In spite of the fact that our visitors spent Shabbat far away from the native homes, in the Jewish community of a city of Almaty Shabbat is always rather Jewish and communal in the true sense of the word.

For students the last Shabbat was fine possibility to look at how this truly uniting all Jews of globe weekly holiday is spent in that place where they have arrived for the program. And of course there was a possibility to take part themselves.

In the communal center "Rimon" Kabbalat Shabbat for children of summer camp has taken place. Children together with the curators-students working in camp within all week, have prepared the epic cloth (almost two meters in height), representing traditional subjects – plaited white bread, wine, Saturday candles. For children from our community there is nothing new in the Shabbat ceremony as every Friday we make the same. But this Friday was special as the story about Shabbat, ignition of candles and blessing on wine and bread was spoken by our visitors. And our well-known already ensemble "Anahnukan" presented Saturday dance and a song about arrival of sacred Saturday.

After departure in "Ak Kain" where participants of the program live, time of Saturday has come nearer also. And, of course, Shabbat has been met. Candles were lit, bread and wine were blessed, and each of the students has a possibility to have a rest from the whole week strained though also fruitful work, to sing hymns and to tell about stories of the families, the Jewish roots.

The meeting of Saturday is one of the major Jewish traditions. Shabbat is the factor which certainly connects both each Jew in a community, and all communities worldwide. And for our visitors, in our Jewish community, Shabbat was full of light, family heat and pleasure.

Maiya Polumisko