[huge_it_slider id=”29″]
Today in Khmelnytskyi Regional Library for Youth An event was held for students of grades 6-A and 6-B of secondary school No. 19 on the ethnography of their native land. The children were introduced to the Jewish community - the life, everyday life and spirituality of representatives of one of the oldest ethnic groups that lived in Podillia and left an invaluable contribution to the history and culture of the region. For this, the library invited the Information Manager of the Hesed Besht Jewish Community Foundation, Vyacheslav Nagnibida, who came not empty-handed, having brought many exhibits from the Museum of Jewish Life, located in the Thiya Community Center on Kamianets-Podilskyi, 58/1.
Once Jews made up 60% of the population of our city, interethnic ties were strong and integrated, so most people were well-versed in each other's culture. After World War II, the community almost declined, and over time, Jewish culture became something distant and strange for the people of Podolia. Despite the extensive educational work of the Hesed Besht Jewish Community Foundation and the city's cultural institutions, it is difficult to convey to the general public all the features of the Jewish flavor.
Keeping the attention of a large number of children at the same time is quite a difficult task. A monotonous lecture here will have zero effect, as opposed to an active action, not devoid of a lot of vision, live contact and, of course, humor. For their age, the sixth graders turned out to be extremely smart and active, they not only listened, but also asked questions, participated in the discussion and looked with interest at all the objects and literature that were laid out on the exhibition tables. The Jewish calendar and the alphabet aroused particular interest. Also, it was experimentally proven among the willing boys that the kippah does not fall off the head even without fixation with “invisibles”. Great interest was aroused not only among the children, but also among the adults present in the hall by the chanukiah, shofar, talesh and besamim, which could be held in the hands and, in the case of the incense for Avdala, - smelled.
The hour of the lecture passed quickly, cheerfully and with benefit. We hope that the children will remember the information about the Jewish community for a long time. In the future, this should have a good impact on the development of young Ukrainians, making it impossible for crazy anti-Semitic myths about Jews, which, unfortunately, still occur in everyday life, to take root in their imagination. Tolerance is possible only with awareness, so we are convinced that together with partner organizations, such as the Khmelnytskyi Regional Library for Youth, we are on the right path.
