Merry vacation can be spend in a city as well. It was proved by Kostanay Hesed workers who organized autumn camp for children from the Jewish community. A group of 13 boys and girls visited "Ellada" sport club with great pleasure, did rhythmical exercises, then ate dinner with a wonderful appetite and talked to a psychologist and further went to "Kostanay" cinema.

   "Our aim is to help children to become and to feel themselves as a part of the community", Evgeniya Parhomenko, a JCC leader and Marina Makarova, children's program coordinator told. "We give our children care, attention and with a help of our old community members we try to develop their interest towards history and Tradition of their nation. That's why Shabbat meeting became a central event of the Autumn camp-2004".

   Shabbat candles were lit by Elka Reznikova, the most respectful 88-year old community member. She told children about her childhood, about the way her grandparents met Shabbat. As a gift to children, Elka Girshevna brought a stuffed fish, cooked in accordance with an old recipe of Reznikov's family.

   The last day of the vacation was especially fruitful and rich with events. Children visited Icy palace, skated and in the evening they watched a new play in Russian Drama Theatre. In addition to all these, parents didn't have to think what to cook for children during their vacation: everybody liked dinners, ordered by Zoya Firenshtein, a Hesed worker.

   "It was very interesting and merry for us", Anya Fisenko, Zhenya Aronovitch, Natasha Karagodina and Mark Zaborskih told. Elena Zaborskih expressed gratitude of all parents addressed to Hesed: "Children wonderfully spent their vacation, gained much energy. And we didn't feel anxious about them".

Lidiya Kazakevitch