Our family club held a retreat. On September 25, seventeen families met in the Resort "Energetic" to build a sukkah, to learn the traditions of the Jewish High Holidays, to take part in competitions, contests and games, and just have fun together.
The seminar program was very intensive - no time to be bored. After settling in the cozy rooms, all gathered in the open air to demonstrate their culinary skills. The competition course has made it clear that our lady participants are wonderful hostesses! Golden fish, mouthwatering chicken, crispy cakes - these dishes were not only beautiful but also very tasty! After lunch and a short rest all participants started to work together. Adults learned about the traditions of festivals of Tishrei and the importance of tzedakah at the classes on traditions. And kids, armed with paints and crayons, created masterpieces. Parents, with evident pleasure, engaged in role-playing games, divided into teams of three people, "tried to do fundraising". There was no single answer to the question "What is more difficult to be "asking" or "giving". "Both things are equally difficult" - said the participants of this unusual game.
To better consolidate the knowledge, families were invited to prepare a presentation about the fall Jewish holidays. With great enthusiasm all began to prepare their sketches, the work was in full swing. Participants asked many questions, and some teams even had their own experts, who recalled important details that they had learned from grandparents. After dinner, the four teams presented their creative works. Sketches, colorful posters, decorative huts, children's songs and dances filled the hall of the resort. The holiday was a success. The evening "Candle" gave everybody an opportunity to openly express their impressions and suggestions.
The next day, sports competitions united adults, schoolchildren, and even toddlers. The fight was not easy as each team intended to win. The children competed with their parents, brothers with sisters, wives with husbands. The team "Leader" became the winner. The name came true! But a charge of vivacity and a good mood have become a major prize for all.
The fall forest was hypnotizing with its beauty. Families went to the nearest glade to build a sukkah. The main condition was - the hut must accommodate the entire team, have three walls and a roof made of straw or reeds. Very soon, without a single nail or an ax the teams made three remarkable sukkahs made of natural materials. It was easy to select the winner: the first sukkah met all the requirements, the second was only big enough to accommodate the team kids, and the third, even that it could sit the whole team, fell apart immediately after the builders left it! There was a lot of laughter and joy in a forest glade!
On September 26 in the evening it was time to leave. Tired but happy, the families regretted only that the weekend flew off so quickly. It was so unusual and memorable! Looking forward to new meetings all returned to the city. We have become a little different, more Jewish.