With the beginning of November, the teen program “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew,” implemented by the Dnipro Jewish Community with the support of STL and the JRNU Foundation’s EnerJew project, launched a marathon dedicated to Shabbat. At each Sunday meeting, participants explored different aspects of this fundamental cornerstone of the Jewish worldview.
The first session involved a discussion about what Shabbat is in general – what kind of day it is, how it differs from other days of the week, and how one should prepare for it. The fun atmosphere of the meeting was enhanced by a “sandwich competition” – the teens divided into teams, created their own original sandwiches, and then presented them in a joint tasting session. The theme of preparing for Shabbat continued with an excursion to a large supermarket, where the children had to find and photograph all the items and products that might be needed for Shabbat. As a prize for successfully completing this challenging task, the teens received kosher treats.
The next Sunday meeting was dedicated to the thirty-nine categories of work forbidden on Shabbat (melachot). First, they were discussed in detail, and then, in an interactive format, the children categorized the prohibitions and identified which printed options belonged to which group. A delicious conclusion to the meeting was the preparation of “Shabbat desserts,” which many took home to treat their parents.
The main topic concluding the November Sunday meeting was one of the attributes of the Shabbat meal – the famous Jewish challah. As part of the project, a special “Challah Mega-Baking” event took place. First, the teens, under the guidance of their counselors (madrichim), performed the separation of the challah portion (Hafrashat Challah), and then braided challahs, each with their own unique design. This was followed by a conversation about the features, significance, and spiritual meaning of challah and its role in the ritual of welcoming Shabbat. The event concluded with a master class on creating napkins used to cover the challah on the festive table.
“The theme of Shabbat is extremely multifaceted and forms the basis of our perception of time, and every aspect related to Shabbat is very important,” said Beila Letichevska, coordinator of “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew.” “We have only begun to familiarize ourselves with the different facets of this boundless topic and will undoubtedly return to it more than once, so that teens can consciously participate in this key weekly event for the entire Jewish people, including our native Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
