Bergenfield—Areyvut hosted its New Year’s Day Carnival Extravaganza on January 1 at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ. Nearly 1,500 people from across the area came out to enjoy more than 15 mechanical and inflatable rides, carnival booths and games, kosher food, and live shows, including a BMX stunt show, the Gizmo Guys comedy jugglers, and The Chicago Boyz from America’s Got Talent.

Elise Cohen, a West Orange resident who attended with her husband and three children, commented, “The carnival was fun! The kids enjoyed it…Areyvut, you did a great job!”

Proceeds from the event go to benefit Areyvut whose mission is to infuse the lives of Jewish youth and teens with the core Jewish values of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity), and tikkun olam (social action). While this was the first event of this magnitude run by the organization, the numbers speak for themselves.

To incorporate chesed into the event, Areyvut had the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation swabbing and registering new potential donors at the carnival. As a result, 26 new donors were registered. Ruth Miller from Gift of Life said, “Our involvement with Areyvut over the last several years has included collaborating on bone marrow drives at mitzvah fairs and camps…we are grateful to this worthy organization in being a partner in our life saving work.”

“It really was an incredible event,” said Daniel Rothner, Areyvut’s Founder and Director. “We were thrilled with the turn-out and everyone kept telling us how much fun they were having. We brought together Jews from all over—older children, younger families, grandparents—and gave them a way to enjoy a New Year’s Day with the family while also giving back to a community non-profit.”