On March 5, a team of children and teenagers from our region headed south to the city of Chernivtsi to join in the fun before the Purim holiday. They were invited by wonderful people from the Jewish religious community of Bukovina, with whom good neighborly relations were established, thanks to a letter from the Head of the community board, Chief Rabbi of Chernivtsi region M. Glitsnshtein to the director of the Hesed Besht Jewish Community Foundation, Ihor Ratushny.
The journey turned out to be long and exciting. The very first children arrived in Khmelnytskyi from the northern regions: Shepetivshchyna and Starokostyantynivshchyna. Here, joining the locals, the children set off by minibus on a three-hour tour to the capital of Bukovina. Everyone was going there for the first time, so it was extremely interesting. But the main thing that pleased the little ones was the opportunity to find new Jewish friends in the neighboring region.
In Chernivtsi, a beautiful festive program and luxurious treats were already waiting for the children. All participants took part in making carnival costumes that will come in handy on the real Purim holiday. Let's hope that the acquaintances made at the celebration will not fade with age in the children, but will remain for a long time. Such events are extremely necessary, as they provide an opportunity to counteract the assimilation of the Jewish people in the future and strengthen communities. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to the Jewish Religious Community of Bukovina for the initiative and to Artem Krais for helping organize the trip of the Jewish children from the Khmelnytskyi region. After returning, they all volunteered that they would be happy to go to the neighboring region again for adventures and entertainment in a circle of like-minded people!
