"I saw my grandmother do this..."

Of all the programs we've launched so far, I think the most rewarding has been Malachei Shabbat (Angels of Shabbat). It only takes trekking up 7 consecutive flights of stairs--most Soviet-era buildings don't have elevators--to understand why. These elderly Chesed clients, who look to the local Chesed for life-sustaining support such as social worker visits, home-cooked meals, and food packages, are in desperate need of support from their Jewish community. And, when your breath is coming in gasps after schlepping up those seven flights of stairs, it's no wonder that many of these people haven't left their apartment since the fall of Communism--they would never be able to get back!

We made two different home visits this week, one on Wednesday and one on Friday. For the sake of simplicity, I've lumped the photos into one Snapfish photo album. Here is a pretty cool picture from our Wednesday visit to Esther Israelovich, who has lived in the same single room in communal apartment since 1963, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with as many as 15 other people. While we were there, she brought out pictures of her family members, all of whom passed away a long time ago, leaving her alone in the world. She also brought out her medal from the Leningrad Blockade, which was really a special memento for us to share.

On Friday, I brought two Russian students, Masha and Toma, to visit Elena Evgenievna. We expected her to be alone, but when she heard that young people were coming and bringing Shabbat to her, she invited over two of her friends! We had a wonderful discussion, but the video of her lighting Shabbat candles is maybe the best I've taken so far. Here is a lady who grew up in Vitebsk, with her parents and grandparents speaking Yiddish, but under the Soviets she was forbidden from having any Jewish education or practicing her religion. So she had never lit the Shabbat candles before in her life. As she says in the video, "I saw my grandmother do this." It was amazing to have such a window into the past, and to be able to help this Jewish lady connect to her deceased relatives.

In our free time, we have launched a new program, call the "Let's Have More Fun" initiative. You see, in our free time we used to sit at home and relax. I watch tv, Alyson cooks or reads...it was a pretty boring state of affairs. But we've decided to have more fun, including getting out of the house and experiencing the sites and sounds of Petersburg. Over the past couple of weeks, we've gone to the Hermitage, which is everything that everyone says it is; Alyson went to a cake tasting through the International Women's Club; this past weekend we went to the art studio of artist Aron Zinshtein; and last night we caught a guitar concert at a local concert hall. Although these activities cost money, we've been able to make ends meet and had a lot more fun in the process. By the way, I still haven't found a word in Russian for fun...go figure.