On Sunday afternoon, June 11, Chazaq, in conjunction with the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island and Councilman James F. Gennaro, hosted a Jewish Cultural Carnival in the backyard of Lander College for Men in Kew Gardens Hills that drew close to 2,000 Queens community members.
When community participants were asked what the best thing was about the carnival, many said the unity. “It’s so beautiful to see all the cultures blended together. Everyone is here enjoying this event, and there is a strong feeling of unity.”
The vision of the carnival coordinators, Meir Markow, Director of Special Projects for Chazaq, and Robbie Aboff, Operations Manager of Chazaq, was to bring a community event with fun for families and kids of all ages. The planning began months ago and involved coordinating all the different vendors.
This writer interviewed many participants and asked them what their favorite part of the carnival was.
One child said, “The cotton candy!”
A mother shared, “All the bounce houses, the ice cones, and the music.”
Another mother stated, “I liked the snow cones and the huge bounce house!”
There was a photography booth and there were carnival games. There was free cotton candy, free snow cones, rides, games, and balloon animals.
Dovid Pearlman, a renowned musician, provided music.
Mayor Adams attended and spoke. He said that we are in a partnership to create a healthy environment for our children and families and for our city. “Our secret weapon is clearly our diversity and how we respect each community in this city.” We lead the way on how we live together. He shared that our community is aligned with his belief in family, belief in business, belief in education, and belief in public safety. He commended us on supporting public safety and the New York City Police Department. He told everyone to enjoy this beautiful family day. He took time to speak with many people, including children. He even slid down one of the slides and participants got their photo taken with the mayor. In addition, a talented DJ provided a lively soundtrack throughout the carnival.
This year, there was a mini-Ferris wheel for kids. Every year the number of participants grows.
Sponsors for the event include QJCC, JCCGCI, and NYC Cultural Affairs.
This was the sixth year of the carnival. The coordinators shared their vision that this event should become an annual event. Im yirtzeh Hashem, it should be in Yerushalayim next year with Mashiach here. Kudos to Chazaq for all they do to promote Jewish unity in our community. It should be a z’chus to hasten the g’ulah!
Editor’s Note: Photo credits for the carnival pictures in last week’s issue were mistakenly omitted. Most were taken by Yaakov Katz Studios. We apologize for the omission.
By Susie Garber
Photo Credit: Yaakov Katz Studios
