Over 15,000 visitors flocked to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls this Chol Hamoed Sukkos.
Families arrived from all over the tri-state area, from Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland and Detroit, across Canada, and also Israel. Against the backdrop of the world-famous Falls, Yidden from many different communities came together in a beautiful display of achdus, walking on the streets with lulav in hand, joining one of the 25 Shachris minyanim on a chol hamoed morning. Minyonim took place in the main Shul, in different parts of the ballroom, in every corner of the giant Sukkah and even in the Farbrengen Sukkah.
The 8,000-square-foot sukkah made this chol hamoed vacation possible for the hundreds of families who chose Niagara Falls as their destination.
For the Zaltzmans, the holy and joyful scene brought pride and gratitude. Their first Sukkos in 2005 was celebrated in a small, 100-square-foot sukkah on the adjacent parking lot, just one month after they arrived to establish Niagara Falls’ first Chabad centre.
Special arrangements for this operation included major discounts at local attractions, separate times for boys and for girls at the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, and a kosher IMAX experience.
A major draw was the Kosher FoodFest, with food trucks and more than 10 vendors, many from Toronto, offering families a variety of options to enjoy in the sukkah, including shawarma, pizza, sushi, Chinese food, a wine tasting from local kosher winery Tzafona, and even an ice cream truck.
The Simchas Beis Hashoeiva was another highlight. It featured a live band, CanadaDance and a stirring performance by Oli Borr. Yidden from all walks of life danced together, glow sticks in hand, before the Niagara Falls fireworks.
Alongside the thousands of visiting families, local residents enjoyed their own opportunities to celebrate and witness the “Jewish city” in their hood. They were mesmerized, uplifted and couldn’t believe it. A corner of the grand sukkah had a dedicated space for a community event: “Sushi in the Sukkah”. Locals came by to enjoy their moment in the Sukkah surrounded by so many Jewish tourists and made a bracha on the lulav and esrog.
A mobile sukkah also travelled throughout the Niagara Region with bochurim Levi Yitzchok Vaisfiche and Daniel Zaltzman, bringing the mitzvos and simcha of Sukkos to Jews in cities across the region: Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Welland, St. Catharines, Fort Erie, Thorold and Fonthill. At Brock University, Jewish students proudly hopped on, had lunch and shook the lulav as well.
Special thanks go to Mendel Rosen, Avraham Chaim Kozlovsky, Zalman Engel and Mendel Zaltzman for their dedication and tireless work coordinating the event, to Mendel Slavin for spearheading Mivtzah Lulav and sharing Chassidus with so many, and to the vendors, volunteers, performers and sponsors who helped make it possible.
But the greatest thanks go to the thousands of Yidden who brought so much joy and holiness to the streets of Niagara Falls this Sukkos. An incredible Kiddush Hashem and true Geon Yaakov.
