At the “Beit Tzindlicht” children’s educational center, a leading preschool institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, festive farbrengens took place dedicated to Rosh Chodesh Kislev – a special day in the Chassidic calendar connected with the miraculous recovery of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. A program was prepared for the children that helped them become acquainted with the story of this event, feel the joy of the holiday, and better understand why this day holds such great significance for Chabad chassidim around the world.
The story of Rosh Chodesh Kislev goes back to 5738, when during the holiday of Shmini Atzeres the Lubavitcher Rebbe suffered a severe heart attack. His condition caused extraordinarily serious concern, and chassidim around the world prayed for his recovery. However, already on the 1st of Kislev, several weeks after the attack, the Rebbe was able to leave his study at Chabad headquarters in New York and return home. This event was perceived by chassidim as a true miracle, and since then every year they mark Rosh Chodesh Kislev as a day of joy and gratitude to the Almighty.
At “Beit Tzindlicht,” the acquaintance with this story took place in a format accessible and engaging for preschoolers. The children watched video recordings connected with the Rebbe’s life and Chassidic traditions, and then took part in a role-playing game dedicated to his illness and recovery. One of the children portrayed the sick person, settling onto an improvised bed, while another, dressed in a white coat and a medical cap, performed the role of the doctor and examined the patient with the help of a toy stethoscope. The rest of the children also joined in the game, showing care for the sick one and helping him.
Such a play performance enabled even the youngest children to become part of a story that occupies a special place in Chassidic tradition. Through the images familiar to the children of the doctor, the patient, and care for a sick person, they could understand why the chassidim were so worried about the Rebbe’s health and why his recovery became a cause for enormous joy.
The festive farbrengens were accompanied by Chassidic songs, refreshments, and creative activities. The children shared the common joy of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, becoming acquainted with the tradition of marking important events of Chassidic history not only through accounts of the past but also through shared celebration, which strengthens the connection with the Rebbe and the Jewish heritage.
“Rosh Chodesh Kislev is a special day, when we recall with what love and anxiety the chassidim prayed for the Rebbe’s health and with what joy they greeted his recovery,” noted preschool teacher Malka Averbukh. “For our little ones, this story becomes more understandable when they can not only hear it but also experience it through play, show care for another person, and rejoice together in the happy ending. This is how children from an early age become part of Chassidic traditions, learn to love the Rebbe, and feel their belonging to the Jewish people. For the opportunity to raise our children in an atmosphere of Yiddishkeit and to pass these values on to them, we sincerely thank the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
