In the morning of April 8, the yard of Hesed Polina and the Jewish Community Center was full of people. Everybody joyfully expected to participate in a rare ceremony of blessing the sun. It is desirable to say a grateful prayer in the presence of a large number of people. Lot’s of participants of different Hesed programs and Community Center clubs, our colleagues, clients, and guests came to bless the sun. The sun itself was hiding behind clouds and only after some time it appeared over an adjacent building. According to the tradition, the sun should be seen fully, and when the sun finally appeared everybody sighed with relief.

Gratitude prayer to the God for the creation of the sun is expressed once in 28 years and is called Birchat HaChamah. This year it fell on Pesah eve, and it is only the third time in history. On the blessing day, the sun returns to where it was on the Heathen at the same time and the same day of the week as it was at Creation. So, in a sense, it is the birthday of the sun.

At 9 o’clock rabbi Zeev Vinogradov arrived to conduct a rare ceremony. He told that "28 years ago in Moscow and New York, on the 8th of April of 1981, clouds were pushed by special cannons." Blessing of the sun started with Teilim. To recite psalms rabbi invited an active participant of the Jewish Community Center Youth Club Evgeniya Chugainova. Rabbi said the major part of Birchat HaChama: "Blessed our Lord, King of the Universe who makes the works of creation." The words of prayer in Hebrew repeated all people present. All of us did the blessing of the sun for the first time in our lives. The minyan was present and rabbi recited Kaddish. Then rabbi spoke about current 5,769 year, following after Shmit year: "the King of Israel in saint temple recited parts of Torah in front of people." At this time, he addressed Mitsva President Alexander Baron asking him to say a few words. At the end of the ceremony, following the rabbi, everybody said the words of gratitude to God: "We thank Thee for letting us live till present day".

Lyudmila Starodubova