Hanukkah in Aktobe City
Hanukkah was on 27 Kislev for all members of Aktobe Jewish Community.
More than 200 people gathered in the Cultural Center of Metallurgs.
There was a big poster "Hanukkah" in the lobby and a full-length
hanukkiya on proscenium made especially for the holiday. The director of the
Community Center Irina Kopyto and the chairman of the Jewish Cultural Center
Mark Ioffe made speech in the beginning of the evening party. They congratulated
everybody in the hall and told about the history of Hanukkah. Mark lit Shamash.
After that the most respectable member of our Community Yakov Gershkovich Yurman
came to the stage. He continued the story about Hanukkah, chanted the prayers
and lit a candle.
Semyon Gevshivich Reznik - the Head of the Chess Club, lit one more
candle. Two others were lit by our volunteers.
After the official part there was a concert. Andrey Untenko read
a poem "Hanukkah" and ensemble "Atikva" performed its old
and new songs and dances. They sang Hanukkah songs with the young children.
Children performed a dramatization about the history of Hanukkah. The concert
had been lasting for an hour. Polina Savitskaya the Head of the Family Club
compered the concert. People there really enjoyed it.
After the concert there was Hanukkah Quiz and all audience, especially
children participated in it with a great interest. Irina Kopyto and Polina Savitskaya
made up the questions for the Quiz. People were really excited about the Quiz
adults and children answered the questions with the great enthusiasm and got
their prizes. There also was an exhibition of dozens children drawings. It was
obvious that all the children were talented and all of them won prizes.
In the lobby there was a buffet with sufganiot, lateks, fruit and
wine. All these dishes were cooked by Hesed employees and volunteers. People
celebrated each other and wished all the best - everything that could be during
this holiday.
Hanukkah in Astana
Astana Jews celebrated Hanukkah with a great enthusiasm. On 22
December 180 members of Jewish Community came to the cafeteria of the school
N10. The hall was decorated, there were Hanukkah candles and dishes: lateks-
(potato pancakes) and sufganiyet (donuts, fried in oil). All this inspired the
atmosphere of the holiday.
It started traditionally, from the Hanukkah history - the miracle
with the jug of oil. Than the candles were lit and Hanukkah party began.
As always children's performance made everybody happy. That day
all guests were surprised with the ballroom dances performed by Torkin's granddaughter
- Tomochka and her dance partner Stas. The Honored Artist of Kazakhstan, the
Soloist of Philharmonic Society Gulnar Khamzina sang songs in Yiddish, the Youth
Club performed dramatizations of Jewish anecdotes and Maxim and Valeriya Turnovs
sang Jewish songs in Hebrew and Russian.
During the break nobody was just sitting because there was a joyful
Jewish music and everybody danced and played together proving again that we
became one Jewish family.
Svetlana Rakisheva
Hanukkah in Karaganda City
Hanukkah is a holiday of light, joy and happiness. It was like
that in Karaganda Jewish Community. The decorated cozy hall was brightly lit
with the Hanukkah candles and smiles of two hundred guests.
The heads of Hesed Miriam: Bella Kamentskaya, Irina Kozhanovskaya,
Irina Revenko and Melnik did a really great job organizing this holiday. The
holiday tables were laid and a wonderful concert program was prepared. Children
from the Sunday Religious School sang song and danced. The Youth Center performed
a humorous dramatization. Everybody enjoyed Jewish dance performed by children
from the ensemble "Wonderful Land". Children were leaving the stage
and there was a storm of applause and audience was shouting "Bravo!'
There were a lot of congratulations in Yiddish and Hebrew, many
warm and kind words were told. There was an amazing saxophone music and Karina
Karenina's voice that touched every soul. And of course, what Jewish holiday
could be done without a violin? Its lovely sounds united everybody's hearts
and they felt like one family.
Children enjoyed the holiday most of all, they sang, danced and
had a really good time. A special entertainment program was prepared for them.
By the end of the program the director of Sokhnut Alla Gendelman gave children
holiday presents and according to the tradition - Hanukkah geld.
With the words of appreciate and hope for the future guests were
leaving the hall but the light of Hanukkah will stay in their hearts for a long
time.
Hanukkah, Petropavlovsk City
December 23 was the day when the third candle of Hanukkiya was
lit, Jewish Community of Petropavlovsk City gathered in the cafeteria of Jewish
School N1. By the appointed time came married couples in years, also there were
many young people and children (more than 150 people!). Volunteers decorated
the hall with multicolored balloons and Israel flags, laid the tables. In the
center of the table there were tasty donuts with sweet stuffing. The
Chairman of the National Cultural Center Mark Vitkin made a speech he celebrated
everybody with Hanukkah holiday and wished health and happiness. After that
the Head of Community Center Svetlana Makarovskaya told about the history of
the holiday.
The Youth Club performed an interesting dumb show and Igor Zhigarlovskiy
read his own poems. There was Khana - the mother of 7 children and Greek King,
and Makkaveys, and the hero Matitiau. Then the vocal group "Sulamif"
performed three prayers for each of lit candle and the song "Khanukiya
sheli", after that Hanukkah candles were lit on the tables. The chorus
of veterans sang songs in Hebrew and Russian.
After the break the leaders of the Youth Club performed competitions
and quizzes and the winners got their prizes - souvenirs and toys. The holiday
of light and kindness appeared to be really kind and joyful and everybody enjoyed
it.
Hanukkah is the holiday of candlelight. Ust-Kamenogorsk
City.
Hanukkah is a connection between ancient Judaism and modern world.
Jewish Community of Ust-Kamenogorsk City celebrated Hanukkah on 24 December
2000. The employees of Hesed Faina in Ust-Kamenogorsk City (the director is
Vladimir Lebedev) organized the holiday. "Mitsva" Association, Jewish
Sunday school and Youth Club helped in organizing and JCC financially supported
it.
The huge hall of the cafe "Parphenon" could seat about three hundred
invitees for celebration. Hanukkah is first of all a historical event concerned
with the Jewish insurrection against Greeks in the Epoch of Second Temple. That
event was the main theme of the Sunday school student's performance. Many participants
of the show have been celebrating Hanukkah for a number of years, and they have
been imbued with the events of ancient Jewish history. With a great attention
guests were listening stories about eight Hanukkah candles and with the applause
supported the slogans of the characters not to deny their culture, religion
and traditions in any circumstances. At the end of the show actors performed
the anthem "Maoz Tu" - "…a stronghold, a bulwark of my salvation…"
The most solemn moment of the celebration was candle lightening of Hanukkiya.
The most respectable members of Ust-Kamenogorsk Jewish Community, who make their
contribution in welfare and Community Center activities, were invited to the
stage. There were Naum Stuchevskiy, Ilya Kochan, Div Varshavskiy, Mikhail Fishman,
and Mikhail Tsuker.
The great surprise for everybody was the performance of the violin ensemble
of Hesed Faina. They played new arrangement of many Jewish songs. Irina Khardina
accompanied by the ensemble sang a few popular Jewish songs: "Yerushalaim",
"Ose Shalom", "My Jews" and "Jewish Eyes".
During the meal the invited members of the Community celebrated everybody with
Hanukkah. The members of the music study group sang the famous song "Tum
balalaika" in Yiddish and both young and old people enjoyed it, some of
them can understand Yiddish.
Chocolate coins symbolizing the real ones (it is a tradition to present coins
on Hanukkah) were given to the most active participants of Hesed Faina programs.
Those sweet symbols of the holiday were also given to all students of Sunday
school. The winners of the culinary competition got sets of two candlesticks
for Shabbat. Now every Saturday their homes will be illuminated with light of
peace and kindness which Hesed Faina present to its clients.
Many old people of Jewish Community treat Hesed as their own home. They can
get here not just attention and care but socializing, they know more about the
culture and traditions of Jewish people.
Hanukkah was one more opportunity to meet Jewish tradition, joining the new
members to it.
Yelena Levina
Hanukkah in Shymkent City
There were 250 people to celebrate Hanukkah in Shymkent. On 22
December people came to the restaurant "Dostyk" and Children Art group,
dance group and the ensemble of Jewish music greeted them. There was a lottery,
children were playing svivon, quiz about the tradition and the history of the
holiday. The chairmen of Cultural Centers of the city were there. The director
of People Friendship House Ospanov celebrated everybody with the holiday. And
Hanukkah was shown on local TV channels.
Many, many years ago after the army of Makaveyes won the battle
with Greeks there was a miracle of burning oil in the small jug for 8 days.
And now as it was that time every Jew is looking for that jug with "pure
oil" in his soul.
We believe that God will send us a miracle, and this fire will be
burning forever with coming our righteous Moshiakh nowdays.
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