BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Thursday, December 29 2005

Spirit of Chanukah Comes to Western Belarus

BREST, Belarus - Hundreds of Jews in the Belarus city of Brest participated in an exciting concert held in celebration of Chanukah. The event got underway with a candle-lighting ceremony, which involved numerous state officials, public personalities and the Consul of Poland, who took this opportunity to congratulate local Jews on the holiday, wishing them a year as bright as the lights of Chanukah.

On behalf of the Regional Administration, the Head of the Department on Relations with Religious Organizations publicly thanked Rabbi Rabinovich and his wife Mihal for leading the Jewish community's programs and activities for the sake of local Jews.

The festivity took place in the city's central theater, the program including a concert featuring the 'Shoshana' Choir run by the local community, as well as a guest singer, who had traveled here from Minsk to join the local community. His performance was rich with both traditional and modern Jewish songs. The audience watched a video dedicated to Chanukah and tasted doughnuts, after which they moved to another hall to enjoy a festive meal and musical accompaniment.

The Jewish community of Brest is a member of the Association of Jewish Communities of Belarus and actively participates in programs operated by the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS.

Source:

http://www.fjc.ru/news/newsArticle.asp?AID=342351