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Extraordinary METRO

“Metro” seems to be an ordinary word; though everyone has his own associations but all will agree that it's a specific world. Jewish Cultural Center Emunah only strengthened the meaning.

This year they had organized summer family camp named “METRO”; decrypted as “Minsk Eager–Jewry Travels to Revive On…” meant the camp will be interesting, unordinary and seizing into the Jewish special world.

The first day was an icebreaking one; the camp participants acquainted with each other and prepared to take a long way together.

They first stopped at “October Square” Metro station that was dedicated to managerial style in various countries, special attention was paid to Knesset and its political parties.

Metro station “University of Culture” presented Jewish Culture through Jewish cinema, theatre and songs. In the evening the topic was continued by Midrash staging.

“Rock Hill” took the travelers to Exodus period and Mount Sinai event. Gift of Torah, the peoples' division into Cohens, Levites and Tribes of Israel were an exciting recall! Modern TV show “Sentence of Fashion” of Slava Zaitsev designer awarded the best and original historical costume.

The most long–awaited metro station was “East”; during the last 5 years of summer family camps disputes between men and women never stop; relations to women on East, head dress of both sexes and polygamy are far not the only hot issues. In the evening there was organized an “Ain Ehudit” cinema festival, its topic uncovered Jewish aspects of the famous Soviet movie, offered the camp participants to stage some episodes of the movie. Like any other, the festival also welcomed its famous guests: famous Belarusian teenage singer Ksenya Sitnik (played by Irina Kolodkina), Eurovision Song Contest 2009 winner Alexandr Rybak (by Vadim Heifets with a madrichim team) and world famous singer from Columbia Shakira (by Dasha Beliatskaya).

Though every day and every metro stop were emotional and informational, “Academy of Science” metro stop became a special one, as Hevruta — Jewish Knowledge Day took the floor. Lectures on various topics were offered to the camp participants, for example “Science and Religion” by Vadim Akopyan, “Jews and Polygamy” by Grigory Abramovich, “Zionism Sources” by Asaf Kaniel, “Israeli Cinema History” by Boris Maftsyr. After that everyone visited the “Emotions Museum”, based on “Soul's Bird” of Israeli juvenile author Mihal Sunit and narrating warmly about human nature. The day ended with a retro party of the 60–s.

Mikhail Treister who was a partisan during the WW II drove the train to Metro stop “Partisan”. There the camp participants were shown documentary about the Jewish partisan troop under Mr. Belsky command and the event logically continued with an exciting game of a battledrill and a missile launch. That very evening Emunah volunteer and singer Dakota (participant of a project similar to the American Idol) visited the camp to perform and communicate with her fans. Everyone finally gathered at bonfire and sang songs to the guitar.

The 3d of July — Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus — was celebrated by the participants at the metro station “Victory Square”. The day would be impossible without Midrash reading; in the context of independence and victory issues, disputes on war and independence of State of Israel were on top. The theme was culminated by a self–made close to real tank that ran across the camp territory. The day naturally ended with avdallah, war–time songs, soldier porridge, shooting range and lottery.

The last camping day was dedicated to “My Metro”; it was a day of everyone's dreams and wishes of how people should treat each other, what are their concerns and goals, plans and future.

Heartfelt thanks were sent to the camp organizers — JCC Emuna Director Sonia Filkova, Administrator Sveta Stepasiuk, Irina Abramovich as a Program director and Madrichim team with three new helpers Anna Chernykh, Gleb Tkatchiuk and Katya Roshak.

Special words of appreciation were also sent to Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the AJJDC Representative Office in Belarus that supports the camp initiative during the last several years.

MJC Gallery

10/07/2009

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