On Tuesday, October 3, the third night of Chol HaMoed, over 2,500 men, women, and children from all the different communities of Queens gathered for the second annual Mega Simchas BeisHaSho’eivah.
The joyous celebration once again took place in the heart of Kew Gardens Hills at 72nd Road and Main Street in front of the Queens Public Library, and featured an electrifying concert with international Jewish singing sensation Avi Perets and his one-man-band Ouri Bittan. The duo, on a short reprieve from their musical duties in Mexico, ignited the Jewish spirit of the chag in Queens.
The event also included videos of Torah thoughts from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, divrei Torah from local rabbis, and Torah passages recited by community children. Coins were also distributed for the attendees to give tzedakah.
“The goal of this event is to unite Jews from all backgrounds together with the theme of the holiday of Sukkos: simchah, joy!” explained Rabbi Shraga Zalmanov of Chabad of Flushing.
“We find ourselves now in challenging times, considering everything that is happening in Eretz Yisrael,” said Rabbi Mendel Scharf, dean of Chabad Yeshiva of Queens. “And Jewish unity and simchah, joy, is and has always been the key to our survival. I hope and pray that in the merit of this gathering of unity, with Torah, prayer, tzedakah, and joy, Hashem should continue to protect the Jewish people in Israel and bring Moshiach now!”
Special thanks goes to Shabsie Saphirstein, community outreach coordinator for Queens Borough Safety Patrol-Shmira, Community Affairs Police Officers Kevin J. McCarthy and Tim Gorman, along with the dedicated police officers of the 107th precinct.
This program was a joint project of Yeshivas Lubavitch of Queens, Chabad of Flushing, and Ohr Avner.
