The “Menorah Community” youth project of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, which has been actively developing thanks to the efforts of the Zislina family, held another women’s Torah class dedicated to how to preserve inner strength, remain faithful to Jewish values, and become a source of good influence on the surrounding world.
The class, titled “To Be a Light for Others,” was conducted by Esther Leah Mayevskaya, who invited the participants to turn to the example of the Patriarch Avraham and reflect on how faith in the Almighty, the striving to comprehend His will, and the observance of His mitzvos are able not only to define a person’s life but also to change the world around them.
At the center of the discussion was the story of Avraham, who managed to preserve faithfulness to the Almighty despite the influence of the world that surrounded him. His example shows that true inner strength lies not in the striving to meet the expectations of those around us and not even in inner fortitude, but in faith in the Almighty and the striving to fulfill His will. The participants of the class reflected on how important it is to consciously choose one’s surroundings, to study Torah, to observe mitzvos, and to find the strength for the changes necessary to fulfill one’s purpose.
Special attention was given to the fact that every person is capable of becoming a source of light for others if their deeds are directed toward fulfilling the will of the Creator. For this it is not necessary to accomplish great things – sometimes one’s own example, a kind word, support, or the readiness to act rightly in a difficult situation is enough. But the main thing is not merely to help those around us but to inspire people to turn to the Torah, to study the mitzvos, and to themselves become conduits of Divine light, embodying the Almighty’s design for our world.
“The story of our Patriarch Avraham reminds us that one person who has dedicated their life to serving the Almighty is capable of changing very much,” noted Esti Zislina, co-director of the “Menorah Community” project. “It is especially important to us that each participant of such classes not only find in the wisdom of the Torah answers to the questions that concern her but also become aware of her own responsibility for spreading the light of the Torah and fulfilling the will of the Creator. It is precisely in this that we see one of the most important tasks of our project, which helps young women strengthen their Jewish identity and deepen their knowledge of the Torah, which gives them the strength to inspire others to observe the mitzvos. And for the opportunity to spread the light of Yiddishkeit in this way, we thank from the bottom of our hearts the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
