In Dnipro, with the support of JRNU, a Shabbaton was held for rabbis of Ukraine and their families, as part of the program of preparation for the 75th anniversary of the key event of Jewish life of our generation – the Day of the departure of the previous Sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak, and the assumption of the title of Rebbe by Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Schneerson.
Rabbis from twenty Ukrainian cities together with their families came to Dnipro, where a special program was organized for them on the basis of the world’s largest Jewish center “Menorah”.
“Dnipro and the Jewish Community of Dnipro, headed by Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky, as the main organizer of the event, was not chosen as the venue for this Shabbaton,” said Rabbi Reuven Kaminetsky, one of those responsible for the Shabbaton, “we, together with Rabbis Shlomo Salomon (Kremenchug), Simcha Levengartz (Kiev) and Sarah Stambler, held a very rich and productive Shabbaton, filled with high spiritual light. Financially this event was supported by our regular partners JRNU Foundation. We did everything to ensure that this event was held at the highest level and gave a great charge of spiritual energy and inspiration for the upcoming Yud Shvat.
Alongside the adult event was a large children’s program, led by Leah Lazareva. “We organized many workshops – boys made candles for Avdala and Bsomim, girls made decorations for Shabbat, there was a quest on the Menorah and many classes,” Leah Lazareva told our website, “there was a very intense program on Shabbat with the study of the sicha for Yud Shvat, and after Shabbat we made everyone a souvenir badge with the theme of Shabbaton “And the sun went down and the sun came up” about our two Rebbes and Yud Shvat. I want to give special thanks to our madrichs: Adele Yandyuk, Neta Shabatova who took care of the younger girls, Hana and Chaya Neuman and Rosa Nachshon who took care of the older girls, and the wonderful Yosef Yitzhak Gilin who was able to organize and supervise thirty boys at once.”
The culmination of the Shabbaton was the grand meal “Melave Malka”, dedicated to the exodus of the Shabbat. “It was a grandiose event, truly grandiose,” Rabbi Moishe Leib Weber does not hide his delight, “we all received a tremendous boost of energy and are very grateful for holding this Shabbaton.
