The weekly Sunday sessions in the “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew” teen program, run by the Dnipro Jewish Community with the support of STL and the JRNU Foundation’s EnerJew project, are currently dedicated to preparing for the upcoming holidays of the month of Tishrei. The last meeting in September was devoted to Yom Kippur.
The sessions discussed what is strictly forbidden on this day versus what is necessary, why Yom Kippur is observed ten days after the Days of Judgment at the start of the new year, how these holidays are interconnected, and their profound spiritual significance in light of the teachings of the leader of our generation, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
“The teens showed great interest in the spiritual meanings of Yom Kippur, and many of them decided to try fasting for the first time in their lives,” said Beila Letichevskaya, coordinator of “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew.” “We agreed to meet at the synagogue to pray together and to receive a good inscription in the Book of Life, sealed with the Divine seal.”
Of course, the “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew” meeting also featured traditional interactive games and quizzes, which help the boys and girls identify their strengths. Boys who have turned 13 had the opportunity to perform the mitzvah of Tefillin, and everyone enjoyed delicious kosher pizza, a teen favorite.
“The culmination of the meeting was graffiti painting. The kids could unleash their creativity and together paint a canvas that we will use to decorate the sukkah for the upcoming Sukkot holiday, where we will sit during the festival,” noted Beila Letichevskaya.
