Another gathering of participants took place at the “DJCY-STL-STARS Dnipro” youth project of the Dnipro Jewish Community, implemented with the support of STL. The session was dedicated to the study of the weekly Torah portion, combining interactive learning, group discussion, and deep reflection on important ideas of Jewish tradition.
The program began with an engaging intellectual game that allowed participants to test their knowledge in a light and dynamic format. Through various tasks, the young men and women determined which events are truly described in the Torah and which were invented, tried to predict the answers of the majority of participants, and also figured out to whom famous sayings belonged – to Korach, to Moshe, or to modern well-known figures. This unusual format not only made the study of the weekly portion interesting and emotionally rich but also showed how important it is to pay careful attention to the text of the Torah, striving to distinguish true knowledge from superficial impressions and random associations.
The meeting continued with a lesson on the weekly portion, conducted by Yom-Tov Shufotinsky. Together with the participants, he carefully analyzed the main themes and ideas of the portion, helping them see its inner meaning, relevance, and significance for the life of a modern person. The informal discussion allowed each participant not only to ask questions that interested them but also to share their own reflections.
After the lesson, the conversation continued in a warm and friendly atmosphere over traditional kosher pizza. The participants were able to revisit the most interesting questions raised during the session, continuing their shared search for answers and discovering new facets of the material they had studied.
“It is very important to us that each gathering at ‘DJCY-STL-STARS Dnipro’ helps young people discover the Torah not only as a vast spiritual heritage of the Jewish people but also as a living source of wisdom capable of providing answers to the most diverse questions of modern life,” says project director Chaya Maltseva. “It is precisely the combination of studying Jewish tradition, open communication, and shared reflection that helps participants strengthen their connection to Judaism and feel themselves part of the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
