In the heart of Moscow, just minutes from the Kremlin, an unprecedented Jewish event unfolded this week in one of Europe’s most prominent venues. The grand concert hall at “Dream Island,” the largest indoor theme park in Europe, welcomed 3,500 participants for a historic celebration marking the 45th completion of the Rambam’s annual study cycle, combined with an exciting concert featuring Chassidic superstar Avraham Fried.
For the first time since the hall’s opening seven years ago, its stage and seats were filled with a public expression of Jewish pride and identity. The occasion was the Siyum HaRambam — the completion of the daily study of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah — a global initiative established by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Each year, tens of thousands of Jews worldwide, including many throughout Russia and the FSU, complete the comprehensive study of Jewish law through this structured daily program.
The initiative for such a large-scale event was led by Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berel Lazar, who formed a dedicated organizing committee. Under the auspices of the Merkaz Torah – Torah Center organization in Moscow, the committee worked for months to ensure that every detail — from content to community outreach — reflected the significance of the occasion.
The evening opened with the traditional Siyum ceremonies representing the three tracks of Rambam study. Among those honored were young soon-to-be Bar Mitzvah boy Yaakov Yehuda Wilansky; prominent scholar Rabbi Dan Lockshin; and Rabbi Yehuda Davydov, Chairman of the 770 Foundation and a longtime supporter of Jewish communal life. In appreciation of his family’s partnership in making the event possible, Rabbi Davydov was presented with a rare historical gift — fragments from an early printed edition of the Rambam dating back more than five centuries.
Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar then launched the 46th Rambam study cycle by teaching the opening laws chosen by Maimonides to begin his monumental work. Addressing the thousands in attendance, he spoke about the unifying power of daily Torah study and encouraged participants to establish fixed times for learning, emphasizing that consistency in study strengthens both individual and communal Jewish life.
The program was skillfully emceed by Rabbi Chaim Danzinger, Rabbi and Chabad emissary of Rostov, who invited Rabbi Menachem Mendel Wilansky, Chairman of Merkaz Torah in Moscow, to lead the audience in chapters of Tehillim. Words of gratitude were also shared for Rabbi Avraham Zaks, whose efforts contributed significantly to the success of the evening.
The highlight of the celebration was a musical performance by renowned Chassidic singer Avraham Fried. For more than two hours, he filled the hall with beloved melodies that have accompanied milestones in contemporary Jewish history. In a particularly moving moment, individuals who had sung with him decades earlier — during the early years of Jewish revival in Moscow — joined him once again on stage, creating a powerful sense of continuity and shared journey.
Photo: Levy Nezarov
