Maura Linzer and the Cohen's get ready to fly to Simferopol from Kiev (in hopes to find someone who speaks English)
Antonina (our translator and good freind) posing with Anatoly Gendin (Chairman of Association of Jewish Organization and Communities of Crimea) in front of Ner Tamid, their home synagogue in Simferopol.
View of Menorah in Ner Tamid courtyard from behind outside gates.
Inside view of Courtyard (notice the steel shutters on all of the windows due to past instances of vandalism)
Anatoly standing with Aron Kodesh in Sanctuary
Our first Seder with the Simferopol community.
Singing Yiddish music
Hava Nagila raised the spirit of every one in the community (in every community we visited)
Calling home from Simferopol at the calling station. The only way to make a long distance call!
Hanging out on Karl Marx Street
The girls with Antonina
Next Stop: Kerch Synagogue
The Museum of Ukranian Judasim inside the Kerch Synagogue (The ceiling reads "Al Shlosha D'varim Ha'olam Omed" "On Three Things the World Stands" in Russian)
The Seder was held in their massive Sanctuary
The back wall of the Sanctuary.
Leading song during the Seder.
Antonina and Sasha (our driver) took us on a quick excursion through town in Kerch. We climbed all of those stairs.
At the top, a war memorial commemorating the victory the Russians had over the Nazis in WWII, holding them off from from occupying the port city of Kerch.
View from the top, the port. On a clear day one can see Russia to the right (not pictured)
Next Stop: Yevpatoria Synagogue
Inside the Yevpatoria Synagogue (the Aron Kodesh was just newly built and installed and we helped dedicate it in a beautiful ceremony as the community passed the Torah around the sanctuary while singing)
The windows inside the santuary.
Touring around the beautiful city of Yevpatoria (the Black sea behind us) before the Seder. Unfortunately we didn't bring our bathing-suits.
The whole crew posing in front of one of many beautiful Churches.
A Catholic Church
An Islamic Mosque of Yevpatoria
The dedication of the Aron Kodesh ceremony
Explaining the Order of the Seder in song with Genia, Yevpatoria's 20 year old community leader
The girls teaching the items of the Seder plate
And of course, singing and dancing!
Posing with the wonderful members of the Yevpatoria community
Our last day in Simferopol, Antonina and Sasha took us on a relaxing day to the botanical gardens in Alushta (a tourist city on the Black Sea)
In the botanical gardens, not quite ready for spring yet.
View of Alushta from lookout point
Walking along the Alushta beach. Not quite warm enough for a dip but perfect to relax by.
One more picture with Anatoly before heading to Kiev to meet up with the rest of the Ukraine group.
Kiev. Wow what a spectacular city.
Phil and I being our usual selves!
The Opera House
Posing in front of an ex-KGB Building
One of many astonishing churches
Some beautiful arcitecture of Kiev
Inside the Lavra Church.
My reaction upon seeing this Church: "Holy Mother of God!"
Phils quick response: "Yes. Exactly. Right there!"
A Stautue commemorating the victory over the Nazis. She is dressed in the same Robe as the Statue of Liberty, stands 40 meters taller than her, and is holding a sword and sheild (with the Russian flag on it). Woah. That's quite a statement.
A view of Kiev
The final Seder with the Kiev community
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Alex Dukhovny leading the Seder.
Our gift of music during the Seder
Our final stop before the long trip back to Israel. Babi Yar, the sight of over 100,000 Jews and many other Ukranian citizens murdered by the hands of the Nazis during WWII. This is the monument at the opening of the park commemorating all those who died at Babi Yar.
A monument in memory of the 40,000 children murdered at Babi Yar.
A memorial errected by the Jewish community in memory of the Jewish lives lost at Babi Yar.
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