1,200-Plus From Former Soviet Union Unite for Record-Breaking 15th Annual Shabbaton

Living abroad, in a new country, with a new language, new laws and a massively different culture is a daunting prospect for many people.

For the Jewish community of the Former Soviet Union in the United States—who make up approximately 10 percent of all American Jews—this holds true. Even 30 years after immigrating, these discrepancies can still create many challenges, not least a longing for a piece of home.

On the last weekend in March, Lubavitch Youth Organization joined forces with Chamah, an organization set up to serve the Russian-speaking Jewish community, to accommodate such a reality, with the 15th annual Russian-Jewish Shabbaton held in the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany, N.J.

More than 1,200 guests attended from across the United States, Canada and Israel. They participated in a spiritually uplifting weekend that provided individuals with a sense of home, with a series of educational workshops, a variety of Jewish and leisure activities, and, of course, fantastic kosher food.