The Jewish Lyceum No. 144 named after Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, a leading educational institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, solemnly marked Knowledge Day and the start of the new school year. On September 1, the lyceum once again filled with children’s voices, the joy of reunions, and a special sense of excitement, with the main heroes of the celebration being, as always, the first-graders, for whom this day marked the beginning of a new and very important stage in life.
The symbol of this year’s celebration was a paper airplane – a small dream waiting to be given wings. This idea united the entire program of the event, reminding the children that a great journey begins with a single step, and that a dream comes true through belief in it, knowledge, effort, and the support of those around them.
This day was especially momentous for the new students of the lyceum. For the first time, they walked before the entire large lyceum family, heard the applause welcoming them, spoke their first words from the school stage, and became full-fledged participants in the special atmosphere of a Jewish educational institution, where the acquisition of modern knowledge is inseparable from Jewish traditions and values.
The celebration was given special spiritual depth by its Jewish component. The participants watched a video address of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the first-graders recited the 12 Pesukim together, and the sounding of the shofar reminded those present of the approaching holiday of Rosh Hashanah, when the fate of every person for the coming year is determined.
With warm words, wise guidance, and a blessing for the new school year, the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki, addressed the students, teachers, and parents. His participation in the celebration was yet another testament to the ongoing attention that the Jewish Community of Dnipro and its spiritual leader devote to the education and upbringing of the younger generation, the preservation of Jewish identity, and the creation of conditions for the full development of every child.
The large lyceum family was welcomed at the start of the new school year by Lyceum Director Olena Krasnova. She wished the students a successful and engaging year, new knowledge and achievements, and wished the teachers and parents strength and inspiration in their shared work – through which the lyceum remains a space where children can learn and grow, preserve their traditions, develop their abilities, and confidently build plans for the future.
One of the most vivid and symbolic moments of the celebration was the meeting between the first-graders and the eleventh-graders – those just beginning their school journey and those for whom this school year will be their last at the lyceum. The older students prepared for the youngest a symbolic “luggage” to accompany them on this path: the Torah and holy Jewish books, tefillin and tallit, the light of Shabbos, Jewish holidays, kashrut, knowledge, and, of course, patience. It is this kind of spiritual and intellectual baggage that helps a person not lose their way, to remember who they are and where they are headed.
The culmination of the celebration was the long-awaited first bell, after which the first-graders and eleventh-graders together launched paper airplanes. They became a symbol of the dreams of those just beginning their school journey and of those who will spend their final school year at their beloved lyceum before setting out into independent adult life.
Knowledge Day once again highlighted the special educational concept of the Jewish Lyceum No. 144 named after Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, where modern education is combined with spiritual values, and Jewish tradition becomes a solid foundation for the formation of personality and the building of a future for every student.
“September 1 is always a special day for our entire lyceum family, but above all for the first-graders, who today are taking their first steps on the great path of knowledge,” said Lyceum Director Olena Krasnova. “We want every child to gain not only an excellent modern education during their years of study, but also that spiritual baggage that will allow them to always remember their roots, their tradition, and their values. All of this becomes possible thanks to the constant care for our children, the support of education and the development of our lyceum, which the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro consistently provides under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
