Synagogue Marks Jewish Birthdays
	S. PETERSBURG, Russia – The Jewish community of S. Petersburg, together with the Great choral Synagogue, is undertaking an initiative that has touched the hearts of many Jewish residents of Russia’s northern capital. Namely, this undertaking involves sending congratulation letters to members of the Jewish community, and especially those who are elderly, on the occasion of their respective Jewish birthdays. One such card reads “Congratulations on your birthday! Do not be surprised, as we are not mistaken about the date. We are congratulating you on the occasion of your Jewish birthday. The day of your birth according to the Jewish calendar is 21 Kislev 5691 ...”
Such letters are written on the letterhead of the Great choral Synagogue and reaches literally thousands of elderly Jews through the state postal system. This is a nice surprise for these individuals and the addressees of these happy messages are very happy to receive them. While it may seem unusual for some of them that their ‘Jewish’ date of birth differs from that marked on the Gregorian calendar, everyone seems pleased to learn about their traditional birthday. Thanks to an up-to-date database maintained by the Synagogue, the most reliable way to ensure these messages of joy reach the recipients is by regular mail. In return, the Synagogue has received many responses, expressing thanks for remembering them and sharing this information. Indeed, many of the elders were unaware of the date of their Jewish birthday until they received such a card.