New Year is celebrated in all Jewish communities all over the world. Particularly on this day Jews ask the G-d for peace, good health, prosperity, happiness, and joy. The sound of Shofar calls, "Look into your souls and make your deeds kind".

There is a lot of work for Hesed Miriam and Jewish Community Center Shemesh to be done before the holiday but we managed to show respect to everybody. Some people received packages, others traditional holiday sets. Those who receive financial aid on credit card were able to buy a food present that certainly included apples and honey.

Several days prior to Rosh Hashanah, children from 7 to 12 years old came to Shemesh Center to celebrate the holiday together with the Children Initiative Program. Children not only answered quiz questions, played funny games, danced, and sang, but also learned about traditional behavior during these days. The holiday was interesting and informative. Those children who went to school this year were especially warmly greeted. All participants received gifts and were treated with honey and apples.

In Karaganda it has become our tradition to meet the Jewish New Year with a good concert. This is a kind of a report Shemesh presents to the community to show the results that children and youth have achieved in the center during the year. On Sunday, September 12, there were no free spaces in the Kazakh Drama Theater named after Saken Seifulin. Everybody wanted to hear shofar sounds, wish a sweet new year and watch a concert. Both youth and little children performed on stage. At the beginning of the holiday, we listened to shofar. It was especially nice to see a representative of our youth, Ivan Khomyakov, blowing the shofar.

Everybody liked the dance performed by the younger group "Kuni-Lemel" that was first shown at Freilehe Kinder Festival. Young stars Liza Shkoda, Violetta Popova and Sofa Revenko sang with great enthusiasm and skill in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian.

Every year our children leave for Israel, Russia and other countries to study. This is both good and sad. This year we have said good bye to our favorite Stella Sukhorukova. Katya Chernova took her role on stage performing the song "Medina". We had great musical performances at the concert. Violinist Lyudmila Propishan received lots of applause. Accordionist Mikhail Grigoryev was a surprise for everybody. Our favorite quartet "Azoi" that includes Yuliya Arkhipova, Ivan Nebesnyi, Irina Revenko, and Irina Kozhanovskaya pleased the audience by performing well known and new songs.

On this day we thanked our volunteers whose help is invaluable for the community and thanked our eldest members who actively participate in our events regardless of age. Irina Kozhanovskaya, Shemesh Director, thanked the parents committee for their attention and support of the children projects. Hesed Miriam Director Bella Kamenetskaya congratulated everybody with the holiday and wished peace and kind and joyful days.

Larisa Brodskaya