In the course of their visit to Dnepropetrovsk, Inna and Michael Rogatchi visited two orphanages where Jewish boys and girls are living and studying. Both Family Homes are run by the Dnepropetrovsk Jewish community and by very devoted people led by the extraordinary efforts of Yossi and Sara Glick who have been working with children there for many years now.
Inna and Michael Rogatchi have met the children at the Shabbat eve, and brought with them specially made for the children big celebrative cakes. The Rogatchi family has been helping those kids in their native city for a few years now by establishing The Rogatchi Foundation special annual stipendium for them in 2011.
For the next year (2012-2013), the stipendium will be doubled, and the number of its recipients will be increased too, from two children previously, a boy and a girl, to six now, three boys and three girls, to receive the awards. The stipendium condition was modified, as well – additionally to the best knowledge of Torah and Jewish history for boys, and the Jewish traditions and history for girls, this year the best results in general knowledge would be accounted for as well.
In both Family homes, Inna and Michael Rogatchi handed their personal presents to every child – framed and signed by the author, Inna Rogatchi’s original fine art photographs, a different one for each person. The girls received colourful flower pictures from the Rogatchis’ garden in Finland and their home in Italy; the boys – the works from Inna’s Power of Light collection depicting various Judaica artefacts and symbols from the Rogatchis’ private collection. It was very interesting to observe as all the children who were invited to choose the works which they liked and would like to have as their own, did pick those ones which were suited to their character the best. The result was that everyone left extremely happy.
The idea of those gifts was to provide every child from Family homes in Dnepropetrovsk with something memorable, beautiful and their own. Additionally, The Rogatchi Foundation decided to provide the children with some practical needs as well, providing for boots for girls and warm scarfs for the boys on the eve of the winter season.
Inna and Michael Rogatchi told the children from both Family homes that they are looking forward to meeting them again in early June 2013. It was a memorable and special Shabbat eve, indeed.