On the last Motzaei Shabbat, Parshat Shemini, after ten full and intensive days filled with Torah, prayer, and the joy of the holiday, a special Passover seminar for 95 Jews from cities and towns across eastern Ukraine came to an end at “Kiryat Rabbeinu HaGadol” – the resting place of the revered Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch.
They arrived from Myrhorod, Pyriatyn, Lokhvytsia, Pryluky, Zinkiv, and of course Haditch itself. What they all share is that they live in remote towns in eastern Ukraine, where there is no active Jewish community throughout the year.
For them, the seminar was a true source of living waters. Alongside communal prayers and Torah classes, these isolated Jews were able to celebrate Passover properly. They stayed in the spacious and well-appointed guest accommodations at the complex and enjoyed three satisfying meals a day.
“Perhaps the greatest gain of all,” emphasizes Rabbi Deitsch, “is that they did not eat even a crumb of chametz, only matzah and strictly kosher food. We just read on Shabbat about the importance of kosher food a Jew eats, and this will surely inspire them to connect more deeply to their Judaism until the next seminar we organize for them.”
The activity with the regional Jewish population was even broader, including public Passover Seders held in the towns from which these participants came. These Seders were intended for local Jews who could not attend the seminar, with a total of 210 participants. In advance, full Passover meals were sent to these Seders—generously prepared in the large kitchen at the complex—alongside packages of matzah, wine, and kosher food sufficient for the rest of the holiday.
Rabbi Deitsch, the emissary, said: “I thank all those who assisted in bringing the joy of the holiday to the Jews of Haditch and its surroundings. We have no doubt that the merit of the Alter Rebbe helped us achieve the success of this entire endeavor.”
