On September 1, the Chabad-Ohr Avner Day School in Odessa held a celebration to mark the first bell, signifying the beginning of the school year. The school yard filled with hundreds of people. The guest of honor at the festive gathering was the Minister of Religious Affairs of Israel, Yaakov Margi.
The celebration began with the national anthem of Ukraine and a parade of the new first-graders attending the Jewish school, along with the eleventh-graders. The youngsters read poems dedicated to the theme of education. The students and their parents greeted the headmaster, Yakov Shostak and the Chief Rabbi of Odessa and southern Ukraine, Avraham Wolf.
While addressing many encouraging words to the students, Rabbi Wolf also heartily thanked the trustees of the Chabad-Ohr Avner School who made the establishment and development of this educational institution possible.
On the same day that the Jewish community and the school were celebrating the first bell at the school, participants also excitedly watched as distinguished guests and community leaders laid the foundation stone of a new dormitory building. Supporters of the Jewish community have joined together to sponsor the construction of a new dormitory for girls attending the school.
The Jewish community of Odessa is a leading member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FCJ Ukraine). The Chabad-Ohr Avner Day School of Odessa belongs to the largest Jewish educational network operating in the former Soviet Union and is supported by the Ohr Avner Foundation, headed by Lev Leviev, and the FJC CIS.