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This year marking 60 years of the Rebbe's leadership and 20 years of Shluchim in Kharkov - a special Purim program like never before was enjoyed by a packed crowd.
In the foyer hundreds of brochures, neshek and mishloach manot were given out and hundreds of men and boys put on Tefillin - some for the first time in their lives. Costumes and masks added to the Purim spirit and the crowd moved into the circus to enjoy the program . A Purim Spiel by the Or Avner Day School began the program and the Chabad kindergarten did a clown dance . The Megilla reading was done by Rabbi Levi Raices - who by tradition always gets dressed in something original... this year a Doctor. Every "Haman" had a new surprise as clowns came from all over and even "Prime Minister Yanukovich" and "Former Prime Minister Yulya Timoshenko" came in to join the Purim spirit!
Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz encouraged the audience to take upon themselves more mitvos and make a special effort to join more in the Jewish community's activities . The government officials Yaroslav PetrovichYushenko and Alexander Lvovich Steren spoke of the miracle and joy of Purim and how the city is proud of the Jewish community and the synagogue. The Israeli consul Alex Kleiman, Boris yaakovlich Feldman , Alexander Kaganovsky-the President of the synagogue and Grigory Shochet - director of the Or Avner School also spoke and wished the whole community that the joy of Purim should last all year round.
The acrobats and clowns, the sea lions and the animals - all made the show unforgettable.
A special surprise was guest singer - Gary Satyan - well known as an Armenian singer with a strong bass voice. A few days before Purim after speaking to one of the regulars in the community he realized that Judaism goes by the mother and that he is a Jew . He came to the shule on Taanit Esther , put on Tefillin for the first time in his life and asked Rabbi Moskovitz if he could give a present - and sing for the first time in his life a Jewish song on Purim at the circus. Gary quickly learned a potpouri of Jewish songs and surprised the crowd with a performance at the circu . After the circus he joined over 100 men in a very lively Purim seuda in the shule and said a special Lchaim to thank Hashem for showing him the way home...
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