A special charity event combined with a communal ‘happening’ took place last Sunday at Pushkino’s Mayakovsky park and drew hundreds of residents to an ‘Open-Garage’ pickup, whatever-you-desire-for-free exchange, and sale.
Hundreds of members of the Jewish community, alongside non-Jewish residents of the city of Pushkino, located 30 kilometers north of Moscow, attended the unique event. They offered anybody interested – free of charge – to choose from a wide variety of clothes, coats, bags, toys, books, jewelry, kitchen utilities, tools, and lots of other useful items no longer in use by their original owners.
The initiative belongs to FJC’s YAHAD organization that encouraged its young leaders (members of the Leadership School project) in Pushkino to create the Open-Garage sale and call on residents to donate items no longer in use. The items left over after the event will be donated to orphanages, charitable organizations, libraries, etc.
The event, supported and authorized by the local municipality, took place in the Mayakovsky Park near the city’s synagogue and community center. It included a lively ‘happening’ consisting of a live musical concert, refreshments, workshops, social games, and arts and crafts.
Two particularly popular workshops focused on how to make good use of old things and turn them into ornaments, and a Karate display by Alexander Berdychevsky, a 10-year-old boy from the community, Moscow’s champion of and the winner of many international competitions.
Pianist Matthew Finkel, another talented youngster from the community, played the piano to the enjoyment of the participants. He was followed by others, who also played and sang throughout the event.
“People were very happy and satisfied,” says Rabbi Reuven Kuravsky who leads the community. “The atmosphere was festive and pleasant. It was also the largest number of Jews to ever put on Tefillin together in the city. We created a ‘Flash Mob’ attended by 40 Jewish men putting on Tefillin during the event.”
Photos by the Jewish Community and Pushkino TV.
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