11 NISSAN CELEBRATIONS

On Sunday, March 24, over 500 people joined the JRCC’s annual Grand Purim Banquet. This year’s event took on the theme of “Purim in the Wild West.” The cuisine, decor and costumes all took on a Western frontier theme, which gave an added air of excitement that fit well with the out-of-thebox nature of the Purim holiday. Following the traditional Megillah reading, the evening featured a three-course festive dinner, open bar, entertainment, a DJ, and more. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our community and our heritage together, especially during these challenging times for the Jewish people. It was a meaningful and joyous evening of delightful cuisine, fine spirits, entertainment, and a general jovial atmosphere befitting the Purim festival and a celebration of community unity

OVER 500 ATTEND JRCC COMMUNITY PASSOVER SEDERS

The Passover Seder is a universal Jewish ritual observed almost identically
by Jews around the world, regardless of their affiliation or level or
observance. It is the quintessential reliving of the quintessential Jewish experience. Over 500 people attended Community Passover Seders organized by the Jewish Russian Community Centre in 10 locations on April 22 and 23. The Seders provided people with the opportunity to experience a traditional Seder and observe the related mitzvahs and traditions – eating the matzah and recounting the story of the Exodus to our children – in a warm and welcoming environment with family
and friends. The insightful guidance and explanations of the presiding rabbis enriched the Seder
with added meaning and depth, while the camaraderie and singing enhanced the jubilant holiday
atmosphere.

 

THE FEAST OF MOSHIACH

While the first days of Passover commemorate the Exodus from Egypt,
the eighth day of Passover is traditionally associated with our hopes for
the future redemption with the coming of Moshiach. Towards the end
of the day, while fell this year on April 30, according to a custom initiated
by the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, a Feast
of Moshiach was held at all JRCC branches, together with thousands of
other communities around the world. Participants gathered together,
ate matzah, drank wine, sand songs, and shared insights about Moshiach
– an idea that may sometimes seem unfathomable. One way to get
there is to internalize the idea, to learn about it, talk about it, visualize
and make it real. As the Rebbe teaches, when we