(Courtesy of Ahavat Achim) On Sunday, December 1st, Ahavat Achim in Northeast Fair Lawn hosted a joyful and vibrant event to mark Rosh Chodesh Kislev. The morning began with a spirited musical Hallel, led by the shul’s rabbi, R’ Ely Shestack, accompanied by two guitarists and a bassist, three fathers of young kids who have joined the shul in the last three years.

“Davening was perfect. Singing Chanukah tunes as a community was a great way to kick off Kislev,” said Liz Jacob, one attendee. Musicians set the lyrics of Hallel to tunes such as “Chanukah, oh Chanukah,” “S’vivon Sov Sov Sov,” and “Al Hanissim,” which lifted the spirits of all attendees from newborns to retirees.

While daveners continued with Torah reading and musaf, younger children parted ways to participate in an exciting arts & crafts activity, where they all made individual Chanukah-themed picture frames. The room buzzed as the sounds of the service mixed outside the sanctuary with the sounds of kids’ creativity.

To top off the morning, the community enjoyed a delicious bagel breakfast – complete with the donuts in anticipation of Chanukah, of course.

This is now the community’s third event of this kind, and Ahavat Achim plans to repeat it whenever Rosh Chodesh falls on a Sunday. “It’s been fantastic to see this event get bigger and bigger each time we host it. We welcome anyone in the area who is interested in Musical Hallel to join us for a future rendition! Rosh Chodesh Nisan (at the end of March 2025) is up next. Keep an eye on our website or reach out, we’d love to have you,” said Rabbi Shestack.

This event was a true reflection of Ahavat Achim’s commitment to fostering a welcoming, vibrant, and engaging environment for families and individuals of all ages, from within and without the shul’s own membership. The Rosh Chodesh Kislev celebration not only brought joy to those present but also set a positive tone for the month ahead, with the excitement of Chanukah just around the corner.