In the days of one of the brightest Jewish holidays- Hanukkah, Center for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation “Alef” realized one of its newest initiatives aimed at the young people of Bourgas. The Feast of Light was a great occasion for the beginning of a series of meetings with children from the city, through which they could learn about the history, religion and lifestyle of the ancient Jewish people.
The natural background of the stories, presented by Alberta Alkalay, chairman of the Center Alef, was the Burgas’ synagogue. Under its dome, which has preserved fragments of its former elegance and splendor, over 100 students from Al. D. Kokjakafaliata and St. St. Cyril and Methodius schools took part in the lessons of reviving the Jewish traditions.
Through a movie, specially made by Center Alef, pupils lived through essential moments of the spiritual and cultural life of the people of Israel. The young became acquainted with Old Testament times, the medieval Jewish diaspora and the history of Bulgarian Jews in the 20th century. There was also the sound of the shofar/the ritual horn of a ram/. The young people with excitement learned and told about the synagogue in Burgas and what place it occupied in the life of Burgas’ people.
The presented lesson evoke enormous interest among the children, and sparked a number of questions that Albert Alkalay answered exhaustively. She also performed one of the rituals of Hanukkah – lighting candles in the traditional candlestick – the hanukkaya, which symbolically scattered the spiritual light.
The improvised open lessons of Center Alef with Burgas’ students will continue next year. They are also a suitable illustrator of different topics, set in the 5th and 7th grade curricula.
