Eight Days Full of Light and Miracles in Kharkov

5000 doughnuts
1500 menorahs
2000 chanukah brochures
Thousands of smiles

For the first time ever a menorah was set up in ‘Daffy’ shopping center right at the entrance . Thousands of shoppers learnt about Chanukah and enjoyed a klezmer concert nightly with Chassidic dancing and a special program .

Over 100 students of Stars enjoyed a Chanukah program . This year the program was joined by other students who got a taste not only of the doughnuts but also of the Chanukah spirit of our students.

Restaurant Shalom also shared the Chanukah spirit with a special Chanukah dinner and program on Sunday . The participants were able to put on Tefillin and then each lit their own menorah.

On Monday night a special concert took place with the stirring niggunim of Mordechai Brodsky – famous violinist from Israel . The concert began with the menorah lighting by Rabbi Moishe Moskovitz who thanked Mr. Anatoly Girshfeld for the renovation of the entire entrance to the shule . In addition to the Chanukah program and lighting of the grand menorah on Pushkinskaya St. – a special opening ceremony took place in the courtyard by the vice governor and vice mayor . Mr.Girshfeld said that he was proud that the shule was now as beautiful on the outside as on the inside and would give pride to the whole of Kharkov.

On Wednesday night in front of the main Opera Theater a large menorah was lit despite the freezing temperatures of minus 25 degrees celsius . Fireworks exploded over the city as the famous Kharkov ‘Zerkalnaya Struya’ was lit up with the words “Chanukah 5770” . Then an entire line of menorah cars drove throughout the streets of Kharkov to the Daffy shopping center for another lighting.

On Thursday , one hundred war veterans came to a special Chanukah program in the shule . Home visits and a visit to Jewish prisoners in the Kharkov jail were arranged by Rabbi Levi Raices.

All the Chanukah programs , home visits and celebrations were all generously sponsored by the President of the community and Senator Alexander Feldman