This morning our students woke up around 4:45 AM so that they could head to the airport an hour later to board their flight to Odessa. They arrived right on time and were instantly struck by Baltimore’s sister city’s beauty and mild climate. People commented how laid-back it seemed and how much greenery there is; those who had been elsewhere in Europe compared it to a variety of capital cities.

The group checked into the hotel, which Tanya described as a classic Soviet hotel that has been renovated, rooms painted with upbeat colors. After a few minutes to freshen up, the group met with Professor Volodymyr Dubovyk who teaches political science and international relations at Odessa National University from which he received his Ph.D. in 1996. His talk was dynamic and there was lots of time for questions that our students had been saving up throughout their trip so far, in particular about the economic and cultural situation in Ukraine, and the role of the Orange Revolution in contemporary society.

Sasha, the Director of Odessa Hillel, joined our students for a three hour tour of the city and our students felt quickly at home. The last stop of their tour was the JCC, after which about eight Odessa Hillel students joined our students. After some getting-to-know you games, they donned funny hats headed to synagogue to usher in the holiday of Purim. The synagogue was packed with people including many young people. Some of the most popular costumes were fairy tale characters.

After a quick stop at the hotel to pick up some masks, costumes, and more hats, our students went out to dinner with Odessa Hillel students as a kosher restaurant that I am told was delicious. Students from Baltimore and Odessa toasted to the holiday together and headed out to the Migdal JCC for a community-wide intergenerational Purim celebration.
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