borysenko.
In the next category – “Fire of Torah” – the award recognized an educator who understands how important it is for students to have people around them who not only teach but also ignite interest, love, and respect for traditions. The teacher who helps students feel that the Torah is not only about the past but also about our present and future was recognized as Jewish traditions teacher Leah Lazareva.
A special award recognized an educator who inspires through her own example, her faith in the cause, her inner light, and her dedication to the profession. The “Success-2026” award in the category “Professional Dedication” was given to primary school teacher Viktoriia Pliner, who knows how to find an approach to every child, support students in difficult moments, and help them discover their abilities. Her patience, attentiveness, and sincere belief in the children daily help students overcome difficulties and achieve success.
The main pedagogical award, “Teacher of the Year 2026,” was received by Ukrainian language teacher Svitlana Chernyshova. During the ceremony, her successful completion of certification, conducting city seminars and workshops, and her active dissemination of her own pedagogical experience were especially noted.
Concluding the ceremony, Lyceum Director Olena Krasnova emphasized that the “Success-2026” awards once again confirmed that true success is not only victories in Olympiads and competitions but also fidelity to traditions, readiness to help others, the pursuit of knowledge, and responsibility for one’s future. All the achievements of the students and teachers were made possible through collective work, interaction with parents, and the unique atmosphere created at the lyceum thanks to the constant support, care, and attention of the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.
