Another meeting of program 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 teamwork, awareness of each person’s individual contribution to a common cause, and strengthening the atmosphere of unity within the youth community.
The meeting began with a warm welcome and an expression of gratitude to the project director, Chaya Maltseva, who for many years has been one of the recognized leaders and activists of the Dnipro Jewish Community. She plays a key role in the development of the “STARS Ukraine” project, creating a special atmosphere for Jewish youth. The participants expressed their sincere appreciation to Chaya Maltseva for her attention to each individual, her constant support, and her invaluable contribution to the development of the program.
The meeting continued with an interactive team game that united the participants in three consecutive stages, each aimed at building cohesion, developing interaction, and fostering deeper acquaintance with one another. The students, engaged from the very first moments, eagerly formed teams, took on shared tasks, and learned to find solutions through mutual support and attention, gradually building the very team atmosphere for which it was all designed.
A special place in the program was given to the theme of unity – the awareness that each person carries within them something valuable capable of enriching a common endeavor. Through exercises with “I know how” and “I can” sheets, the participants turned to their own strengths: they shared reflections, listened to one another, and formulated personal conclusions born from the accumulated experience of all the stages of the meeting.
The program concluded with a Torah lesson conducted by project instructor Yosef Nachshon. At the beginning of the session, participants discussed the question of why the Torah mentions relatively little about the children of Moshe Rabbeinu, after which the conversation moved to a deeper reflection on spiritual heritage, human responsibility, and the importance of transmitting Jewish values to future generations. The lesson generated great interest among the participants and gave each the opportunity to take away important reflections and practical conclusions.
“It is very important to us that the ‘DJCY-STL-STARS Dnipro’ project be not only an educational program but also a space where young people learn to interact with one another, feel support, discover their strengths, and understand the value of unity,” says project director Chaya Maltseva. “It is precisely through such meetings that a sense of belonging to the life of the community is formed, along with the understanding that each person can become an important part of the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
