For the first time ever, German language machzorim for children and teenagers were printed in Germany in recent days. This is about 10,000 copies, which will be distributed in the coming days in 20 cities in Germany, as part of community meetings currently being held for Rosh Hashanah.

On the printing of the cycles is the German Rabbinical Association, which brings together dozens of chareidi rabbonim and talmidei chachamim who serve in 25 communities in 20 communities across Germany. The translation has been laboring in recent months by professionals. To make the reading and understanding of the young worshiper, along the 50 pages of the cycle with tefilos and basic concepts, appropriate pictures were included in which the children of the rabbis are featured.

In addition, 25,000 calendars were printed for the year 2011, with 20 different time zones, with emphasis on Jewish dates and concepts, information on activities and yomim tovim throughout the year, and details for contacting the rabbis in each and every city.

According to estimates, about 5,000 Jews are expected to take part in tefilos in shuls during Tishrei where rabbis of the German Rabbinical Association are serving. The association will fly dozens of young rabbis from the United States and Israel in the coming days to help reinforce the minyanim in the big cities and hold minyanim, holiday meals and shiurim in communities where there are small Jewish communities without rabbonim, baalei tefilla or baalei toke’a.

In the summer months, the “Harish” was held before the yomim tovim, when yeshiva students from the United States visited small cities throughout the vast country, where few Jews lived. The affixed hundreds of mezuzahs, put on tefillin for many and even persuaded some to have a bris milah.

The German Rabbinical Union is also preparing to assist in the material aspect, and will distribute hundreds of food parcels to Holocaust survivors in preparation for Rosh Hashana. Community holiday seudos will be held on Rosh Hashanah in central shuls and kehillos.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)