Jews celebrate Victory Day according to the Jewish calendar – Kommersant

Today, May 16, Jews celebrated the Day of Salvation and Liberation – an analogue of Victory Day. This is the youngest Jewish holiday, which is designed not to let you forget about the horrors of Nazism and who defeated him. On this day, the Jews in the synagogues thank the Almighty and the Red Army for saving them from the threat of complete annihilation of the Jewish people by the Nazis during World War II.

The idea to celebrate Victory Day as a religious Jewish holiday was put forward ten years ago by German Zakharyaev, vice-president of the Russian Jewish Congress, president of the International Fund of Mountain Jews of Russia. His initiative was supported by the rabbis of Israel, Europe and the USA. Since that time, this holiday has been celebrated annually by Jews all over the world on the day of Iyar 26 (78 years ago, May 9 fell on this date of the Jewish calendar). This year, the 26th of Iyar falls on May 16th.

In Moscow, the main celebrations were held in the Choral Synagogue in Kitai-Gorod. Sergei Novikov, head of the RF President’s Department for Public Projects, read out the congratulations of the head of state: “I am convinced that the wide celebration of the Day of Salvation and Liberation will continue to strengthen the spiritual, cultural, historical traditions of Russian Jews, and patriotic education of young people.”

The event was attended by Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shayevich, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Russian Federation Alexander Ben-Zvi, President of the STMEGI International Charitable Foundation German Zakharyaev, Head of the Department for Cooperation with Religious Organizations of the Russian Presidential Administration for Domestic Policy Evgeny Eremin, Senator from the Murmansk Region Konstantin Dolgov , Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children Nina Ostanina, and. O. Chief Rabbi of Moscow David Yushuvaev.

“I especially want to thank the President of Russia for the annual congratulations to our people on the holiday of 26 Iyar, the Day of Salvation and Liberation, and wish him good health, longevity, wisdom and patience in this difficult time,” said Mr. Zakharyaev. “On all our Jewish holidays, we thank God. The holiday of the Day of Salvation and Deliverance is unique in that by celebrating it, we fulfill two commandments. First, we say thank you to God. Second, we thank the soldiers through whom God saved us, and pray for the upliftment of their souls.”

Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shayevich urged “to keep in our hearts the memory of those who died during the Second World War.” In memory of the Great Patriotic War, three candles were lit in the synagogue: the first in gratitude to the Almighty for saving the Jewish people, the second in memory of those killed in the Holocaust, and the third in memory of the soldiers of the Red Army who saved the Jews from destruction. “The wise men of our generation ordered the lighting of three candles and the reading of psalms,” Mr. Zakharyaev explained. “Our task is not to let the world forget what a terrible evil fascism was and who defeated this evil. We want to say thank you to everyone who, not sparing themselves, saved the whole world.”

The event ended with the performance of the song “Victory Day” under the arches of the synagogue.

On May 17, in the Alexander Garden, Jews, along with representatives of other traditional faiths – Orthodox, Muslims and Buddhists – will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in gratitude for the salvation.

Pavel Korobov