The Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS and Baltic Countries helped Jews throughout the Former Soviet Union to celebrate Passover to the fullest in its 426 member communities. This year, the FJC organized over 500 public Seders, attended by over 150,000 people.
In addition the FJC distributed two million pounds of matzah and 250,000 bottles of wine in preparation of Passover.
400 Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical students from Israel, the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe joined local yeshiva students in visiting about 300 Jewish communities not served by a permanent Rabbi. As part of a program, which has been running for ten years, the students led Passover Seders and met with community leaders and members in their respective host communities. Information booklets on Passover have also been prepared to assist in this process.
For many people in smaller and isolated communities, this Passover experience is their only connection to Judaism - a turning point in the lives of those who have been alienated from their Jewish heritage. Donors and individual Jewish communities have made it possible for thousands of Jews throughout the Former Soviet Union to enjoy Passover for the first time ever.
The Matzah campaign, the visits by rabbinical students, and the public Seders were coordinated with the FJC. These initiatives were made possible through the generosity of the Rohr Family Foundation and the Ohr Avner Foundation, and thousands of international and local donors who responded to the FJC Passover Appeal.
As Jewish communities throughout Russia celebrated Passover, Jewish leaders received congratulations messages from political and religious leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. In his message, President Putin also noted the Jewish community's contribution to building a better Russia, and promoting peace and accord within society.
Regardless of where they occurred, the FJC-sponsored Passover events have helped to bridge the gap between generations - between the elderly, who celebrated Passover in secret during the Soviet region, and their grandchildren, who are only becoming acquainted with Jewish life today.
In RUSSIA, the largest celebrations took place in Moscow, with 5600 guests attending FJC-sponsored Seders. Of these, 2600 guests attended ten Seders, held simultaneously on the first day of Passover at the Moscow Jewish Community Center. The many rooms of the Jewish Community Center and Synagogue were engaged with the multiple Seders. Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and Alexander Boroda, the Executive Vice-President of the FJC, led a Seder for 500 supporters and leaders of the Jewish community. Four other Seder took place for 2000 participants - for Jewish youth, medical professionals, and Jewish writers, journalists and intellectuals.
Two separate Seders took place in languages other than Russian. The English Seder attracted 100 people from over 15 countries, who are living in Moscow or are tourists. The Hebrew-language Seder hosted 150 guests, mainly re-patriates from Israel. The Bukharian Jewish community hosted another 200 guests and their families at the Synagogue at Marina Roscha.
Elsewhere in Moscow another 3000 guests participated in a variety of Seders. These included celebrations for 200 at the Gan Isroel Passover camp, for 150 at the 'Machon Chamesh - Chaya Mushka' University, and for 100 at the Jewish University of the 21st Century.
The Bronnaya Synagogue also hosted two Seders - one for 700 guests and another for over 200 young Jews and their families. Another five public Seders took place in the Chabad houses of Moscow, while another 100 Jews, who communicate with one other via www.jewish.ru, met in real time at the Seder hosted by Avraham Grozman, the Director of this internet portal.
In S. Petersburg, a record number of 3000 people attended 17 public Seders, with an additional 12 Passover Seders held at individual Rabbis' homes. The main event was the Seder held at the Choral Synagogue. Complete with the candles lit in the ceiling chandeliers, this event attracted hundreds of guest, including over 200 prominent local personalities, donors and city officials. The event ended with a stirring performance by Boruch Finkelstein, the chief cantor of the synagogue. Elsewhere in S. Petersburg region, another 700 people took part in 10 Passover Seders, led by visiting Rabbinical students.
Jews of Kaliningrad kept busy throughout Passover, with Jewish schoolchildren participating in various contests and community volunteers distributing humanitarian aid to the needy. About 150 people attended the first Seder at a local restaurant, at which renowned singer Elmira Gali gave a concert. Towards the end of the event, participants joined in song using their Haggadah booklets.
Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical students led Seders in Kurgan. The 170 participants were thrilled by their newly-acquired 500-year old Sefer Torah, used for the first time in half a century. The two Seders in Taganrog, also led by visiting yeshiva students, hosted about 200 people.
The Jewish community of Perm celebrated at the new Community Center in the nearby city of Berezniki. Over 1000 people turned out for the event. In Nizhny Novgorod, Rabbinical students hosted a Passover event for 50 Jewish youth and children, where they enjoyed matzah shmura. The Jewish community of Ryazan celebrated Passover for the tenth year, with a turnout of over 200 Jews.
Jews of Sochi celebrated the dawning of Passover with four separate public Seders, each involved 50 people. Jewish leaders also provided the necessary support to community members who wished to hold Seders in their homes. Jewish youth of UFA marked Passover with two Seders, led by visiting Rabbinical students, and a song performance by renowned actor Saifulla Khairullin. The festivities also involved Jews from the other cities of Bashkortostan.
Elsewhere in southern Russia, about 250 Jews of Astrakhan participated in Passover events in the local synagogue. Four public Seders attracted 550 participants in Rostov-on-Don, while three Seders inspired the participation of 180 Jews in Volgograd. In Vladikavkaz, a local radio station Jewish community Chairman Mark Petrushanky for an interview on the eve of Passover.
Over 300 Jews in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk took part in two Seders, held simultaneously in two different locations in order to accommodate a greater number of participants. Despite good planning, the space could barely accommodate all the guests. Elsewhere in Siberia, 100 Jews of Tomsk turned out for Passover Seders and two Passover Seders in Novokuznetsk attracted 120 and 80 participants respectively.
In Bratsk, visiting Rabbinical students led two Seders for 96 and 58 participants respectively. Every participant received a copy of the "Pesach Haggadah - The Passover Story". More than 200 Jews of Kemerovo met Passover in the hall of the school of classical music. In Omsk, Rabbi Osher Krichevsky led a Seder and visited Governor L. Polezhayev, to whom he presented Passover gifts of matzah and kosher wine
In the Far East of Russia, Jews of Khabarovsk celebrated their first public Passover Seder in the local Officers' Home, attended by 400 people. Jewish schoolchildren put on a concert on the story of Jews' liberation, followed by songs and the lighting of Passover candles. In Vladivostok, more than 300 adults, accompanied by their families, attended Seders. Birobidjan celebrated multiple Seders: for the Club for Ghetto Prisoners, the Youth Club, the 'Einikaid' Family Club, and the Jewish Sunday School.
Perhaps the most active UKRAINE community this Passover, the Jewish community of Dnepropetrovsk organized public Seders for 2000 local Jews, organized a Passover camp for boys from throughout Ukraine, and distributed 12 tons of matzah to local Jews, thus allowing many Jewish families to hold Seders at home.
Separate Seders took place at every Jewish organization operating in the city. The 'Golden Rose' Synagogue hosted over 500 people for two Passover Seders. 400 Jews attended Seders at the Levi Yitzhak Chabad Day School, the local yeshivot and machon, and an additional 300 turned out for the Seder at the boys' boarding school. Separate Seders took place at the Seniors' Home and the 'Chesed Menachem' Charity Center, attracting 500 people.
Promoting greater interest in Judaism and inspiring pride among Jews of Kharkov, Chief Rabbi of Kharkov Moshe Moskowitz participated in one of the most popular television talk shows in the city. The audience and television viewers asked dozens of questions and Rabbi Moskowitz used the opportunity to speak about the deeper meaning of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). In response to a live poll for program viewers, hundreds of listeners showed that nearly half of respondents understood the reason for Passover.
In Dneprodzerzhinsk, the local Jewish community organized two public Seders in the local synagogue, which were met with a strong turnout of over 400 people.
Numerous Jewish communities in Ukraine held special Passover events especially aimed at children, including model matzah bakeries. In Cherkassy, Rabbi Dov Axelrod introduced dozens of Jewish children to the amazing world of Passover with matzah baking lessons.
Children from the Jewish kindergarten of Kiev also attended special lessons on Passover and learned to bake matzah. After a number of 'demonstration' Seders, they later joined over 200 adult members of the Kiev Jewish community for the great Seder, held in the synagogue at Kudriavstev Spusk.
Passover in Nikolayev featured a model matzah bakery at the 'Chaya Mushka' Kindergarten a Passover exhibit at the 'Ohr Menachem' Chabad Day School, a visit by Rabbinical students from Israel, and a public Seder.
Three Jewish communities in Ukraine have simultaneously launched Jewish camps: a family camp in Odessa, a boys' camp in Dnepropetrovsk and a girls' camp in Chernigov.
For the first time ever, the Jewish community of Odessa opened a Passover camp for Jewish families. More than 180 Jews from all over Ukraine gathered here to spend Passover on the shore of the Black Sea. In addition to learning a lot about Jewish tradition, participants enjoyed a circus show, a play by the 'Hevel Hevolim' Jewish Theater, an exhibition on Anne Frank, excursions around the Jewish quarters of Odessa, lectures on the city's Jewish life and the current situation in Israel.
The Jewish community of Chernigov organized a Passover camp for girls for the third year in a row with the support from Chief Rabbi of Chernigov Yakov Muzikant and his wife Nechama. Camp staff from the 'Beit Chana' Pedagogical College and 'Beit Rivka' of Kfar Chabad, Israel helped the girls become immersed in the world of the Jewish traditions. In addition to holding two Seders, the girls learned a lot and visited sites in Chernigov and Kiev. The camp attracted 120 Jewish girls from the cities of Lugansk, Mariupol, Zhitomir, Khmelnitzky, Donetsk, and Dneprodzerzhinsk.
For its first public Passover Seder, the Jewish community of Yerevan, ARMENIA welcomed Jewish scientists and former citizens of Armenia for a reunion. Armenian Jews from Israel, England, the USA, Canada and the Philippines shared discussions with local Jews, while reading the Haggadah. The reunited family of Armenian Jews parted ways sometime after midnight.
Jewish communities throughout BELARUS hosted 30 visiting Rabbinical students who, together with local yeshiva students, helped over 4000 Jews across the country to enjoy Passover Seders. The Association of Jewish Communities of Belarus also arranged for Jews throughout Belarus to receive more than 40 tons of matzah from Israel, as well as kosher palm oil and grape juice.
In Baranovichi, Passover was more joyous than ever this year. Visiting yeshiva students joined community members, Sunday School pupils and Youth Club members in staging a play about the Passover story. While leading the public Seder, the visiting rabbinical students presented the Jewish community with a book about how Jews of Baranovichi used to celebrate Passover. Its author was a rabbi who served Baranovichi and later immigrated to America.
In ESTONIA, Jews enjoyed matzah shipments and public Seders like never before. Constituting the main event in a series of Passover events held across the country, more than 300 Jews of Estonia took part in a Seder in Tallinn, led by Chief Rabbi of Estonia Shmuel Kot.
Visiting Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical students joined local yeshiva students in visiting the numerous other Jewish communities in Estonia. They led the Seder in Tartu, which was met by more than 70 people. In Kohtla-Jarve, about 40 local Jews and their guests participated in the joyous event, and about 50 Jews attended the public Seder in Narva.
In the AZERBAIJAN capital of Baku, as policemen blocked the streets leading to the synagogue in response to letters threatening terrorist attacks, local Jews attended numerous Passover Seders. After the restaurant originally scheduled to host the Seder backed down in the face of the terror threats, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Azerbaijan Meir Brook arranged a Seder, attended by about 250 people, at the Ohr Avner Chabad Jewish Day School. Community Chairman Gennady Zelmanovich visited the other local Jewish communities to promote good relations within the 'Jewish family'. He also met with Walter Swimmer, the General Secretary of the Council of Europe, who took time out to meet with local religious leaders. The General Secretary congratulated local Jews on Passover, surprising everyone with his excellent Hebrew.
In suite with a 15-year tradition, the Jewish community of KYRGYZSTAN and the Chief Rabbi of that country, Arye Raichman, organized public Seders for more than 500 people. Jews of Bishkek enjoyed Seders at the local Sunday School and a concert put on by members of the Jewish Youth Club and Family Club.
Jewish communities in the towns of Karakol and Osh also held festive Seders.
Despite the closure of Uzbek borders, the Federation of Jewish Communities of UZBEKISTAN managed to achieve the delivery of 10,000 bottles of wine, over nine tons of matzah, and ten tons of humanitarian assistance to cities in Uzbekistan and the neighboring city of Dushanbe, TAJIKISTAN. Also in spite of terrorism threats, eight Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical students from Israel and many other local yeshiva students visited local Jewish communities for Passover and local Jews seized the opportunity to celebrate Passover to the fullest.
Jews of Tashkent enjoyed a Seder in the central 'Beit Menachem' synagogue, while children from the Ohr Avner Chabad Day School enjoyed a separate Seder with their families. The school choir put on a concert, 'Beit Rivka' students organized an art exhibit, and the Jewish school organized a Passover seminar.
Two Kolel students visited Fergana, where they organized and led a public Seder for 48 men and women from different age groups.
In Samarkand, Jews celebrated the first evening of Passover at the restaurant 'Alpomysh'. Together with visiting Rabbinical students, community members laid kosher tables and welcomed more than 150 guests.
Passover in Buhara began with prayers in the city's two synagogues. Visiting Rabbinical students said the Kiddush in the synagogue and led a Seder, at which local Jews and local officials enjoyed the traditional four glasses of wine, followed by Passover songs performed by the local Jewish choir.
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