June 16: We arrived in Kiev around 1 pm Ukrainian time and our flight to Dnepropetrovsk did not leave until 5. We used the time to observe our surroundings and the cultural differences between us and the Ukrainians. All we saw of Kiev was the airport and the plane, but on the ascent and descent into Dnepropetrovsk, we could see green, fertile loo
king land for miles. After the extensive amount of travel, we were all exhausted and just wanted to arrive at the hotel and rest. Our group walked into the main terminal at Dnepropetrovsk airport and all of a sudden a swarm of Ukrainian students swarmed around us and began to cheer. We saw Naomi and realized these were the Dnepropetrovsk Hillel students we would be spending the week with. They were all smiling and placed paper medals that said “World Champion Long Distance Travelers” around our necks. The boys all offered to take the girl’s bags and we walked outside to a double decker yellow bus. 
king land for miles. After the extensive amount of travel, we were all exhausted and just wanted to arrive at the hotel and rest. Our group walked into the main terminal at Dnepropetrovsk airport and all of a sudden a swarm of Ukrainian students swarmed around us and began to cheer. We saw Naomi and realized these were the Dnepropetrovsk Hillel students we would be spending the week with. They were all smiling and placed paper medals that said “World Champion Long Distance Travelers” around our necks. The boys all offered to take the girl’s bags and we walked outside to a double decker yellow bus. 
All of us Americans stared out the windows on our drive to our hotel to get a feel for the city. Parts of it looked run down, but there were trees and people milling everywhere. It was a holiday in Dnepropetrovsk and so there were hundreds of people outdoors, particularly on the promenade along the Dnepro river near our hotel. The twenty of us got off the bus with our luggage and elicited many stares, clearly standing out as foreigners. Once settled, showered, and slightly rested at our hotel, we met downstairs and walked to the main synagogue in Dnepro, one of two. The synagogue was part of a complex that also contained a JCC and the Hillel students had dinner ready in a room upstairs. After we ate a meal of beets, potatoes, cabbage, and chicken, we sat in a large circle and everyone was introduced. Our energy level was clearly low, and so we ended the introductory session early. A few Ukrainian boys escorted a group of us to the supermarket, which was filled with drunk people buying snacks and alcohol after the football game. They then walked us back to the hotel where we gratefully fell into bed.
June 17: This morning we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel. We then took a bus to the JDC supported Hesed Center off of Karl Marx Boulevard where we were to spend the morning getting a tour of the facilities. Our tour guide opened the first door and a flood of singing filled the hallway. We all filed in, and saw a room of elderly people singing and dancing to Jewish music.
They noticed us standing somewhat awkwardly in the corner and a few came over, grabbed our hands, and integrated us into their dancing circle. After dancing for a few min
utes, we moved on to see the rest of Hesed, which means “loving kindness in Hebrew”. We saw a child’s day care center for children at risk, meaning children from one-parent families or who have parents with substance abuse problems. We saw the center for children with special needs, as well as the kindergarten room. The tour took us through the basement, where we saw a cobbler room, a room with antiques, and a room for mending clothes. Local volunteers give their time in order to provide free services for those who go to the center. We also saw a beauty salon and a rehabilitation room where crutches, canes, and other medical supplies are given out. 
The Hesed staff told us that over 400 volunteers offer their time and skills to those in need. We sat in for a choir concert and walked around the outdoor playground. After a delicious lunch, we divided into two 
groups to plan and facilitate activities for the kids at the center. We all had a wonderful time dressing up as superheroes, painting, and playing “Simon Says”, and after the activities, everyone went outside to plant flowers and play games. When 4:30 rolled around, we were all hesitant to leave, but filed on our bus for a quick trip to the nearby JCC to hear a klezmer band concert.
The musical group was excellent (having recently won an award at a klezmer festival in odessa) and we enjoyed th
eir songs. The concert was followed by a tour to the Jewish sites in Dnepropetrovsk, led by a friendly Ukrainian student named Misha. We drove by a statue of Lenin, a library, the University, and a Holocaust memorial. We all disembarked from the bus and walked through a lane lined by trees. The sun was shining and it was a pleasant day to be outside. Our large group walked down the path and stopped in front of a rectangular grey monument, engraved in both Russian and Hebrew with Jewish stars. This was the memorial. It stood to commemorate the 11,000 Jews that were murdered over a two day period during World War II, October 13-14 1941. The massacre took place on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The Nazis had rounded up all the Jews attending services and led them to the expansive grassy space. Standing there as a group, hearing the stories the Ukrainian students told, and reading the inscription on the stone, I felt a profound sense of sadness that I had rarely felt as an American Jew. On this beautiful day in this peaceful place, where the sun was shining through the trees and a breeze blew lightly around us, we remembered the evil that took place 67 years before. It was strange to be standing on gro
und that played host to such horrific violence, and I think all of us felt the emotional energy that pulsed out of the ground and reminded us that it was a luxury we could stand there today, remembering our ancestors and openly being Jewish. Every student collected a rock to place in front of the memorial and Rabbi Ed said the Kaddish. One of the Ukrainian students noted that people rarely noticed the memorial as they walked by, but with us all standing there, they looked. Walking away from the monument, we were all quiet.
Once back on the bus, we drove to an authentic Ukr
ainian restaurant for dinner. The outside was charming and white with a brown roof, and just as we had all imagined a “Ukranian restaurant” would look. We sat at tables and attempted to decipher the Russian menu. With the help of our Russian speaking peers, we ordered successfully and had a delicious meal, complete with bread, borscht, beer, and blintzes for dessert. Four hours after arriving at the restaurant, we left, full, happy, and ready for another day.
June 17: This morning we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel. We then took a bus to the JDC supported Hesed Center off of Karl Marx Boulevard where we were to spend the morning getting a tour of the facilities. Our tour guide opened the first door and a flood of singing filled the hallway. We all filed in, and saw a room of elderly people singing and dancing to Jewish music.
They noticed us standing somewhat awkwardly in the corner and a few came over, grabbed our hands, and integrated us into their dancing circle. After dancing for a few min
utes, we moved on to see the rest of Hesed, which means “loving kindness in Hebrew”. We saw a child’s day care center for children at risk, meaning children from one-parent families or who have parents with substance abuse problems. We saw the center for children with special needs, as well as the kindergarten room. The tour took us through the basement, where we saw a cobbler room, a room with antiques, and a room for mending clothes. Local volunteers give their time in order to provide free services for those who go to the center. We also saw a beauty salon and a rehabilitation room where crutches, canes, and other medical supplies are given out. 
The Hesed staff told us that over 400 volunteers offer their time and skills to those in need. We sat in for a choir concert and walked around the outdoor playground. After a delicious lunch, we divided into two 
groups to plan and facilitate activities for the kids at the center. We all had a wonderful time dressing up as superheroes, painting, and playing “Simon Says”, and after the activities, everyone went outside to plant flowers and play games. When 4:30 rolled around, we were all hesitant to leave, but filed on our bus for a quick trip to the nearby JCC to hear a klezmer band concert.The musical group was excellent (having recently won an award at a klezmer festival in odessa) and we enjoyed th
eir songs. The concert was followed by a tour to the Jewish sites in Dnepropetrovsk, led by a friendly Ukrainian student named Misha. We drove by a statue of Lenin, a library, the University, and a Holocaust memorial. We all disembarked from the bus and walked through a lane lined by trees. The sun was shining and it was a pleasant day to be outside. Our large group walked down the path and stopped in front of a rectangular grey monument, engraved in both Russian and Hebrew with Jewish stars. This was the memorial. It stood to commemorate the 11,000 Jews that were murdered over a two day period during World War II, October 13-14 1941. The massacre took place on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The Nazis had rounded up all the Jews attending services and led them to the expansive grassy space. Standing there as a group, hearing the stories the Ukrainian students told, and reading the inscription on the stone, I felt a profound sense of sadness that I had rarely felt as an American Jew. On this beautiful day in this peaceful place, where the sun was shining through the trees and a breeze blew lightly around us, we remembered the evil that took place 67 years before. It was strange to be standing on gro
und that played host to such horrific violence, and I think all of us felt the emotional energy that pulsed out of the ground and reminded us that it was a luxury we could stand there today, remembering our ancestors and openly being Jewish. Every student collected a rock to place in front of the memorial and Rabbi Ed said the Kaddish. One of the Ukrainian students noted that people rarely noticed the memorial as they walked by, but with us all standing there, they looked. Walking away from the monument, we were all quiet.Once back on the bus, we drove to an authentic Ukr
ainian restaurant for dinner. The outside was charming and white with a brown roof, and just as we had all imagined a “Ukranian restaurant” would look. We sat at tables and attempted to decipher the Russian menu. With the help of our Russian speaking peers, we ordered successfully and had a delicious meal, complete with bread, borscht, beer, and blintzes for dessert. Four hours after arriving at the restaurant, we left, full, happy, and ready for another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment