Kingston Sukkos Events Drew Large Crowds and Joyful Spirits

Sukkos in the anash community of Kingston, PA, was bustling with exciting events joined by local anash and many guests, who were astounded by the community’s growth in both quantity and quality.

Sukkos in the anash community of Kingston, PA, was bustling with excitement as local anash, bochurim home from yeshiva, and many guests celebrated Yom Tov together.

Besides the many who came to spend Yom Tov with family, many visitors passed through, among them families from Monsey, Monroe, and Williamsburg. Guests were astounded by the community’s growth in quantity and quality.

On Sunday of Chol Hamoed, a large carnival was held in the local JCC parking lot, organized by R’ Motty Hershkop and Beis Moshe. Large rides were brought in for children of all ages, including bounce houses, spinner rides, and a zipline. Many families from nearby Scranton joined the Chol Hamoed celebration.

A new feature this year was nightly Simchas Beis Hashoeiva music and dancing held in the large parking lot of the Beis Moshe shul. Live music was played by R’ Dovid Altein and the Hershkop family band, while dozens of men, bochurim, and boys, danced energetically.

“The music and the dancing was so pure and lebedik,” one community member commented, “even nicer than the grand events.”

Every night of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed, farbrengens were held in the sukkahs of community members, and special shiurim were delivered each day by a different member of anash.

On the fourth night of Chol Hamoed a central farbrengen was held in the large sukkah of R’ Yanky Hershkop, led by longtime mechanech and maggid shiur, Rabbi Aharon Dovid Gancz of Monsey. The sukkah was standing room only, and the farbrengen went long into the night. Rabbi Gancz shared inspiring messages on simcha and told stories from his introduction to Chabad through Reb Mendel Vechter and the challenges they had to overcome.

On the eve of Hoshana Raba, after dancing, the children were invited into shul for a special program as they joined their fathers for Sefer Devorim, filling the shul with sweet voices reading the pesukim.

Over Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed, anash and bochurim visited all the local Yidden within the community and in old age homes to bring them the mitzvos and simchas yom tov.