Shabbos in Mezhibush!

Shabbos mevarchim in Mezhibush began with breakfast and tehillim, followed by chassidus and davening. Our Shabbos meal was enhanced with beautiful singing, also joined by the women. After benching, we were given time to spend as we pleased. Many girls used this opportunity to say tehillim by the Baal Shem Tov. At 5:30 we met up for a workshop discussing the importance of looking at a picture of the Rebbe and our connection to him. This served as a great preparation for davening Mincha in the Baal Shem Tov's shul. The structure is a replica of the very shul that the Baal Shem Tov and his Chassidim learned and davened in. Walking into the shul brought us back approximately 300 years. This enabled all the history we've learned to become real. Mincha and Pirkei Avos in the Baal Shem Tov's shul was only the first of special activities that we did there. Together with the women, we spent the rest of our Shabbos singing Seder Niggunim. The women also contributed by sharing stories of the Rebbe with us. While seated in the shul, every girl had the opportunity to connnect with the past and apply it to themselves today. Through the stories and niggunim, we felt an incredible connection to the Baal Shem Tov, who started the chain that we still continue. The night continued with havdalah and a Melave Malka, during which we played a headbands game, teamed up against the women. Dancing with the ladies was a powerful and special experience. We all felt united as a team working towards one goal. Afterwards, we each got 45 seconds of a private yechidus with the Baal shem Tov. The holiness of the moment overwhelmed us all, and we truly felt the Baal Shem Tov's presence there with us. We spent the night singing, farbrenging, and dancing until the sun rose. We learned from Shabbos how to connect our Yesterday (our past- the Baal Shem and the other Rebbeim we visited) with the Today (the women who joined us for our week in Ukraine) to enable Tomorrow (Us and our generation) to be as much as we can be, and use our united power to bring Moshiach.   

-Dobie Kalmanson