Thousands Celebrate Hoshanah Rabbah and Simchat Torah in Moscow Synagogue
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Thousands of Jews celebrated Hoshanah Rabbah and Simchat Torah at Moscow's Marina Roscha Synagogue, with services led by Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar. The events included two circumcisions and featured a large stage and new informational signs for attendees. The celebration extended into the city streets, aiming to share the joy with millions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Thousands of Jews gathered at Moscow's Marina Roscha Synagogue for Hoshanah Rabbah and Simchat Torah.
- Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, led the main Hoshanah Rabbah service.
- Two emotional britot milah (circumcisions) ceremonies were held during the holiday.
- A large stage was constructed, and new signs were used to manage the "hakafah" celebrations.
- The celebration included expressions of gratitude for "open miracles" in the Holy Land.
- Hundreds of celebrants took the joy into the city streets after the holiday.
Thousands of Jews gathered for prayer services at the Marina Roscha Synagogue in central Moscow to observe Hoshanah Rabbah and Simchat Torah. The community's Gabbais (sexton/warden) completed the construction of a large stage and logistical arrangements to accommodate the thousands of attendees.
The holiday events began at midnight on Hoshanah Rabbah with many engaged in reciting Psalms. In the "Grisha's Zimmer" guest room within the Sukkah, attendees were served apple slices with honey, soup, and hot drinks to sustain them during their studies.
As morning arrived, the synagogue filled with prayer services, with multiple minyanim (prayer groups) held concurrently to accommodate the continuous flow of worshippers. The main Hoshanah Rabbah service was led by Rabbi Berel Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia, and included two emotional britot milah (circumcisions) ceremonies. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Zekles, a mohel and emissary from Bryansk, traveled to Moscow specifically for these ceremonies.
Behind the scenes, dedicated gabbais and staff worked tirelessly to prepare the venue for Simchat Torah. Complex infrastructure work included building a large stage at the eastern end of the synagogue for community leaders and Torah scrolls. New illuminated signs were installed to display real-time updates on the "hakafah" (circuit of dancing with Torah scrolls) progress, ensuring an orderly celebration.
The holiday culminated on Simchat Torah night, with thousands filling the synagogue to "embrace the Torah" and express gratitude for "open miracles" in the Holy Land, referencing the "Flydubai" flight. Rabbi Lazar spoke emotionally about a great miracle that astonished the world, for which the blessing "Shehecheyanu" is recited on the final days of the festival.
Early Tuesday morning, hundreds of celebrants went out into the city streets to extend the joyous celebration and spread its influence to the city's millions. After the holiday, the stage was dismantled, leaving behind a memory of holiness and light, with the joy and unity experienced at the Marina Roscha Synagogue expected to sustain the community through the coming winter.
