A ceremonial event dedicated to the first evening of Hanukkah took place at the “Beit Yoel” project of the Dnipro Jewish Community (the Dnipro “Chabad House” for Israelis living and studying in the city), located on the third floor of the administrative building of the “Golden Rose” complex.
The head of the “Beit Yoel” project, Rabbi Yaakov Dorfman, told Israeli students about the history and profound spiritual meanings of Hanukkah, emphasizing the importance of celebrating it not only in the Land of Israel but also abroad. Together with the project participants, he conducted the Maariv prayer before lighting the candles. The honor of reciting the blessings and lighting the first candle of the holiday was given to one of the students, Mr. Yaakov Mashiach, and all participants enthusiastically responded “Amen” during the proclamation of the Hanukkah blessings.
The Israeli students also engaged with great spirit in other Hanukkah traditions, preparing and tasting light kosher Hanukkah treats, rejoicing, singing, and dancing. A particular joy for the young men and women was that on the first evening of the holiday in Dnipro, it snowed – a rare sight for Israelis – so they delighted in it like children, even attempting to have a snowball fight.
“The ceremony marking the beginning of the holiday at ‘Beit Yoel’ turned out to be very familial and joyful; it helped the young men and women feel almost at home,” said Rabbi Yaakov Dorfman. “After the event, many of our project participants joined the celebration in the Gallery of the ‘Menorah’ center, as we are all part of the unified and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
