(Courtesy of Fleetwood Synagogue) When new couples move into the Westchester community of Fleetwood, they are greeted with fairly standard welcome gifts: a havdalah candle, besamim, a bottle of wine and a challah for Shabbat.

Welcoming five new families to the community over the past two months under pandemic conditions, the Fleetwood Synagogue Outreach Committee decided to prepare welcome baskets for the times, supplementing the standard Judaic fare with items that have proven more “valuable” recently: hand soap and toilet paper!

This growing community of Fleetwood has been trying to get creative to properly welcome all of its new couples. After the first few families moved in earlier in the summer, the idea was hatched to have a Shabbos walking tour, going to community members’ homes and socially distancing in backyards and on porches to meet and chat. Fleetwood wanted to properly welcome the new families who moved in, but had to do so without the traditional kiddushes and Shabbos meals customary for introductions. Several families opened their yards for an afternoon of outdoor camaraderie to greet the newest members of the shul, braving the heat and providing shade and water (individually packaged, of course).

Fleetwood, located in the southern Westchester city of Mount Vernon, is located just north of the Bronx and is only 25 minutes away from Queens and Manhattan. It shares all the charms of Westchester suburbs at a fraction of the price, and was recently called “Westchester County’s Best-Kept Secret” by the New York Times. For more information or to get in touch with a member of the outreach committee, email [email protected].