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And again, September is approaching its middle, which means that a holiday is approaching for the Jewish communities of Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil regions. You won’t find it in the Jewish calendar, but for thousands of people in our region it is of great importance and is long-awaited along with other holidays. With the arrival of September 16, people put on festive clothes, take flowers with them and head to their second home – the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation “Hesed Besht”.
This year we are 17. This is far from a young age for the organization, but not yet an adult for the average person in comparison. One of the most productive times when you can plan to achieve new heights based on the experience already accumulated. This year's festive events were held at the Khmelnytsky Regional Music and Drama Theater named after Mikhail Starytsky. In the morning, preparations began here for a large number of guests, because the seventeen-year-old employees of "Hesed Besht" planned not only a festive program, but also a gastronomic performance of Jewish cuisine.
“Don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends,” says the old saying, and it is sincerely true. The highlight of the seventeenth anniversary was the visit to our city of the teams of the Sumy Charitable Jewish Center “Hesed Chaim” and the Konotop City Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Center “Ester”, led by Elizaveta Sherstyuk and Margarita Stoyanova, respectively. Of course, there were not a hundred of them, but only eighteen, but the sincerity, friendliness, creative enthusiasm and potential of our colleagues from the East impressed everyone without exception. Culinary master classes, treats for guests, an exhibition of books and souvenirs from creative workshops, and most importantly, the original performance “Jewish Town. A Few Words about Konotop” – all these are the results of the friendly visit of our esteemed colleagues.
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From noon, tables with culinary masterpieces began to be laid out in the theater lobby. There were both personal treasures of Jewish housewives and treats from entire regions and even restaurants. Twenty female volunteers from our foundation shared their culinary experience verbally and through the dishes they prepared. Representatives from Ternopil, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Slavuta, Shepetivka, Polonny, Starokostyantyniv, and Gorodok arrived with full plates, baskets, and pots of various creations of Jewish cuisine. Two well-known city restaurants, namely "Restoratsiya Shpigelya" and "Lyube", presented the skills of their chefs in preparing traditional Jewish dishes. Stuffed fish, latkes, chicken dishes, strudel, varnchkes, salads, leykakh, pies and cakes, savory and sweet dishes - in a word, everything your heart desires.
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The first to try the treats were the students of the Khmelnytsky Cooperative Trade and Economics Institute, whom we invited to the festival to participate in master classes that will help in the future in the skill of cooks. From 4 p.m., the doors of the theater opened to receive guests. They were greeted by the municipal orchestra. It was nice to see representatives of several generations, from the elderly to the little ones, heading to the festival. The hall on the second floor turned into a bustling community, more reminiscent of a bazaar in a shtetl, where everyone is looking for something and shouting, laughing and tasting.
Fanfares announced the beginning of the solemn part, which, according to a long-established tradition, began with a welcoming speech by Director Igor Ratushny and the presentation of awards “For the Creation of Good” to patrons, benefactors, volunteers, employees and friends of the Foundation, who over the past year have distinguished themselves most in the history of the organization and the creation of good in the region. Honored guests, including representatives of the authorities, trade unions and public organizations, had the opportunity to express their congratulations. And when the lights went out and the backstage parted, the audience saw them… Simple people whose hearts have been following good deeds for seventeen years – employees of the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation “Hesed Besht”. The staged dance accompanying the video clip for the song by Raisa Gelman and Anatoly Muzyky did not leave anyone indifferent. It was the culmination of several months of training and preparation to perform in front of an authoritative jury – all the esteemed clients and community members, as well as all the people who came to this celebration.
The galaxy of events ended with the play “Jewish Town. A Few Words About Konotop”. Here, familiar songs sounded, and stories close to the soul from the life of the Jewish town and its inhabitants were revealed. According to the vast majority of those present that day, seventeen years were a success. And this is the best compliment to the organizers of this event. After all, the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation “Hesed Besht” works for people. And in a year we will all gather again so that the usual “We are always glad to meet you!”
