Birchas Hachama in The Congo

By lubavitch.com

In Jerusalem, New York and other major Jewish population centers, thousands thronged to participate in the once-in-28-year Jewish ritual of blessing the sun.

In the Democratic Republic of The Congo, there weren’t thousands, not even hundreds. But they rose at the crack of dawn Wednesday morning to conduct their own blessing-of-the-sun ritual on the Congo River.

Led by Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila – Executve Director and Emissary of Chabad of Central Africa, the group took two speedboats out of the Yacht Club of Kinshasa to an island in the Congo River, where they were helped by local fisherman onto dry land.

Participating at the event was the President’s Special Advisor, the Honorary Augustain Katumba.