KARAGANDA, Kazakhstan – The Ohr Avner Chabad Day School and Kindergarten in Karaganda commenced the new academic year in a new building, fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities provided through the sponsorship of the Ohr Avner Foundation.
The building hosting the educational complex was previously used as a nursery school. Though it is located in the central part of the city, it was neglected and fell into disrepair. The renovations to this 1700-square-meter building lasted for over two years. Comfortable classrooms, playrooms, a library and a sport hall are now available to Jewish schoolchildren. "We put in a lot of effort to decorate the classrooms, where children will study Jewish traditions and literature", stated Rabbi of Karaganda Meir Sheiner. "We are trying to make the children feel at home while they are here in the school".
The sound of a shofar opened the first day of studies. The teaching staff read aloud congratulations to the children from city and state officials in Kazakhstan. School Director Nadezhda Ushakova was especially proud to indicate that the school's enrollment is growing each year. "Just three years ago, there were only 22 pupils studying at our school. Now, there are 71 children attending Jewish lessons at the educational complex, which now comprises both a kindergarten and a day school".
Following the official part of the event, the schoolchildren pleased their parents with a concert. The pupils performed songs for the upcoming holiday Rosh Hashanah and put on a number of short, amusing skits that illustrated the main laws of Jewish tradition.
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