The Newspaper “Lebn” The Jewish community's newspaper in Konotop is named “Lebn.” It means “life” and began to be published in December 1994. It is the first and only one public resource in the region of the national minorities, which is distributed free of charge in the cities and towns of the Sumska region.23 This newspaper is read in the entire territory of the Ukraine, Israel, USA, Germany, Australia and in the CIS24 countries. The newspaper is published in Russian and Ukrainian. The slogan of this newspaper is, “all people are brothers.”
The published periodical of this newspaper has always tried to follow this slogan because it is promoting peace and mutual understanding in society. The information about Jewish life and the work of Hesed Ester are published in it. We can also read about events in the region and in Ukraine. Also readers are informed from letters from former compatriots about how Jews live in Israel and other countries. Some common newspaper editions were published together with the old city newspaper, “Konotopskly Kray.” This fact shows the cooperation between the Jewish community and local self-government agencies. In the newspaper there are columns, “Our Holy Places,”
“Conversation with Wise Men,” “Famous Jews,” Creativity of Our Readers,” “To Be Remembered,” and others. They describe the returning to the roots of our nation, about people, who were influential in the history of our town, and about people, who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Readers liked the newspaper. This was shown by the great number of letters to the editor received. Thanks to its thematic diversity and attraction of a wide circle of readers, the newspaper, Lebn, has a consolidating character and organically fits informational space of Sumshene.25 TV Program, “Ale Eneinem”26 Together with “Lebn,” the public life of Jews in Konotop is described in the TV program “Ale Eneimem.” This is a monthly program of the local television station. The main aim of this program is to describe the activity of the Jewish community “Hesed Ester,” its clubs, about the leaders of the Jewish movement, and about the national religious holidays.
23 Sumy Oblast or Province. Gubernya is the old term, which is no longer in use.
24 Union of Independent States of former USSR.
25 Sumy Oblast or Province.
26 Translates as “All Together.”