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A New Year in Moscow: Rosh Hashanah Celebrations Across the Capital

Multitudes attended prayers and the sounding of the Shofar at the Central Synagogue, led by the Chief Rabbi of Russia / Prayer services and Shabbat and holiday meals held in new communities established over the past year / A remarkable spiritual awakening among hundreds of young Jews • Read More, Photos

Amidst an atmosphere of extraordinary spiritual elevation, the two days of Rosh Hashanah 5787 were celebrated by multitudes of Jews throughout their respective neighborhoods in Moscow. The holiday was observed with sacred reverence and awe, featuring heartfelt holiday prayers, the fulfillment of the mitzvah of sounding the Shofar on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven.

Synagogues and Chabad Houses scattered across the Russian capital were filled to capacity. Jews from across the entire spectrum of the community gathered for the exalted prayers—each in their respective local community—with awakened hearts, supplicating to be judged favorably for a good and blessed year.

The sounds of prayer and supplication echoed in every location. The entire congregation stood in awe and reverence during the peak hours of the daytime prayers, culminating in the central mitzvah of the day: the sounding of the Shofar, reflecting a renewed acceptance of the yoke of Heaven on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

Shortly before the onset of Shabbat and the holiday, a remarkably larger crowd than in previous years poured into the sanctuary of the Marina Roscha Central Synagogue. Just minutes before the services began, the Mara D’Asra and Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berl Lazar, read aloud a congratulatory letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The letter had been dispatched to his office that morning addressed to all Russian Jewry, and was subsequently distributed to communities nationwide.

In his address, the Chief Rabbi highlighted the unique spiritual qualities of the new year, which commenced on the holy Shabbat, thereby precluding the sounding of the Shofar in accordance with the decree of our Sages. He continued with inspiring words of encouragement regarding the sanctity of the day, emphasizing the profound privilege of beginning the new year with renewed dedication to Torah study, reverence for Heaven, Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), and the observance of Mitzvot.

Throughout the two days of the holiday, the Chief Rabbi delivered uplifting classes and sermons to the general congregation, as well as to hundreds of young Jews who gathered for separate prayer services and holiday meals at the dining hall of the Shaarey Tzedek Jewish Chesed Center, located just a short walk from the Central Synagogue. On Saturday night—the second night of Rosh Hashanah—multitudes of congregants lined up for over an hour at the Central Synagogue to receive a personal blessing. Each individual was personally presented by the Chief Rabbi with a special holiday package containing a pomegranate, an apple, and a jar of honey to take home.

Numerous prayer quorums (Minyanim) were held across all synagogues, most notably within the newly established communities that opened throughout the city over the past year. Many locations reported a significant increase in attendance for the holiday services and the sounding of the Shofar. These services were accompanied by magnificent holiday banquets hosted by the dedicated Rabbinic Shluchim. Weeks prior to the holiday, these Shluchim had invited Jewish families to receive a new Jewish calendar and an elegant holiday kit for the entire family, seeking to connect them to their deep Jewish roots and facilitate their observance of the holiday Mitzvot.

Extensive outreach activities were also conducted. The “Bikur Cholim of Moscow” organization delivered festive food packages to hospitalized Jews on the eve of the holiday, while dedicated volunteers blew the Shofar for Jewish inmates throughout the festival. Furthermore, the communal procession for the traditional ‘Tashlich’ ceremony—during which many Jews encountered along the way were given the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the Shofar—created a profound Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of G-d’s name). The inspiring impact of these efforts will undoubtedly be felt in the approaching days, particularly as communities gear up with even greater vigor and momentum for Yom Kippur and the upcoming holiday of Sukkot.

Photos: Levy Nazarov