JET's 2022 Yarchei Kallah: Weeklong Extravaganza line up includes local community leader, Rabbi Michael Goldstein as he discusses Ukraine, Uman, & Breslov Bliss.
Modern-day Ukraine was once home to one of the oldest and largest Jewish communities in the world. While at times Jews flourished, they also suffered through poverty, persecution, and pogroms. Ukraine had thriving centres of Torah study and was the birthplace of the Chassidic movement, including the Breslov Chassidism, the followers of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Tens of thousands of Jews travel each year to Uman, Ukraine, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah by the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman and welcome the New Year with singing, dancing, and great joy. Join Rabbi Goldstein for a deeper understanding of this complex history. Journey into the world of Breslov, a path of Judaism brimming with hope, joy, and deep relevance for navigating life in 2022.
The JET Yarchei Kallah is modeled after the description of the Yarchei Kallah in the Talmud. In the two months of the year (Elul and Adar) when agricultural activity was less demanding, Jews would take the opportunity to return to the study halls to reinvigorate their Torah knowledge, thus strengthening their ties to Judaism. The word Kallah means assembly; Yarchei means month; hence the term refers to those months when they would assemble to study Torah.