A Shabbat meeting, which, having got acquainted with its guests, we can call an outstanding one, was held in the JCC.

   Two months earlier Irina Kozhanovskaya, a JCC director got an e-mail from Emi Davidoff from New York. Emi told about her coming visit to Karaganda and her wish to communicate with the local community. The JCC workers invited Emi to acquaint her with the work of the city's Jewish organizations.

  So, the meeting was held. Emi turned out to be a very sociable and nice young lady. She is a medical worker, delivers lectures to college students, actively visits Jewish community center in New York. Emi told much about herself, her family, hobby; she was surprised at an extremely active Jewish life here, in Kazakhstan. She lit Shabbat candles and read the blessing. Meir Sheiner, a rabbi of Karaganda region, made a blessing on vine.

   Language barrier was successfully overcome: there were several English-speaking Jews from Karaganda among the guests. There was sounded Hebrew as well. Emi spoke Hebrew with rabbi Meir Sheiner, his helper Avigdor from Tunisia and Mihail Verhola,a teacher of Hebrew in the JCC, by the way, he speaks both languages perfectly. He was supported by Margarita Litvinova and Tanya Kamenetskaya.

  Was meeting a success? This question the guest answered herself: "It was the most pleasant evening in Kazakhstan for me". As for the "Shemesh" JCC, we can say that during this evening, it has solved one of its most important tasks: at the Shabbat meeting under the Jewish star it united Jews of all over the world, speaking different languages, religious and secular.

Irina Kozhanovskaya