The main event of the eighth evening of Hanukkah in Dnipro was the lighting of the candles on the city’s main Hanukkah, located in the Menorah Jewish Center, the world’s largest.
The host of the main chanukiah lighting ceremony, Reb Shlomo Tereshkevich, welcomed all present to the Yom Tov and suggested watching a video of the leader of our generation, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region Shmuel Kaminezky warmly congratulated everyone who came to the celebration and invited Reuven (Vyacheslav Lvovich) Kapustin and his grandchildren, a respected member of the Jewish community of Dnipro who actively supports many Jewish revival projects, to light the candles on the eighth evening of Hanukkah.
Following the lighting of the Hanukkah with the appropriate blessings, Reuven (Vyacheslav Lvovich) Kapustin addressed the Jewish Community of Dnipro, wishing a speedy return to peace and blessings to the entire Jewish community, especially its leader, Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kminezky.
On the second Hanukkah, in the Center’s Gallery, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s emissary, Rabbi Akiva Romanovsky, lit the holiday candles with the appropriate blessings.
A special feature of this evening was the participation in the Hanukkah lighting ceremony of a high-ranking Israeli delegation led by Gennady Polishchuk, Head of the Consular Department of the Israeli government service “Nativ” at the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, and Mark Dovev, Head of the “Nativ” Representative Office in Ukraine, Counselor of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine. Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky warmly greeted the Israeli guests at the end of the Hanukkah celebration in Dnipro, and Gennady Polishchuk, having congratulated the Jews of the city and emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between the State of Israel and such a significant Jewish community of Dnipro, announced that on the eighth day of Hanukkah in Dnipro the Israeli Cultural Center would resume its work, emphasizing the importance of this event for strengthening ties between Ukraine and Israel.
Also special guests of this Hanukkah evening were the participants of the popular video project – the First Jewish Reality Show “Menorah”, whom Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky invited to climb the podium to the large silver Hanukkah and solemnly introduced to the entire community, and those present greeted their favorites with loud applause and sincere smiles, who came to share the joy of the holiday with the Jewish community of Dnipro.
The wonderful instrumental duo of virtuosos Kirill Darmin and Yevhen Zhyla, winners of international competitions and representatives of Ukraine on the best stages of Europe, created a festive atmosphere for everyone present. Children enjoyed a variety of special activities, including games, master classes, and much more. Everyone who attended the celebration had the opportunity to sample Hanukkah treats and participate in a raffle with valuable prizes.
The Jewish community of Dnipro sincerely thanks everyone who actively helped organize and hold all Hanukkah events at the Menorah Center, ensured order and comfort for thousands of holiday visitors, organized activities, treats, and created a festive atmosphere with their smiles and goodwill. The community expresses special gratitude to the participants of the Stars project for their help in carrying out access control and issuing wristbands, to the students of Beit Hana and the residents of the Beit Le-Banim boarding school for working at the popcorn and cotton candy stations, to Adina Seldina for preparing and holding master classes, and to Lyuba Kaminetska for issuing lottery tickets. Kol-a-Kavod!
