On Sunday, in the banquet hall of the synagogue on Gorky, 27 a celebratory farbrengen was dedicated to the "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism", called in the broad Jewish circles - Hasidic New Year. On this day in 1798 the founder of the Hasidic movement of Chabad - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyadi (1745-1812), also known as the Alter Rebbe ("old Rebbe") - was released after sitting in prison in the Peter and Paul Fortress. This event was not just his personal liberation; it became a watershed in the history of Chassidism, heralding the beginning of a new era of disclosure of "internal" Torah.
Sunday night in the banquet hall of the synagogue a lot of stories were told about the life of the Righteous, and his closest followers, followed by the traditional "Lechaim". The event was moderated by the head of the Jewish community, Chief Rabbi of Kherson Yosef Yitzchak Wolf, who told the audience a series of episodes from the personal life of the first Rebbe, confirming his special abilities and powers.
An interesting conversation was brought up by the festive table about who we are, why were we born, what mission must we fulfill in order to be useful to others, and God. The speakers consistently appealed to the text of the great immortal work of the Rebbe - the book "Tania", containing the foundations of Hasidism - eternally young, developing teaching.
The Chassidic feast turned out highly informative and interesting. Of course, there was no one drunk among us, after all the Jews say more "lehaim" than drink, but everyone were drunk (from the sense of understanding of their involvement in the work of this great man). May the memory of the righteous be blessed!