Hundreds celebrated Chabad of Forest Hills North’s tenth annual “Chanukah on the Park.” A menorah made of ice, a fire show, music, and Chanukah chocolate gelt thrown down from a Fire Department truck were part of the fun on Thursday, December 26, at Yellowstone Park in Forest Hills.

Using an electric saw, John Melton sculptured a menorah out of ice. Jugs of oil were put in and lit for the second night of Chanukah, creating fire and ice.
The “FyreFox,” Michael Moyel, breathed and twirled fire to the fascination of the many children at the event. Gevarych played Jewish music on the Scottish Bag Pipes. Jewish music and educational videos played throughout the evening on a large LED video screen attached to a van.
Rabbi Mendy Hecht of the Chabad of Forest Hills North spoke of the relevance of Chanukah then and now. Chanukah celebrates “how we stayed true to our beliefs, our religion, our morals, and Hashem was on our side. It is not just something that happened in the past and a beautiful tale to retell to our children.
“We need to live with the same strength and conviction that the Jews had back then. We need to keep true to our beliefs, our religion, our morals, and always remember that Hashem is here with us.

“We have to be like the Maccabees were – proud Jews – and fight for the light and spread the light. We are all Maccabees fighting in the army of Hashem!”
Rabbi Hecht also spoke of unity. The Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash was made of pure gold, while most of the vessels in the Mishkan were a combination of materials. “This Menorah symbolizes the relationship the Jewish people have to one another. It had seven branches, suggesting differences and diversity. Again, it was from one solid piece, because at the core, we are one.
“This core is the neshamah, the soul, which is truly a part of G‑d. The more we are in tune with our neshamah, the more love we feel towards others, because they and you share a single essential core. Loving another is like loving yourself. Let’s remember who we are at our core, continue to love and respect each other, and know that the story of Chanukah isn’t something of the past – we are all Maccabees today!”

Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah, City Councilwoman Lynn Schulman spoke of the power of candles in creating light.
“We have to think of the light in our hearts and we have to share that light with everybody, because it’s so important, especially this time of the year, especially with what’s going on in the world. We need to make sure we have the light in our hearts and that we share that light with everyone around us.”
The new Captain of the 112 Precinct, Timothy Brovakis, said, “On behalf of the 112 Precinct, we’re really honored to join the community for this year’s Chanukah Menorah lighting. It’s a special time to come together to celebrate and reflect on the values of light, hope, and unity.”
The new Chief of Patrol Borough Queens North, Brian Hennessy, wished everyone “A happy and safe holiday. Thank you for having me tonight. It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s such a great turnout. Happy Chanukah.”

Police Officers from the 112, 114, and 104 Precincts were observed shutting off traffic on Yellowstone Boulevard, between 68th Road and 68th Avenue, and securing the event, which occurred without any hostile incidents.
Ladder 136 from Corona provided the fire truck and cherry picker that lifted Rabbi Hecht 30 feet above ground. Rabbi Hecht then tossed chocolate gelt down to the excited crowd.
For more information about Chabad of Forest Hills North, go to their website, chabadfhn.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 347-642-7166.

By David Schneier