What’s better than a Hillel love story?
At Hillel, love stories unfold in the most unexpected places!
When Katya and Vova attended a Hanukkah party at Hillel Minsk in December 2022, the last thing they expected was to find romance.
Hillel Minsk hosted a huge Hanukkah party for members of the community, with 350 participants in attendance. There was entertainment and dancing (and, of course, food!), along with a retelling of the story of Hanukkah. Katya, eager to learn about the holiday and have fun, found herself drawn to a solitary figure on the dance floor. She took a chance and asked him to join her.
Vova moved to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, from Polotsk, in the northern part of the country, at the beginning of 2022, and found his way to Hillel. He first got involved by attending Shabbat programs — the songs were familiar to him, and he thought the vibes were great — and he was excited to attend the Hanukkah party. He had no idea that when Katyal asked him to dance, it would change the rest of his life.
That first dance led to another, and then another, until they realized they’d danced together for the remainder of the evening. They exchanged contact information at the end of the night, and the rest was history.
From that first event, Hillel has been a fixture of Vova and Katya’s relationship. They continued participating in Hillel programs together, taking a series of seminars focused on Jewish education and life skills, and regularly attending Shabbat services and dinners. Katya particularly enjoyed the Paints and Peace program, a special project supported by Hillel International that merged visual arts with Jewish learning.
This past fall, with Hanukkah on the horizon, along with their one-year anniversary, Vova began to think about proposing — and the annual Hillel Minsk Hanukkah party provided the perfect opportunity. It was where they met, and he knew Katya would love it. Vova’s friends from Hillel helped him start planning, along with Hillel madrichim. Their Hillel director teared up when they asked her to help.
The party would include music, so Vova decided he would sing as part of the proposal. On the day of the party, he set everything up, then went to pick up the guest of honor: Katya.
And, of course, when he proposed, she said yes!
This year’s Hanukkah party was already meant to be meaningful. Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas following the October 7th terrorist attack, the community decided it was more important than ever to bring light and love into the world. Vova and Katya’s engagement added a layer of joy and hope.
From all of us at Hillel International, Mazel Tov to Vova and Katya!