On September 12 the Jewish Community of Almaty came to the Kazakh Concert Hall to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Guests could enjoy many interesting activities before the concert such as painting Rosh Hashanah pictures with drawing crayons, solving crossword puzzles devoted to Rosh Hashanah, watching an exhibition of children’s works of art on silk, and participating in a prize lottery game.

Children from the Community Center Rimon sang a song in Hebrew about the New Year. These clear children’s voices created a good atmosphere and made us believe that we all would have a happy year.

President of Mitsva Association was given floor to congratulate the community, "It is great that we can openly celebrate our holidays. I hope that our community will continue living and working in the country where we were born. Our children are growing with Jewish traditions being an integral part of their lives and they learn to respect traditions of all other people as well. I wish you a sweet New Year!"

The Jewish Community is always pleased to invite guests to its events. This time we had a guest from the People Assembly of Kazakhstan. We are grateful for her best wishes and a gift - a little dombra, the symbol of Kazakh culture.

Alexander Arepyev, Chairman of the Jewish Cultural Center congratulated the community of the new 5,771 year and wished children and adults to have success, good health, decent jobs and education.

In the meantime the concert started. Concert presenters Nastya Borovikova and Alexander Gudkov were "surprised" to see the fictitious characters of poets Ovsey Driz and Lev Kvitko - Enek-benek and Lemele. Our favorite characters were looking for the things that are essential to Rosh Hashanah. Children from the Community Center Rimon were helping the fictitious heroes. There were many fairy tale dances, songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. They gathered honey and apples, dates and pomegranates, and even caught a golden fish. Then finally Enek-benek and Lemele found everything for the Jewish New Year. The guests especially liked the closing dance that untied all age groups of the community center dancing group. Yellow-black bees were flying around the stage gathering honey, while red apples were almost dipping themselves into the honey, amazing pink flowers were blooming and small funny fir trees were also demonstrating the Rosh Hashanah spirit. Beautiful costumes, self original decorations, lots of imagination and hard work. The audience was delighted!

Rabbi Shevah Zlatopolskiy came on stage. Having congratulated everybody and wished to be included into the Book of Life, he blew the shofar. The sounds of shofar enhanced the holiday atmosphere. Rabbi wished everybody to listen to shofar at Rash Hashanah in the synagogue.

This was a holiday for the whole community. In the meantime, starting from September 8th, Hesed Polina held Rosh Hashanah parties for volunteers and the Day Center, children and youth.

On September 8 more than 40 volunteers came to Hesed Polina. Inna Borisovna Enina, Leader of the volunteers’ team, congratulated everybody, "Thank you for your selfless service for our common wellbeing. May you be signed for the good year! May your work be taken into consideration by G-d in the records of the Book of Life." The volunteers sang the prayer "Aleinu malkeinu" and a New Year song "Shana tova".

On September 9 we had a party for Day Center clients. Volunteer Evgeniya Karyakina told about holiday traditions. The elderly people were happy singing songs. They had difficult lives and they greatly appreciate the opportunity to practice Jewish traditions.

Our children are a different story. They grow up learning Jewish customs from the earliest age. The wonderful concert at Rosh Hashanah is a good evidence of it.

Lyudmila Starodubova