On Motzei Shabbat Bereshit, after two festive days of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, Moscow marked a Simchat Torah celebration that the Jewish community, especially in the central Marina Roscha Synagogue, had not seen in years. The celebration followed tremendous spiritual growth throughout the month of Tishrei, especially during Sukkot.
The hakafot around the new elevated bimah lasted about 10 hours and were filled with an unparalleled joy and spirit, led by Rabbi Berel Lazar, Russia’s chief rabbi. The joy intensified with each hakafah, as more and more Jews from across the city streamed into the grand synagogue, creating a scene that reminded Moscow’s longtime residents of the iconic Simchat Torah gatherings once held on the streets near the Archipova (Choral Synagogue) in previous years.
In the midst of the hakafot, several philanthropists approached Rabbi Lazar and requested that he announce their commitment to do everything in their power to secure the release of Alexander ben Leah, a Russian citizen who had been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. This gesture of mutual responsibility and concern for all those taken captive was especially poignant for the Torpanov family. Alexander’s mother, Leah, who herself was released from Gaza 10 months earlier, had come to spend the holidays with the Lazar family. She has continued to receive significant support from them during this challenging period.
On Simchat Torah, after Mussaf and Mincha, which concluded close to the onset of Shabbat, the synagogue leaders, under the guidance of Rabbi Lazar, decided to implement the practice of “covering the table and making Kiddush” (pores mappah u’mekadesh). Only after several hours were Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv prayers held for Shabbat Bereshit.
Early the next morning, the synagogue was filled with congregants reciting the entire Sefer Tehillim, as is customary on Shabbat Mevarchim. Following Mussaf and Mincha, the large gathering joined together for a Shabbat meal and farbrengen that continued long after Shabbat was over. During the meal, a number of significant initiatives were announced to promote Torah study and Chassidic teachings throughout Moscow’s Jewish community, including the addition of new shluchim (emissaries) and an organized effort to provide Torah classes for Jews from all backgrounds.
