Excitement filled the air as students returned for the new school year. The First Bell rang, the shofar sounded, and Rabbi Avraham Wolff shared a special blessing before each child received a brand-new backpack for the year ahead.
Students and teachers gathered together for the traditional First Bell ceremony, marking the beginning of another year of learning. School director Marina Samuilivna Shlepakova welcomed the children, while Rabbi Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine, wished them success in the year ahead.
With the school year beginning during the month of Elul, the sound of the shofar brought special meaning to the celebration. Its familiar call reminded the children that Rosh Hashanah is approaching as they prepared for a new beginning of their own.
The children were also excited to receive brand-new backpacks for the school year. Each student proudly carried their new bag, ready to return to the classroom and settle back into the routines of school.
The celebration took place as Odessa continues to face the realities of war and ongoing air-raid alerts. With all the uncertainty around them, the children were eager to be back, reconnecting with friends and settling once again into the familiar rhythm of school life.
As the First Bell rang through the school, the new academic year was officially underway. We wish all of our students a successful school year filled with learning, growth, and peace.
