7 days ago

Moscow Shluchim Prepare For the Yom Tov of Freedom

The Marina Roshcha Jewish Community Center in central Moscow notes with satisfaction the completion of the many preparations for the holiday of freedom, which include increased distribution of shmurah matzah kits and additional public seders in the many neighborhoods of the Russian capital. At the same time, all of the city’s Jewish institutions invested as much effort as possible in order to reach a maximum number of Jews and bring them the good news of the great upcoming Yom tov with all its laws and customs.

The day after Purim, the marketing of matzah began, and every day hundreds and thousands come to the central shul to purchase boxes of matzah, while at the many kosher stores in the city, one can purchase a huge variety of strictly kosher for Passover products and even ready-made food for meals, for those who cannot cook it themselves.

As every year, a large-scale “Kimcha dePischa” campaign is being carried out under the instruction of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar.

At the Shaarei Tzedek Jewish Chesed Center, the needy and the indigent, as well as families blessed with many children received boxes loaded with all the main necessities of the holiday, including shmurah matzah, wine and grape juice, meat and fish, fruits and vegetables. Dozens of workers carried the packages out on carts, to preserve the dignity of the recipients, who were all greeted and served with a smile.

Mechiras chametz is available on various platforms, and an extensive campaign has been produced on the essence of the holiday, its customs and traditions, especially for this year, when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos, adding many important halachos to the picture. To this end, a brief guide in Russian for Thursday, Friday and Shabbos HaGadol has been published, in addition to a general and comprehensive guide, as published every erev yom tov, by the gabbaim at the central shul.

As Pesach will begin this motzei shabbos, hundreds will gather for the main Pesach seder, which has been held for the past thirty years or so by the Chief Rabbi, and thousands more will participate in various and public seders, which were advertised in all neighborhoods through their local Chabad houses, under the Director of Moscow’s Jewish communities, Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg.

Even the elderly and the homeless were taken care of in advance with matzah and kosher food, and in all prisons, matzah and grape juice were sent in advance with special permission for the Jewish prisoners. In the “Butyrsky” prison, the oldest prison in the world, a Pesach seder will be held this year as well, which will begin with the Yom Tov tefilos and end with the recitation of the Haggadah until after Shulchan Aruch.

Many partners are involved in the success of this complex project, to which all the institutions and about a hundred Shluchim of the Rebbe in Moscow were mobilized in advance, all who are doing their utmost in order to reach every Jew wherever he is. With the assistance of the “770 Russia” Foundation and other organizations, the many preparations were made possible, and upon their completion, the community management is confident that a holiday of freedom will be felt by all the Jews of Moscow in particular and all of Russia in general.

Photography: Levi Nazarov