Shavuos in Chernigov
Chernigov, Ukraine - This past Sunday, Jews the world over
celebrated a wedding – our bond with G-d as we received the Torah anew for the
3,324th time. In Chernigov, we celebrated not only a meaningful
wedding between man and G-d, but we were privileged to have two Bar Mitzvahs as
well.
Before the holiday, a flurry of phone calls, flyers, and text
messages were sent out, inviting all to reading of the Ten Commandments and an
ice cream party. The children, especially, were excited to participate in the
special children’s program. They insisted on coming to the synagogue, bringing
their parents with them. Among the attendees were two Jewish fathers, entering
the synagogue for the first time in their lives! The men were inspired to join
in the crowd of 80 as part of the minyan, and enjoyed a meaningful prayer
service. Then, they were called up to the Torah to
receive their very first Aliyas.
The children thoroughly enjoyed an action-packed program of games
and learning. They competed in a mitzvah quest to find all the 10 commandments,
were challenged to answer questions and receive a key to a locked gift, and were
reminded to follow the Torah. Long after the program finished, the children
continued to play the Jewish-themed games.
Following the services, all moved outside for a beautiful Kiddush
and mouthwatering spread, set up by devoted volunteers. The food was plentiful
and tasty. The highlight, for the young and young at heart, was the ice cream
bar. Kosher ice cream was brought in especially from Donetsk, almost 1000
kilometers away. All received a heaping bowl of ice cream, which they proceeded
to decorate with a colorful array of tempting toppings. The consensus was that the kosher ice cream
was absolutely scrumptious. The Bar Mitzvah ‘boys’ made lechaims, committing to
move forward in their Jewish observance.
Shavuos in Chernigov. Meaningful. Inspiring. Fun. Above all,
delicious. What could be better?
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