SUMY, Ukrain [CHI] — For the 6th year now, the Jewish community of Sumy, Ukraine was joined by local officials to light the Menorah on the Promenade, in the center of town.
A heart warming Chanuka in Ukraine
SUMY, Ukrain [CHI] — For the 6th year now, the Jewish community of Sumy, Ukraine was joined by local officials to light the Menorah on the Promenade, in the center of town.
The three meter Menorah glistened in the snowy winter night as passersby enjoyed the annual tradition of Rabbi Yechiel Shlomo Levitansky, Shliach to the city, lighting the Menorah for eight nights, accompanied by music and dancing. Thanks to the local telephone company, UkrTelcome, a web cam installed in the exact place where the Menorah was lit, allowed friends and supporters to take part in the lighting through cyberspace.
When the lighting and dancing were over, the Shluchim’s children and their friends went all around town to make Chanukah parties with families with children as well as to the homes of the elderly. With piping hot latkes, jelly doughnuts, Dreidals, and Menorahs, they brought joy to the home bound and played Dreidel games with the young. For eight nights, their sweet voices lit up the faces of the elderly and young children as they sang Chanukah songs and created a Chanukah atmosphere in their homes.
On the 2nd night, the ‘Stars’ students club had a grand Dreidel game and glazed their own doughnuts as they enjoyed the company of other Jewish students. On the 5th night, the Shul vibrated as the audience clapped along and enjoyed a local singer who captivated young and old with a mixture of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian songs. On the last night of Chanukah, the women enjoyed an exclusive program where they each made a tile mosaic Menorah and played Chanukah games, while learning the history of the Yom Tov. As a grand finale, on the last day of Chanukah, the kindergarten and the recently opened elementary school held a grand Chanukah celebration. The children put on a magnificent show and made edible Menorah’s together with their parents.
Special thanks to the girls from Eretz Yisroel who joined the Levitanskys in Ukraine for the semester, and to the shluchim kinderlach for making all the home visits the grand success that they were!
bentcheh
from kharkov to sumy – yafim, you rock! maldyetz
bocher that was there
wow good to see sumy in action
sumy, you have the best shluchim in the world……
U R the best
Great job
sumy su you
nakonetsto uslishili o vas
gordons is albania
I was there two years ago
– these kids spend their entire Chanukah going to visit homes and they can’t get enough of it – they don’t even know about dreidel houses and Chanukah carnivals, for them the ‘FUN’ and ‘excitement’ is when another Jew lights the Menorah or an elderly person was so touched that she gave them an orange or banana for a ‘chanukah present’…..
Keep up the good work kinderlach, you are really making the Rebbe proud!!!
to #5. yes those kids gotta be awesome
Wow Rabbi Levitansky- you’ve turned the pina hanidachas into a happening place!
Lucky are those who have you as their shliach!
Keep on giving the Rebbe nachas!
-a friend:)
ur classmate :)
go mushky levitansky!!!
u rock sumy!