Full Weekend Celebration in Russia’s Capital

Yud Tes Kislev was celebrated in Moscow this year with a host of programs over the weekend. Beginning with Shabbos farbrengens, continuing with festive Melava Malka events and especially the central event in the Marina Rocha shul, the spirit of the Yom Tov was clearly felt.

Photos: Levi Nazarov

On Sunday, yet another program was on the schedule. Despite the frigid weather and heavy snow that continued almost non-stop, hundreds of young adults gathered for a day of Torah study. The program focused on Nigleh and Chassidus, in tribute to the ba’al hageulah, the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch.

Leading the day of study was Rabbi Chaim Pruss, a moreh tzedek in Kfar Chabad, who was flown down especially for the occasion. In addition to the shiurim he elivered, Rabbi Pruss also led a number of farbrengens for the Hebrew-speaking crowds.

The day of study was organized by the ‘Merkaz Torah’ institute, headed by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Wilansky. Many varied shiurim in numerous languages in were offered over a number of hours, in a number of halls in the beautiful Marriot hotel in the center of Moscow. Among the presenters were Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, Dayan Rabbi Yisroel Barenbaum, Kashrus rov Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Marzel, Rabbi Yehuda Shagav Friedman, rov of the Machon Shechita, Rabbi Gedalya Shestak, rov of the Dor Revi’I congregation, and Rabbi Yonason Feldman, maggid shiur in Merkaz Torah.

As evening descended, the hotel’s main ballroom opened its doors and was quickly filled with hundreds of Yidden from across Moscow. Awaiting them was a complete Yom Tov seudah and an engaging program, headed by Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, director of the Jewish community in Moscow, and under the slogan ‘From Exile to Redemption’.

Opening the festivities was guest shliach Rabbi Yosef Dovid Weitman of S. Paulo, Brazil. Having visited Russia under very different circumstances over forty years ago, Rabbi Weitman related his memories from those travels, when he smuggled in tefillin, mezuzos and other tashmishei kedusha, during the years of the oppressive Soviet regime. The crowd listened spellbound to his descriptions of those trips, taken under the directive of the Rebbe.

Another speaker with memories of a different era was Rabbi Shlomo Galperin of Crown Heights, who recalled his youth in the USSR, and took lesson from those times to encourage us today to increase our study of Chassidus.

Philanthropist R’ Yehuda Davidov, founder and head of the ‘770’ Tzedaka fund of Russia was invited to lead the crowd in Kapitel 122 of Tehillim. Immediately following was Chief Rabbi Lazar to lead the crowd in Kapitel 20, which he said with much emotion. Standing next to him on the stage was Rabbi Doron Peretz, father of Daniel Sholom Peretz, who was taken hostage by the accursed terrorists of Hamas after fighting to protect his brothers and sisters in the South.

A live stream from the Kosel in Yerushalayim was then shown, with Rabbi Dovid Caytak, chazan of Marina Rocha, leading a tefillah from that holy spot on behalf of all Yidden in Russia.

Rabbi Lazar then delivered the keynote address to mark the great day, drawing on the possuk of Padah B’shalom and the explanations of Chazal on the possuk to inspire the crowd. He also addressed Rabbi Peretz, who was visiting Russia for the first time, encouraging him to have complete Emunah in Hashem, which will bring true joy and good news.

Rabbi Peretz was then invited to speak, and emotionally recounted his experiences over the past weeks since Simchas Torah, including the wedding of another son, who was also injured on that day. He declared his complete Emunah that in the merit of the auspicious day of Yud Tes Kislev and the tefillos of the Yidden of Russia, he will merit to see his son return alive and well, among the another histages, immediately!

Following the conclusion of the program, the crowd left with a renewed sense of purpose, inspired and uplifted and ready to face the upcoming days with new energies.