The main event of the fifth evening of Chanukah in Dnipro was the lighting of the candles on the city’s main chanukiah, installed in the world’s largest Jewish center, “Menorah.”
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.
The Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki, warmly greeted everyone on the fifth evening, a significant point where the number of lit candles surpasses the unlit ones, making this day especially important in Jewish tradition. He then invited the outstanding leader and esteemed member of the Dnipro Jewish Community, who contributes greatly to the development of Jewish life, Reb Nathan Zolotarevsky, emphasizing that he would light the candle together with his sons.
After reciting the brachos and lighting the five candles on the main chanukiah by Reb Nathan Zolotarevsky, it was announced that the candles on the small chanukiah, located in the Gallery of the “Menorah” center, would be lit on behalf of the Maltsev family by its head, an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and a renowned sofer, Yitzchak Maltsev.
Following this, Reb Nathan Zolotarevsky addressed the Jewish kehillah, warmly congratulating them on the Yom Tov of Chanukah and emphasizing the importance of multiplying light to bring closer the complete and final Geulah and the arrival of the Righteous Moshiach. He also introduced his sons, who prepared wonderful patriotic Ukrainian songs for the holiday. All those present were deeply moved by the sincerity and virtuosity of the performance of these songs by the young Levi and Michoel Zolotarevsky.
Another special gift of the fifth evening of Chanukah was the performance of the renowned “Royal Orchestra” conducted by Serhiy Harkusha, which performed Chanukah nigunim, popular Jewish melodies, as well as hits from beloved films.
For the children, many activities were organized, various treats, the opportunity to take photos with “Charlie Chaplin,” and many other pleasant surprises.
The evening concluded with a special drawing of the Chanukah lottery. The main prize, one of the iPhone 17 models, provided by the Nikitenko family – Yosef and Avital-Leah, along with their children Chana-Golda, Tsielya, and Sara – was won by a graduate of the Yeshiva Ketana named after Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, one of the community’s young leaders, Schneur Zalman Lazarev.
