Brundibar is an opera for children with a simple fabulous plot and a happy end. What makes it important enough to be performed in St. Petersburg at Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall by two boys’ choirs? Why was a specific day chosen for this performance – April 18, 2012?
The answer lies in the history of this opera, closely connected to the severest times in our history, the time of the Catastrophe.
This opera was first staged 70 years ago – in the city of Prague, occupied by the Nazis. It was sung by children of the Prague orphanage “Khagibor”. The composer, Hans Krasa, as well as the first performers were later  read more...

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Pre-Passover Party for Children

Grand Choral Synagogue. April 1, 2012

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On the 26th of March the Jewish Day School “Menachem” (one of the three religious Jewish schools affiliated with St. Petersburg Jewish Community) held an event to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack in the city of Toulouse. The day was chosen according to Jewish tradition - after 7 days of mourning and grieving in just their family milieu people are to be helped by the community to overcome the shock – and everybody should say some encouraging words of support.
That day all the school students gathered in the school hall bringing multicoloured cardboard “open palms” – to make them, each child had contoured his own hand. There is a deep sense in it, for an open palm is the symbol of G-d’s  read more...

Purim Celebration in St.-Petersburg

March 8, 2012. Grand Choral Synagogue

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On February 8, 2012 the Jewish community of our city celebratedits 210-years’ jubilee. The start of the history of theSt. Petersburg Jewish community is considered to be the purchase by the members of Jewish society of a land plot at Bretfeld (Volkovskoye) cemetery from Lutheran St. Peter community. The document certifying this historical event is ironically a church document written in German. It says:
At today’s meeting of the honoured church council… three Jews came and asked for a small plot for burying their deceased at the land of Bredfeld cemetery…
The honoured meeting took the counsel and decreed to grant them 160 sazhens of land on the right bank of the river, over the mound of our cemetery, for their burials with service on condition that they should pay Petri-Kirche 10 roubles for each buried corpse. The road which they are to build to this plot is to be built at their own expense and must not provide any inconveniences for us. Besides we give them the right to carry their deceased via our cemetery to theirs. Simultaneously decided  read more...