In honor of Yud Tes Kislev and the year of Hakhel, for the first time in S. Petersburg all the Bais Chabads gathered together for an inspiring Shabbaton.
Over 300 people; men, women and children spent an uplifting weekend together in Zelenegorsk, a suburb of S. Petersburg.
The Shabbaton was organized by Rabbi Mendel and Sara Pewzner, head shluchim to S. Petersburg uniting together with 6 Bais Chabads in the city; Rabbi Benzi and Leah Lipsker, Rabbi Zvi and Dina Pinsky, Rabbi Dani and Rivka Ash, Rabbi Shmuel and Bassie Chitrik , Rabbi Shmuel and Shternie Mendelson, and Rabbi Chaim and Talya Telechinsky. The achdus between the shluchim played a very important role in the success of the program.
Greeting the guests on Friday were delicious home baked pastries, a Mikvah and sauna for men and a beauty salon for women, this gave the people a taste of how important it is to prepare and beautify yourself for Shabbos.
After a beautiful hadlakas neiros, the women heard a lecture on the importance of the Jewish woman and her role in bringing the observance of Shabbos to the home while the men had a chavrusa learning program.
Special lectures for women were presented by Mrs. Esther Offenganden from Israel who spoke about the importance of the Jewish family and sholom bayis. For the men, Rabbi Yonasan Feldman from Moscow shared insights in the Jewish view on marriage, importance of Kashrus and many other important topics. Learning Chassidus in the morning and farbrengens to wee hours of the night provided the participants with a warm, Chassidishe environment in the cold Russian winter.
The Shabbos meals were packed with delicious food, singing and dancing. After a very moving havdallah ceremony, the crowd enjoyed a melava malka with live music and dancing led by Shlomo Nizin (Dnepropetrovsk). The children were busy with arts and crafts and a special magic show.
Sunday morning, when it was time to say goodbye, many people had tears in their eyes. Elena Lidonovksy said, “I really felt the spirit of Shabbos and my daughter Sonia was crying saying, she did not want to leave.” Her husband Evgeny wants to begin a weekly shiur in Gemara thanks to this event. Many families pledged to take upon themselves more Shabbos and kashrut observance as a result of the Shabbaton.
There was a real feeling of unity and community that permeated the whole Shabbos. Everyone agreed that this should be the beginning of a new annual tradition in Petersburg.
Go Sarale and Mendel
And all the shluchim in your great work your doing !!