The atmosphere of Elul and the Days of Mercy reached a high point with the first Selichos, as Jews gathered for heartfelt prayer and Chassidic farbrengens at three significant locations in Moscow, the village of Lubavitch and New York.

At the central Marina Roscha Synagogue in Moscow, preparations for Selichos began hours before midnight with a soulful Chassidic farbrengen, setting the tone for the evening of prayer and spiritual awakening.

At midnight, baal tefillah Rabbi Elazar Mordechai Koenig approached the amud and led the large crowd filling the sanctuary in the traditional Selichos. His stirring voice and familiar melodies filled the shul as participants joined together in heartfelt prayer ahead of the New Year.

At the same time, a large group had gathered for an uplifting Shabbos in the village of Lubavitch, the cradle of Chabad Chassidus.

Numerous groups had departed Moscow on Friday afternoon for the special Shabbos, organized and led by local shliach Rabbi Gavriel Gordon, with the assistance of Rabbi Nachman Vaksman.

Some 200 avreichim and students participated, including a group from the Yeshiva Gedolah together with its director, Rabbi Yechezkel Lazar.

Shabbos morning began early with the recitation of the entire Tehillim near the holy Ohel and continued throughout the day with shiurim, davening and Chassidic farbrengens.

Also joining the gathering were Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Mondshine, shliach and Rabbi of nearby Smolensk, and Rabbi Shimon Bergman, shliach and Rabbi of Nizhny Novgorod. Both traveled with groups of mekuravim from their respective cities for the spiritually uplifting Shabbos.

Following Shabbos, participants gathered for a Melaveh Malka farbrengen in the Large Zal of the original Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva, preparing together for the first Selichos.

After midnight, the group gathered in the synagogue adjacent to the holy Ohel, where Rabbi Zalman Shimon Deren served as baal tefillah, leading the Selichos with Chassidic warmth and emotion.

A third gathering took place in New York, where a special delegation of supporters and philanthropists of the Russian Torah World Fund spent Shabbos near the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

The delegation was headed by Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar, with the Shabbos devoted to spiritual awakening and preparation for the upcoming High Holy Days. The gathering was organized by Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, director of the Moscow Jewish community.

At midnight, the delegation gathered for Selichos in the Rebbe’s home, where Rabbi Moshe Zilbershtein led the prayers with heartfelt melodies and an emotional rendition of the traditional Selichos.

Participants concluded the gathering with a renewed sense of spiritual commitment and good resolutions for the coming year, including strengthening their continued support for the Torah institutions serving Russian Jewry.

The three gatherings, stretching from Moscow to the historic village of Lubavitch and the Rebbe’s Ohel in New York, marked the opening of the Selichos season with prayer, farbrengen and renewed commitment as communities prepare for a good and sweet New Year.