Construction of the complex is not without controversy.  To some, the Menorah Center is much too large and even more garish and conspicuous, an unwise Jewish extravagance in a poverty-stricken country with a history of antisemitism.  Many doubt that the declining Jewish population will be able to support the facility over time, especially if commercial concerns are reluctant to rent space in a building with such strong ties to Jewish organizations.[40]  To those who resent Chabad dominion over Jewish life in the city, the Menorah Center is but another reminder of the lack of alternative Jewish visions in Dnipropetrovsk.

Others, however, perceive the very size of the Menorah Center as a sign (знак) that the Jewish community has a future in Dnipropetrovsk.  One individual compared it to the Jewish custom of planting trees for one’s grandchildren.  Non-Jews, said another, also want the Menorah Center to succeed because they perceive it to be a symbol of a strong and vital city.

Jewish Education and Culture

22.  Beit Tsindlikht, the Chabad-operated preschool, is currently in its fifth year of operation.  It enrolls 135 children between the ages of two and six, just short of its capacity of 140.  The premises are newly renovated and attractive; its rooms are spacious and well-equipped.  Located near the center of the city, the school has attractive outdoor play space.[41]

The children are divided among six groups according to age.  Forty youngsters are in two heder groups, which have an enhanced Hebrew-language curriculum taught by Israeli teachers.  Ninety-five percent of all pupils at Beit Tsindliklht are halachically Jewish; the remaining five percent are from intermarried families who have a strong relation-ship with the Chabad community.

Boys and girls from Chabad and non-religious Israeli families are placed together in a Hebrew-language heder class at the Beit Tsindlikht preschool.

Photo: the writer.

The preschool, which enjoys a good reputation in the city, arranges seminars for non-religious parents about Jewish holidays and for all parents about child development.   Upon completing Beit Tsindlikht, approximately 90 percent of enrolled children enter the Chabad Jewish day school or its machon/yeshiva katana.

23. School #144, which bears the formal name of Levi Yitzhak Shneerson Ohr Avner Jewish Day School, occupies a three-building campus.  The main building enrolls about 300 youngsters in grades one through eleven in a general curriculum[42] with a modest Jewish studies program. (See below.) Another 120 pupils are divided between a yeshiva katana program for boys and a machon for girls, each in its own building; the machon building also accommodates computer classrooms for the entire school.

At its peak census in the late 1990’s, the school enrolled close to 700 youngsters, most in the general program. At that time, it was the largest Jewish day school in all of the post-Soviet states and one of the largest in all of Europe. Principal Leonid Ganopolsky and Director of Religious Studies Rabbi Meir Ostrovsky said enrollment is now stable at a total of 420, although the school has been forced to admit an increasingly large number of non-halachically Jewish youngsters to maintain the school census at a level necessary to maintain quality in the general curriculum.  All pupils, said the two leaders, must be eligible for aliyah to Israel under provisions of the Israeli Law of Return; further, the “atmosphere” of each non-halachic family is evaluated to be sure that each child’s home situation is compatible with the goals that the school seeks to advance.  The high intermarriage rate and low Jewish birth rate means that this problem will increase from year to year, said Rabbi Ostrovsky; in fact, he acknowledged, only 70 to 80 percent of the children in first grade come from halachically Jewish homes.

Dnipropetrovsk Chabad has been directing more resources to the school in recent years in an effort to improve an academic reputation that is inferior to that of numerous other schools in the city.  In general, School #144 cannot compete with specialized public schools that offer enhanced programs in mathematics, science, computer technology, or foreign languages.  Other, more appealing, schools include public gymnasium or lyceum schools with more rigorous general curricula, new private schools that offer smaller classes and the expectation that tuition-based programs provide higher-quality education, and schools with more attractive physical facilities and/or extra-curricular programs. 

The school has hired some new instructors with proven teaching records, offering the salary supplements that are necessary to attract them to the school.[43]  Many high school classes are now streamed, thus allowing School #144 to offer advanced courses to the brightest students.  Through its sister-city relationship with Boston, English teachers at the school have been re-trained in more advanced English instruction methodology, and new English-language textbooks have been written.  Several English-language teachers have attended methodology courses at Boston-area university summer sessions. 

Additionally, municipal education authorities provided new windows and general renovations to the exterior of the school, thus improving its appearance.  The Chabad community philanthropic fund installed a new heating system.  Fortuitously, construction of a new municipal football (soccer) stadium adjacent to the school property has led to the provision of enhanced security in the neighborhood.

Mr. Ganopolsky said that School #144 performed well on the first national standardized tests that were administered in 2008, especially in mathematics.[44]  It placed well above average among the 160 high schools in the city and surrounding area.  Community efforts to improve the school have been noticed by Dnipropetrovsk families; School #144 is now attracting more middle- and upper-class families,[45]said Mr. Ganopolsky, who are supporting the school financially through a parents’ organization established for that purpose.  Nonetheless, he continued, the majority of youngsters at the school still qualify for free lunches.

Rabbi Meir Ostrovsky and Principal Leonid Ganopolsky have combined efforts to improve the academic standing of the Chabad school inDnipropetrovsk.

Photo: the writer.

On average, the Jewish studies component of the curriculum covers eight class periods per week.  Pupils in the regular school have four hours weekly of  instruction in Hebrew, three to four hours of instruction in Jewish tradition, and one hour weekly of Jewish history or Jewish literature.  The presence of many Israeli teachers in the school, noted Rabbi Ostrovsky, has contributed to a very high level of Hebrew language achievement.

The school also observes kabbalat Shabbat every Friday.  A grant from the Avi Chai Foundation permits two to three Shabbatonim to be scheduled every year.  These have focused on Bar/Bat Mitzvah-age youngsters who attend a three-day Shabbaton at a resort near the city along with their parents or grandparents.  The madrichim (leaders) of the Shabbatonim, said Rabbi Ostrovsky, are school alumni who have been trained in leadership skills and program planning by the Jewish Agency.  The Shabbaton program includes observance of Shabbat, lectures, games, relaxation and free time, and an “Ask the Rabbi” session, which usually is very popular among parents.

In response to a question, Mr. Ganopolsky said that it is likely that one to three Israeli youngsters are in every grade level at the school.  These are children of families who have returned to Dnipropetrovsk from Israel; some, he said, are not halachically Jewish.  In several cases, he continued, the Jewish parent died in Israel and the non-Jewish surviving parent felt uncomfortable there, so all remaining family members returned to Ukraine.  The Hebrew-language skills of such youngsters usually are excellent, Rabbi Ostrovsky commented, but, reflecting weaknesses in the Israeli school system, the mathematics skills of such pupils generally are far below those of Ukrainian Jewish children at School #144.

Answering another question, Mr. Ganopolsky estimated that 90 percent of school families have computers at home.  However, he continued, it is likely that only 50 to 75 percent of these families have access to the Internet.  Internet service is very expensive and the quality of access varies widely from one area of the city to another.  The school is gradually increasing its use of electronic communications, he stated, but, obviously, it cannot advance beyond the level of families to respond.  Some pupils, added Mr. Ganopolsky, use school Internet capacity to send e-mail and do research.  Mr. Ganopolsky, who previously taught computer technology in the ORT computer program at the school, noted that School #144 has a compact disk library with Russian, English, and Hebrew CD’s.  He commented that friends in Boston also have provided the school with an English-as-a-second-language laboratory that includes substantial computer material.

24.  Rabbi Yossi Glick, supervises several children’s programs in the city, including residential facilities for Jewish youngsters from troubled homes. Few of the children are orphans in a legal sense; the overwhelming majority are from single-parent homes in which the custodial parent is unable to provide adequate childcare due to alcohol or drug addiction, impoverishment, or other problems. Some parents are imprisoned. A few youngsters had been cared for by grandparents unable to cope with the needs of active, growing children.

The current census includes 23 boys and 17 girls; in the past, the boys’ home has accommodated almost 40 youngsters and as many as 28 girls resided in the girls’ home. Rabbi Glick attributed the decline in both facilities to overall population decline and “competition” from newer housing programs established by Chabad rabbis in Zaporizhya and Krivyy Rig.  Whereas Dnipropetrovsk previously drew youngsters from a broad region, the newer programs now enroll youngsters from the same area.  However, unlike previous years in which Chabad declined to accept youngsters under the age of six, three boys under the age of five now reside in the Dnipropetrovsk girls’ home, which more easily accommodates young children.  Originally, said Rabbi Glick, the younger boys were accepted so that they could remain with older siblings also in the residential program, but the preschool intake is working well and may be extended to other young children in the future.  The preschool boys attend Beit Tsindlikht or a Chabad daycare facility and probably will remain in the girls’ home until they are eight years old.

Rabbi Yossi Glick.

Photo: Chabad

School-age youngsters in the homes attend either the yeshiva katana or the machon.  Some opt to go to Israel on the Na’aleh high school in Israel program when they turn 15, said Rabbi Glick, but Na’aleh does not always work out well, especially for girls.  One girl left Na’aleh in mid-year recently and returned to Dnipropetrovsk, and several other girls are unhappy in the program, he commented.  Boys, he said, prefer to attend Chabad schools in the United States. 

The boys’ home is located in an old synagogue building that was renovated to provide dormitory-style sleeping quarters on a second floor. Rooms accom-modating four to six boys in bunk beds line either side of a hallway; a large bathroom is at the end of the hall. The facility has a small computer room. The ground floor of the building includes several offices and a community room, all of which usually are locked, and a dining room and kitchen. Two foreign yeshiva students are engaged as resident counselors each year. Rabbi Glick has sought alternate housing arrangements for the boys for several years, searching for more spacious accommodations and recreational facilities. However, cost has been a significant deterrent.  

The girls’ home is located in a different part of the city and provides more pleasant accommodations. Nonetheless, it offers less personal living space per inhabitant than is the case in group homes for Jewish girls in other cities.  Three to four local families rotate as volunteer house parents for the girls every weekend.

Residents of the children’s homes are encouraged to maintain contact with relatives and some return to their families during vacation periods. Psychological counseling is provided to those youngsters who need it. As youngsters approach graduation from School #144, they receive guidance regarding further education; Chabad assists them in enrolling in the programs of their choice, although boys are encouraged to attend yeshivas and girls to enroll in Beit Chana. (See below.)

Chabad arranges weekly music lessons for children who respond well to such instruction, but no longer is able to include other recreational opportunities in its regular budget, said Rabbi Glick.  Instead, he continued, specific donors are approached for various activities, such as swimming.  Special funds were raised to continue the Pesach camp program this year, he said.

Rabbi Glick, who is a native of Australia, stated that he is very “apprehensive” about maintaining the residential programs over the coming year.  Financial support from the United States has “dried up,” he continued, while local inflation is boosting prices of food, utilities, and other items beyond projections.  Further, it is likely that deteriorating economic conditions in Ukraine will increase the number of children who require residential services outside their own homes.

25.  Dnipropetrovsk Chabad has operated the largest STARS (Student Torah Alliance for Russian Speakers) program for young adults in the post-Soviet states since its inception in 2006.  Currently enrolling 300 halachically Jewish young people between the ages of 18 and 25, young men and women meet separately in 11 groups taught by 20 different teachers.  All groups meet in the small community building attached to the synagogue so that participants learn in a Jewish spirit (дух) or atmosphere, said Director Rabbi Yosif Masakovsky.

 Expressing great satisfaction with the results of the STARS program to date, Rabbi Yosif Masakovsky stated that all Jewish young people who complete the one-year course of studies have a common knowledge base of Judaism.  They think alike, he said, and are able to interact with other Jews around the world on a common platform.  They will marry each other and raise Jewish children.

Photo: the writer.

Although financial setbacks of sponsors Lev Leviev and Eli Horn resulted in a 50 percent reduction in the stipend (from $90 to $45 monthly), beginning in January 2009, reported Rabbi Masakovsky, students have continued to come to the twice weekly lessons of two and one-half hours each.  Scheduling of classes is very flexible, permitting participants to attend the sessions that are convenient for them.

Students who have charismatic personalities are encouraged to enroll in a teacher training course so that they can teach future STARS classes.  Many STARS graduates, said Rabbi Masakovsky, are already becoming leaders in the Jewish community.  For example, many are recruiting other students for STARS classes and some are leading seders.

A STARS Plus program requires 10 hours of study every week, stated Rabbi Masakovsky, and offers a larger stipend.  STARS Plus has attracted many young people who are unemployed during the current economic crisis and are anxious to generate a source of personal income.

26.  The National Business School continues to build on the existing Privat University program, a division of PrivatBank that prepares its students for management and marketing careers in PrivatBank.[46]  Three hundred halakhically Jewish PrivatBank students participate in Jewish studies classes that are scheduled throughout the day and evening in order to accommodate work/study programs.  Stipends are paid to all who attend classes regularly.  The program has grown so rapidly that available classroom space is insufficient.

Unlike the conventional STARS program, classes in the National Business School are coeducational.  In addition to Jewish studies classes, participants must attend Shabbat services.  Several groups of male students have formed their own minyans, said Rabby Masakovsky. 

27.  Beit Chana Jewish Women’s Pedagogical College was established in 1995 to prepare teachers and childcare workers for Chabad-sponsored pre-schools and elementary schools throughout the post-Soviet states. The college currently offers programs leading to certification as teachers in pre-school and primary grades and childcare workers in pre-schools. In cooperation with Crimean State University, it also offers bachelor’s degrees that provide more comprehensive certification in education. Its diplomas and degrees are recognized in the post-Soviet states and in Israel. About half of the first-year students enroll after ninth grade and are eligible to receive teaching certification after completing a four-year curriculum. The other half enter Beit Chana after graduation from high school (currently at the end of grade 11) and are eligible for teaching certificates after completing a three-year curriculum or bachelor’s degrees after a four-year course of studies. Tuition and housing are free of charge.  According to Rabbi Moshe Weber, Rabbi of the College and its Deputy President for Jewish Studies and Jewish Education, Beit Chana graduates are in demand for teaching positions in Chabad schools throughout the post-Soviet states.[47]

Unfortunately, said Rabbi Weber, Beit Chana has never reached its capacity enrollment of between 200 and 250 young women.  It reached its peak of 165 students several years ago, and its current enrollment has plummeted to 70. He acknowledged that the religious orientation of the school is unattractive to girls raised in secular homes, that the Jewish population is declining, and that many young women find other professions more attractive than teaching. It is likely, he said, that Beit Chana will introduce other courses of study – such as tourism, hospitality and public relations – in collaboration with the National Business School in the near future. Sociology, psychology, and other bachelor’s degree programs may be added to the Beit Chana/Crimean State University curriculum.

Although Beit Chana recruits heavily in small towns, assuming that girls in such isolated areas will be eager for educational opportunities in the large city of Dnipropetrovsk, the Jewish population in these towns is declining even more rapidly than the Jewish population overall, said Rabbi Weber.  Further, inferior schools in smaller towns do not adequately prepare young people for higher education.  A fairly large number of girls entering Beit Chana encounter difficulties in adjusting to life at the religious college and require psychological assistance, he acknowledged.