By COLlive reporter
At the Menorah Center in Dnipro on Thursday, dozens of families of the Rebbe’s Shluchim from throughout Ukraine were warmly welcomed for a joint Shabbos dedicated to strengthening and uplifting the Rebbe’s “army” in the country.
Despite long distances, ongoing security challenges, and the complex realities on the ground, the Shluchim traveled from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Chernivtsi, Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, and other cities, all gathering under one roof.
From the moment they entered the hotel, the special atmosphere was evident. A large sign reading “Welcome – Shabbos of Unity for the Families of the Rebbe’s Shluchim in Ukraine” stood at the entrance.
The host, Dnipro Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky, together with his children and members of the local community, greeted the arriving families. They were joined by Rabbi Reuven Kaminetsky of the Shabbos organizing committee, Rabbi Shlomo Salmon of Kremenchuk, and Rabbi Simcha Levenhartz of JRNU.
Each Shliach received a personal gift basket at registration, presented by JRNU, the Chabad network of Ukraine, which stands behind the carefully organized and thoughtfully planned Shabbos.
In the lobby, Shluchim who had not seen one another for months reunited. Children ran between their parents, and Shluchos embraced with visible emotion. “Some of the Shluchim traveled more than 18 hours to be here,” said Rabbi Levenhartz. “The roads are extremely complicated these days, and the winter weather has been especially harsh, with snow in many cities. It only shows how important this Shabbos is for them.”
In the main hall, striking panels displayed Chassidic messages, including the Rebbe’s words regarding the mission of our generation: “First and foremost, a proclamation and directive must be issued to all Shluchim, that the mission of Shlichus now, and of every Jew, is expressed in this – to greet Moshiach.”
The Shabbos program is comprehensive and varied, featuring Chassidus classes, Shlichus sessions, farbrengens, women’s workshops, children’s programming, joint tefillos, and festive seudos. On Friday night, a central seudah will be held with the participation of mashpi’im and veteran Shluchim. Later in the evening, a farbrengen will continue into the early hours of the morning.
The chain of events will begin Friday afternoon with the completion of a new Sefer Torah that will be brought into the Jewish community of Mykolaiv, led by Rabbi Sholom Gottlieb.
JRNU representatives noted that “This Shabbos is truly a breath of fresh air for the Shluchim families, who dedicate themselves around the clock to their communities under especially challenging wartime conditions.”
