This year, the main Lag BaOmer celebration in Dnipro took place on the grounds of the world’s largest Jewish center, the Menorah. The spacious courtyard of the Menorah became a gathering place for the Jewish community of Dnipro — more then one thousand people in attendance: congregants, members of the broader public, children from various community educational institutions, and participants of numerous humanitarian, educational, and charitable projects.
The celebration began with the screening of a video in which the Leader of our generation, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, spoke about the importance of celebrating Lag BaOmer, explaining how this special day helps spread the light of Judaism and Chassidism and brings Jewish children closer to the beautiful world of Torah and mitzvot.
The Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki, addressed the participants of the celebration. He recalled how the very first Lag BaOmer parade took place in Dnipro back in the distant 1990s, the excitement it stirred in the city, and how much it contributed to awakening Jewish pride among residents who had previously hidden their Jewish heritage. He then congratulated Elena Krasnova, the principal of the city’s Jewish Lyceum, on her birthday, noting that she, along with her staff, played a major role in organizing this year’s celebration. Warm greetings to the Jewish community of Dnipro were also extended by Rabbi Meir Tzvi Stambler, Head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, and by Natan Zolotarevsky, a member of the Dnipro Jewish Community’s Board of Trustees, a well-known philanthropist and benefactor.
With great enthusiasm, everyone listened to the recital of the 12 pesukim (Torah verses) by students of the Beit Tsindlicht Children’s Educational Center and the younger grades of the Jewish Lyceum No. 144 named after Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. Then, first and second graders performed a song dedicated to the Lag BaOmer holiday. The opening ceremony concluded with a performance by the beloved drum ensemble from the Dnipro yeshiva named after Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson.
The celebration continued with a festive parade, which this year followed a route through the historic Jewish quarter of the city. It culminated in a grand community celebration — which will be covered in a separate report.
