Tallinn, Estonia -– In Tallinn, the Jewish community of Estonia gathered in the recently-opened Synagogue to attend their yearly General Assembly. This meeting involved a report on the year’s activities, presented by Chairman Boris Oks.
Donetsk, Ukraine – The summer camp for girls, organized by the Jewish community of Donetsk, has just come to a close. With residents of Ukraine’s Donetsk Region knowing just how much living in a highly industrial region can take a toll on your health, the local community decided to hold this event outside the region – at a resort on the coast of the Azov Sea.
This is the twelfth season the Jewish community of Donetsk has run the ‘Gan Israel’ camp run by Chabad Lubavitch. Like those before it, the youngsters enjoyed games, sports, contests, lessons on Jewish traditions, crafts, swimming, and other activities. ‘Time Capsule’ was the theme of this year’s camp, with the kids exploring important dates in Jewish history. Highlights included trips to the circus, horse riding, and a boat trip.
S Barbara, CA — Like many Jews last summer, Israeli-born Yuval Yaron felt a terrible sinking feeling as his homeland fell into turmoil and went to war with Lebanon. And like the many violinists and storytellers before him, world-renowned University of California at S. Barbara professor used this somber time to compose music, finding peace at the throat of his instrument.
But the acclaimed musician, who burst into the musical world at 16 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, probably never predicted that during these dark hours he would rediscover his heritage. This rebirth would slowly materialize as he composed haunting melodies of Chassidic niggunim, or spiritual tunes, the majority of which have no words.
Bryansk, Russia –- Despite the fact that many residents of Russia use their summer holidays to take a break from everything, Jewish youth in the city of Bryansk have decided to carry on their activities as usual. Through the ‘STARS’ program, they have been enthusiastically living an active Jewish life.
Participants meet up twice a week in order to attend lessons on the Torah and to discuss the actual developments and challenges concerning the Jewish community. They also enjoy the guidance of Chief Rabbi of Bryansk Menachem Mendel Zaklos, who is serving the region as a Chabad Lubavitch emissary.
The Rebbe says:
1. With this week’s Torah portion we will read and study a new Book in the “Chumas” (the five books of Moses). So far this year we have experienced the Book of Bereishis (Genesis), the Book of Shemos (Exodus), the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) and the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers). This Shabbos we begin the Fifth Book- the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy).
2. This Shabbos (Sabbath) is called “Shabbos Chazon – The Shabbos of the (prophetic) vision”. This is because the Haftorah1 this week begins “This is the (prophetic) vision of Yeshayahu son of Amotz…”2.
Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine — The National Safrut Center of Ukraine is currently restoring a historic Torah scroll, which used to be kept in the Ark of the Synagogue in Kotsyubinskiy, a settlement where the Jewish population was wiped out by nazi troops during World War Two. According to the Director of this Center, Ruven Morgolin, this restoration project is complicated and will require from five to seven months to achieve.
Newark, NJ — What could 100 teachers, educators and principals possibly do in a Newark, N.J. , hotel on an early July morning? Think about their students, of course. While the latter enjoyed camps, canoeing and maybe a little whitewater rafting, the women that convened in the Robert Treat Conference Center spent last week exploring new and innovative ways to influence their students.
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