The Hillel Jewish Student Cultural Center gathered about 50 students to welcome the year 5786 together. The holiday atmosphere blended traditions, joy, and student energy.
The celebration began with a welcoming speech by the center’s director, Aliona Kolpina. She thanked the students for choosing to spend this important day at Hillel and emphasized that the strength of our community lies in unity, mutual support, and building the future together. “Rosh HaShanah is a time when we look back to appreciate the path we’ve traveled, while simultaneously opening our hearts to new dreams and plans. I wish each of you finds inspiration, strength, and genuine joy in the new year,” she stated.
A special aspect was the participation of guests from other cities – students from the Hillels of Odesa and Kharkiv. This enhanced the feeling of one big Jewish family, where there are no borders between cities and everyone can find friends and support.
After the greetings, the participants lit candles, recited the traditional blessings, dipped apples in honey, and heard the solemn sound of the shofar – the symbol of the new Jewish year.
The celebration then transitioned into an interactive format: students divided into teams based on holiday symbols and set off to thematic stations. There, they discovered new facts about Rosh HaShanah traditions, participated in games, sang, danced, took photos, and simply enjoyed time among friends.
The final part of the evening was a lively disco with a DJ and Israeli hits, which provided even more energy and good vibes.
“Thank you to everyone who shared this special day with us. We wish for the new year to be sweet, bright, and filled only with good moments.
Shana Tova U’metuka!” summarized Aliona Kolpina.
