On the eve of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, participants of the “Menorah Community” youth project of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, which has been actively developing thanks to the efforts of the Zislina family, made their traditional trip to Hadiach, to the ohel of the Alter Rebbe – the founder of the Chabad movement. The pilgrimage became an important part of spiritual preparation for the new Jewish year and an opportunity to turn in prayer for a good and sweet year for themselves, their loved ones, and the entire Jewish Community of Dnipro.
During their stay in Hadiach, the participants visited the ohel of the Alter Rebbe, where they left PANs with personal requests and prayers, and also took part in the morning, afternoon, and evening prayers – Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv. A special place in the prayers was given to requests for peace in Ukraine, the well-being of the Jewish people, and blessings for the entire Jewish Community of Dnipro in the coming year.
A special moment for the participants of the trip was the meeting and conversation with the emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, head of the pilgrimage center “Admor HaZaken,” and rabbi of the city of Hadiach, Shneor Zalman Deutsch, who spoke about the spiritual significance of this holy place, the role of the Alter Rebbe in the history of Chassidus, and the special meaning of visiting the ohel as preparation for Rosh Hashanah. As a memento of this trip to Hadiach, each participant received honey as a gift – the traditional symbol of the wish for a good and sweet new year.
The trip concluded with a return to Dnipro on the eve of the holiday, in order to greet Rosh Hashanah together with the entire Jewish Community. For the participants of “Menorah Community,” this pilgrimage became an opportunity not only to touch one of the most important places in the Chassidic world, but also to more deeply comprehend the spiritual meaning of the onset of the new year, entering it with prayer, hope, and a striving for spiritual growth.
“The trip to Hadiach before Rosh Hashanah has already become an important tradition of our community. This is a special time when each person can pray at the ohel of the Alter Rebbe, take spiritual stock of the passing year, and prepare for the new one,” noted Levi Zislina, director of the “Menorah Community” project. “We are sincerely grateful to our beloved united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki, whose support enables young Jews to participate in such trips and strengthen their connection to Torah, Chassidic traditions, and Jewish life.”
