For thousands of children across the CIS, the "first bell" is a festive occasion. For tens of thousands of Jewish children attending the Ohr Avner Chabad Schools, the first day of school is their initiation into the world of yiddishkeit and Torah studies. The Ohr Avner Chabad educational network is not limited to the CIS countries; rather extend to Europe, and even Queens, New York, where many Jewish children receive a well rounded Jewish education. The President of the Ohr Avner Chabad School Network is Mr. Levi Leviev.

Excited children and emotional parents converged upon the schools in the various cities, eager for a fresh start. In some of the schools the children performed skits, and the sound of the shofar replaced the traditional "first bell".

Despite the strained financial situation, reports are coming in of doubled registration, and a number of new schools and kindergartens were established. In Sochi and Chernovtzy new schools opened, and in Pervomaisk,Ukraine, Almaty,Kazakhstan, Chernigov and Kremenchug, Ukraine, afternoon schools were opened.

Mr. Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, spoke with our Shturem reporter. He had much praise for the Ohr Avner Chabad educational network, and its unprecedented scope of activity. He lauded the tremendous investment that Mr. Levi Leviev made, and continues to make, for the sake of Jewish education all over the world, and specifically in the CIS. He noted the tremendous Kiddush Hashem that he personally witnessed in visits to cities as Moscow, Dnepropetrovsk and others. He remarked that he was astounded to see the tremendous dedication of the Ohr Avner staff, and especially of Mr. Leviev, who feels personal responsibility even in difficult times, and didn't close even one school. This is most extraordinary, and commendable.

Mr. Sharansky wished Mr. Leviev continued success, and sent his best wishes to all the students for a fruitful school year.

View the extensive "first day" gallery in: Omsk,Ufa, Orenburg,Briansk, Dnepropetrovsk, Dzerzhinsk, Vinnitza, Volgograd,Zhitomir,Tomsk, Yekaterinburg,Minsk, Nizhny, Sevastopol, Sochi, Saratov, Peterburg, Perm, Chernovtzy, Kuba, Krivograd, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov and Riga.