This past weekend 55 students from various cities in Russia gathered in Rostov for a unique Shabbaton featuring inspiring lectures, games and lively discussions. This special gathering ignited an interest in Judaism among many young people who are the future of the community.

The Shabbaton began with an outdoor Kabbalas Shabbos filled with joyous singing and dancing on the street. The Friday night meal turned into a farbrengen which lasted until 3:00 am, listening to Jewish stories and engaging in thought-provoking discussions about the importance of marrying Jewish and establishing a Jewish home.

During the Torah reading on Shabbos 4 girls chose Jewish names and five boys were called up to the Torah for the very first time in their lives. On Shabbos afternoon participants attended a variety of lectures, and during Seuda Shlishis students shared inspiring stories from their personal lives. One girl mentioned that ever since her great-grandparents were killed by the Nazis, her family has hidden their Jewish identity. But around a year ago she decided to visit the shul and realized that being Jewish does not have to be kept secret anymore.

Motzei Shabbos the program continued after havdallah with a BBQ, a question and answer session and discussions lasting until the morning. On Sunday students put on teffilin for first time and attended two more lectures. At the conclusion of the Shabbaton, during a feedback session, one student commented, “it’s amazing to see so many people come so far in their awareness and observance of traditions, it’s really inspiring”. All the students who attended indicated a strong desire to share in more programs and Shabbatons of this nature.

“This Shabbaton opened my eyes to the tremendous potential for growth among the young people in the community,” said Rabbi Chaim Danzinger. “Seeing how much each student gained from this event makes me feel that we have to redouble our efforts to reach out to the youth IY”H, with programs that engage them and raise their awareness.”

This Shabbaton was made possible through a generous grant from the Miralishvili Fund (Keren Miralishvili)

Adults and children alike were entertained by a magician who even taught them the secrets behind the tricks. Following relay races everyone sat down for a BBQ lunch including hotdogs in buns, salads, and snacks.

The event took place in a park near the Don River.

Our counselors were all local graduates of our Stars program (a study program for Jewish students aged 18-26 with no prior knowledge  in Judaism, who attend classes twice a week in Shul).

Tisha B’av in camp was very memorable. A general class was given a few days prior to the fast day describing the history and customs of Tisha B’av. Following the lesson the oldest bunk decided on their own that they would like to fast and keep the customs of the day.