The start of the new school year was ceremoniously celebrated at the Dnipro Yeshiva named after Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the leading educational institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community for boys, in the presence of all students and their parents.
The master of ceremonies, Rabbi David Vaskovsky, head of the Dnipro branch of the worldwide children’s organization Tzivos Hashem, invited the boys beginning their studies at the yeshiva katan this year to come on stage, where they solemnly recited the 12 Pesukim that the Rebbe instructed every Jewish child to learn and which are an important part of all children’s and teen events.
Subsequently, all attendees watched a video of the Rebbe and listened to his letter of blessing, which inspires every child to study and delve into Jewish traditions and the philosophy of Chassidus. Significant attention was paid to the unique aspects of the month of Elul, which Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi called the time when “the King goes out into the field,” meaning when G-d becomes closer to everyone, directly in their ordinary lives. Rabbi David Vaskovsky emphasized that “it is in Elul that we learn to live ‘truly normally’: to pray, perform mitzvot, study, and rejoice. And may this become our habit for the entire year!”
This was followed by the introduction of the teachers and mentors of the yeshiva katan who will lead each study group. The teachers presented each child with a special souvenir commemorating the start of the school year. The formal part of the event concluded with an address by Rabbanit Chani Segal, director of the Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Yeshiva Katan. After the formal ceremony, a fun game was held where the children assembled a puzzle dedicated to the month of Elul.
“At the celebration of the start of the school year, we emphasized our gratitude to the Dnipro Jewish Community and its Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki, who created such a wonderful yeshiva,” noted Rabbanit Chani Segal. “We will make every effort to justify this trust and provide the best upbringing and education to our wonderful boys, so that they grow up to be true Chassidim, bring honor to their native community, and provide much nachas to the Rebbe.”
