Within the educational program of the project of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, “Beit Yoel” – a Dnipro Beit Chabad for Israelis living and studying in the city – another gathering for girls took place, conducted by Rebbetzin Leah Dorfman. The class on the weekly Torah portion of Vayeira was held in a homey atmosphere and was dedicated to one of the most important Jewish mitzvos – hospitality.
The weekly portion of Vayeira tells of how the Patriarch Avraham, despite feeling unwell after his circumcision, hurried out to meet three travelers, invited them to rest, and saw to their refreshment. This story became one of the most important examples of fulfilling the mitzvah of “hachnasat orchim” – hospitality, which in Jewish tradition means not merely providing food and shelter but sincere care for a person, attentiveness to their needs, and the striving to make the guest feel welcome and precious.
Particular significance was given to this lesson by the fact that it took place in the home of Rebbetzin Leah Dorfman herself. Such gatherings for Israeli students are organized every Monday, and the homey atmosphere is an important part of their design. The girls not only study Torah but also directly experience the very hospitality spoken of in the weekly portion. Here each participant can feel that she is awaited, that she is welcome, and that her presence truly matters.
“It is very important to us that Israeli girls who are far from home not only study Jewish traditions but also experience them in everyday life,” noted Rabbi Yaakov Dorfman, director of the “Beit Yoel” project. “The mitzvah of hospitality teaches us to see the value of every person and to surround them with attention and care. We want our gatherings to help the girls feel at home here, in their native Jewish environment, and to feel the warmth and support of the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
