On December 14-17 In St Petersburg, Russia, celebration events devoted to the 20th anniversary of the Jewish movement in the Former Soviet Union countries, including Makkabi movement, took place. There were training seminars for leaders, trainers, sportsmen, and Makkabi club members from CIS, Europe, and all over the world. Sport lovers from Israel, Germany, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia arrived to St. Petersburg. From the Jewish Community of Almaty the Supervisor of the Sport Section of the Jewish Community Center Rimon Ruslan Archakov went to St Petersburg.

At the seminar participants learned about the history of Makkabi movement and its resurrection in the Jewish communities all over former Soviet Union. Participants learned about sporting life in Israel, shared experience of Makkabi clubs, approved preparation plan for European Makkabiada in Austrian capital Vienna in 2011. Stella Sirkin, Chairwoman of European Makkabi, addressed the audience.

At the same time, Hanukah Festival was held in the largest concert hall of the North capital, Ice Palace. Seminar participants could see by themselves how generously the Jews of St Petersburg were celebrating Hanukah. The Chief Rabbi of St. Petersburg Menahem-Mendl Pevzner lit up Hanukah candles. Lots of congratulations were presented. Speeches were made by the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, Head of the city Jewish Community Mark Grubarg, Director of Russian Federation Jewish Congress in St. Petersburg Yevgeniya Lvova, Chairman of Russia Makkabi Union of Clubs Vadim Polyanskiy, Member of the Government Mikhail Brodskiy, Leader of Yedinaya Rossiya Fraction Vyacheslav Makarov. Presenters Andrey Urgant and Zara started the concert - opera classics, performed by Vasiliy Gerello, group "Chai Vdvoem", Vlad Zernitskiy, miniatures by Roman Kartsev, athletes from the World Sport Organization "Makkabi", which amused the audience by skilled wrestling and fencing, and a charming Israeli Singer Dudu Fisher.

All of the above was described in detail by Ruslan Archakov for the Almaty Jewish Community, and then he added, "It was a successful and fruitful seminar. I look forward to our further cooperation and more meetings that unite and develop us."

Lyudmila Starodubova