Chanukah is an exciting holiday, filled with family time, dreidels, jelly donuts, latkes, vacation, and of course, toys! However, there are families in our very own community, maybe on your block, in your kids’ class, who don’t share the same enthusiasm. Many families find themselves unable to buy gifts for their children, which is undeniably disheartening. Presents aren’t the point of Chanukah, but it makes a difference in a child’s life knowing that someone is thinking of him or her. The local families that we pass everyday need as much love and help as we can give them, and the community came together to help.
This past Motsei Shabbos, kids and adults (in masks of course) joined together to volunteer at the toy drive, preparing toy packages for over 700 children! “We love coming to help the toy drive, it’s fun & a mitzvah” commented Chaim, one of the many children volunteers.
The Chanukah Toy Drive was the creation of Rochel Baron, A”H. Rochel was battling cancer
and received many toys for her kids. However, while she suffered with her illness she still had the compassion to wonder why the children of sick moms were the ones to get the toys, and not the children of moms who could not afford to buy any gifts for their kids. Rochel passed away erev Rosh Hashanah in 2012, but not before creating the Chanukah Toy Drive, giving to over 80 families and allowing over 200 kids to feel the joy of Chanukah.
The creation of the toy drive was prophetic because many children lost their toys in Superstorm Sandy just after she passed away. Eight years later, the toy drive has grown to helping 180 families and over 700 kids!
Moshe Brandsdorfer, the JCCRP’s executive director expressed, “The toy drive demonstrates the very essence of the Five Towns / Far Rockaway community. This year, due to COVID-19, the toy drive demand exceeded last year’s demand by 35%. We did not have to turn any child away because the essence of our community is chessed and achdus!”
The JCCRP wishes to thank all the participating schools, shuls & businesses for collecting toys: BBY, BYAM, Congregation Beth Shalom, Dr. Denise Cohen, DRS, Gourmet Glatt, Gural JCC, HAFTR, KolSave, Oppenheimer Orthodontics, Preminger Dentistry, Seasons, Shulamith, Total Family Care, Yeshiva Darchei Torah, YILC and YKLI.
None of this would have been possible without the hard work of the toy drive committee:
Naamah Aisenbaum, Sara Austein, Sharon Friedman, Rahely Fruchter, Lara Klein, Daphna
Mishaan, Fraidy Osina, Devorah Pelman, Rebecca Richman, Hudis Saltz, Tamar Samuels,
Esther Satt, Tamar Sharf, Rocky Stern and Lily Weichholz. They ran around during their busy days to set up drop off locations, collect toys, pack boxes and organize sponsors. Their outstanding work led to yet another amazing toy drive!
At the toy drive pickup, *Miriam, a divorced mother of three affectionately expressed “This is so helpful, my kids are going to be in heaven, can’t thank you enough, you are amazing!”
For those who couldn’t make it to the stores, please contribute online at www.jccrp.org 100% of donations goes toward the toy drive. For more information or to volunteer for future project, please email [email protected] or call (718) 327-7755 x6113.
*name changed for privacy.
