Hanukkah in Dnipro was celebrated this year like never before—as we are experiencing a huge vacuum of light amid a very dense darkness, there is a strong thirst and need for a bright light to be generated. That’s why this year this Festival of Lights was celebrated in our community, not only institutionally but also widely around the whole city.
Many volunteers were involved in making home visits distributing Hanukkah candles around the city in the malls and central locations. Public menorahs were installed in seven of the biggest malls in the city, and five large menorahs were standing at the central city squares with public events organized there. Children made over 250 home visits, bringing Hanukkah candles and lighting them together with needy elderly. About 4,500 menorah sets with candles were distributed around the city to Jews in the malls and streets by the children who were involved in this campaign.
At the community’s Menorah Center, there was a big activity attended by over 5,000 people every night during the course of the holiday. Hanukkah was celebrated at the kindergartens, in schools, children’s boarding homes and all the institutions and programs of the Jewish community, with an active participation of parents with children. Beautiful programs were organized around the entire community.
We can firmly estimate that hundreds of thousands of people of all ethnic backgrounds, including locals, internally displaced people and guests of the city, were touched by the light of the Hanukkah and were inspired during these trying times with much-needed joy, optimism and faith in a brighter future.
