SARAJEVO, Bosnia (RNS) — Cantor Igor Bencion Kožemjakin doesn’t always know if he will have a minyan, or quorum of 10 Jews necessary to recite certain prayers in the Jewish liturgical service. But on Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, which began at sundown Tuesday (June 11), he was pretty certain he would — and so he stocked up on food: cheeses, hummus, smoked salmon, challah and kosher wine.Kožemjakin leads Sarajevo’s only remaining functioning synagogue, called the Ashkenazi Synagogue, because it was originally designated for Jews of Eastern European descent. The massive, neo-Moorish-style building on the banks of the Miljacka River has seen a decline in attendance. Its physical grandeur has also faded.
But on Shavuot, a holiday that commemorates the revelation of the Torah, Kožemjakin figured he could count on a good showing. About 18 regulars trickled in, in addition to a handful of out-of-town guests. They gathered on the second floor of the synagogue in an ornate room that once served as the women’s section, or balcony. The men took seats in creaky wooden pews on the right side and the women on the left, as is the custom here. They read and chanted the eveni …
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But on Shavuot, a holiday that commemorates the revelation of the Torah, Kožemjakin figured he could count on a good showing. About 18 regulars trickled in, in addition to a handful of out-of-town guests. They gathered on the second floor of the synagogue in an ornate room that once served as the women’s section, or balcony. The men took seats in creaky wooden pews on the right side and the women on the left, as is the custom here. They read and chanted the eveni …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]