During the festive days of Chanukah, the Jewish community center of Kostanai, a city in Kazakhstan, held a number of events to facilitate connections between the communities of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

The community Shabbat was visited by a guest from the Polish city of Katowice, Mihal Korochun. He spoke about the life of the Jewish community in his city.

Another colorful event was the trip of the youth song and dance band Lior to the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, at the invitation of the local Jewish Community House. The band played at the concert on the last day of Chanukah. Its members also visited the Chelyabinsk synagogue, were present at the Saturday prayer, and learned about the work of the Community House.

As Alexander Baron, the President of the Mitzvah Association of Jewish Communities of Kazakhstan and EAJC Presidium member, notes, “Such contacts are very needed and important. They strengthen the ties between communities, first and foremost between the youth. The young men and women from Kostanai made contact with the Jewish youth of Chelyabinsk – they held joint games, quizzes, danced together. Several joint programs and projects were conceived, and now the only thing to do is to implement them. I am completely certain that everything will work out.”