(Courtesy of Fleetwood Synagogue) This story of Chanukah involves motor oil, not candle oil.
Fleetwood Synagogue in Mount Vernon hosted a drive-by Chanukah party recently in a socially distant COVID-safe manner to help celebrate the holiday together as best as possible during the pandemic. Rabbi Daniel and Amanda Rosenfelt set up shop in their front yard with tables full of traditional individually wrapped Chanukah favorites, like jelly and Nutella doughnuts, homemade hot chocolate, wooden dreidels and chocolate gelt. Congregants drove by safely to pick up their treats.
Kids received toy bags with Chanukah fidget spinners, yo-yos, toy cars and figurines, generously donated by Lenny and Virginia Geller.
As this was an outdoor event in December, the Rosenfelts also gave out Chanukah masks, gloves, socks and scarves.
The nontraditional setting didn’t take away from the joy of Chanukah, even if the parade of cars stopping by made it feel more like the festival of “brake” lights.