Sixty six kilometers from the city of Moscow lies the city of Istra, one of 39 sub-districts of the Moscow region, the capital of Russia, a region with a population of nearly nine million. The city of Istra itself is surrounded by picturesque villages and towns and is considered a place with good air quality thanks to the dense vegetation and rivers surrounding the area. It is no wonder that Soviet educational camps were established there, in order to “re-educate” thousands and thousands of children, amongst them many Jews.
With the rebirth of Yiddishkeit in Russia and the re-establishment of numerous Jewish communities throughout the vast country, the immediate need for suitable accommodations for Jewish camps was felt, in order to provide a concentrated Jewish education to thousands of Jews who still do not receive a regular Jewish education throughout the year, and in the summer months this becomes possible. Thus, the first camp – and its Russian name: ‘Lager’ – was established by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar Shlita, who foresaw this vision some three decades ago, the first step towards a revolution in Jewish education that Russia is currently developing.
Recently, the large campgrounds in the Istra region, which were purchased by the community many years ago, have undergone a massive renovation from the ground up, with huge financial investment, while thinking through every detail, including the luxurious landscaping with state-of-the-art facilities. All that is left to do is to convince as many Jewish children as possible to register and participate in the camps, during the months off from formal schooling, in the winter and in the city in the summer.
Ahead of the holiday of Matan Torah, Andrey Vorobiov, the governor of the region, which is considered the second largest region after the capital Moscow, arrived for an official visit to this complex, to inaugurate, with the participation of man
y Russians, the first part of the future educational town, which is also supposed to spread to another large camp complex, located just a short distance away – thus the area will become a place where thousands of Jewish children are educated every year, in some of the best living conditions in the world and with a dedicated and professional educational team.
The governor and his entourage were welcomed by the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, and the director of the Jewish community in Moscow, Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, who invited the governor to plant a tree on one of the beautiful walkways of the large complex. The governor stood in awe of the beauty and investment in the place and dedicated much of his time to touring many of the buildings and complexes with the hosts and the management.
On the way, they met students from one of the yeshiva’s classes who populate the compound during periods when children’s camps are inactive. The governor took an interest in their daily schedule and subjects studied. He did not hide his admiration for the dedication of such young students, who get up so early every morning and sit and learn Torah until late at night, their faces shining with pride and joy at their great merit.
The success of the small yeshiva in this pastoral location is attributed to the large team of educators, led by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Moshe Lerman, along with the principal, Rabbi Yosef Weisberg, the shluchim students, and the community management – who do all that they can to raise the next generation of Rabbis and shluchim.
At the conclusion of the impressive visit, the Governor promised to support the Educational Campus, which without a doubt will turn into an exemplary model throughout the world.
Photo: Alisa Genai
