From Dawn to Midnight: Moscow’s Giant Sukkah Comes Alive

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From Dawn to Midnight: Moscow’s Giant Sukkah Comes Alive

The massive hospitality operation runs twenty hours a day, serving hot meals and providing a festive atmosphere for the many visitors in the Russian capital. The bustling Four Species market in the courtyard of the Central Synagogue offers Mehudar sets to communities and Shluchim across the country, while the joy of Simchas Beis HaShoeva fills the streets of Moscow, with Chassidic Farbrengens continuing into the early hours of the morning • Read More, Photos

It is six in the morning at the plaza of the Marina Roscha Central Synagogue in Moscow. While the Russian capital slowly awakens to a chilly autumn morning, the magnificent giant Sukkah is already bustling with activity. The aroma of hot food rising from the “Grisha’s Zimmer” hospitality room blends with the steady flow of people arriving at the complex. Community members and Jewish residents from across the city stream inside, beginning their day with Chassidus and a warm morning meal as yet another day of Zman Simchaseinu gets underway—bringing warmth and a sense of home to Jews throughout Russia.

Following the directive of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar Shlita, every effort is made to ensure that no one goes hungry or feels alone during Yom Tov. To that end, the “Grisha’s Zimmer” hospitality room operates continuously from six in the morning until two after midnight. The dedicated kitchen staff work around the clock, preparing a wide selection of fresh foods, hearty meals, light refreshments, and activities for children, all served throughout the day for the comfort and enjoyment of the many celebrants.

The extensive culinary operation goes hand in hand with meticulous spiritual preparations. The synagogue lobby is bustling with activity around the central Four Species market, where philanthropists, Shluchim, and members of the community carefully select Mehadrin sets. The deep love for the Mitzvah was especially evident as the Chief Rabbi personally examined a selection of approximately 400 premium Calabria Esrogim. The Esrogim were specially shipped from Italy by his father, the elder of the Shluchim, Rabbi Moshe Lazar, for the Rabbanim and Shluchim throughout the country.

As the first days of Yom Tov came to an end on Sunday night, the great joy of Simchas Beis HaShoeva erupted in the giant Sukkah, accompanied by the sounds of a spirited Chassidic orchestra. The celebration did not remain within the walls of the Sukkah, as spirited dancing spilled into the streets of Moscow, spreading the light and joy of Yom Tov throughout the city. The lively dancing naturally continued into Chassidic Farbrengens that lasted into the early hours of the morning, bringing to life the teaching: “Whoever has never witnessed the joy of Simchas Beis HaShoeva has never seen joy in his life.”

Photos: Levi Nazarov