On Wednesday, July 1st, the clubhouse at the Fairways senior community in Lakewood was filled with a large, diverse group of residents in celebration of the upcoming Independence Day holiday – marking 250 years since the birth of our nation.

Coming several days prior to the official holiday, this was the first major local celebration of Independence Day 2026 – and enjoyed the personal participation of members of the Lakewood Township Committee and the Lakewood Police Department.

The décor in the room and the garb of many attendees were replete with patriotic stripes and stars. Attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem in unison. A sizable segment of the attendees were military veterans, proudly sporting symbols of their service.

Township Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein heralded the strong patriotic spirit of the local senior community, who have lived through an extensive stretch of U.S. history – and spoke of our collective mission to inculcate this patriotism into the younger generations as well.

Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller – who serves as a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force – addressed the crowd via satellite, as he is currently stationed at a military base in Europe. The Deputy Mayor spoke proudly of his career with the Air Force; and of the enormous appreciation that the Lakewood community – especially Holocaust survivors and their descendants – feel towards the U.S. and its armed forces. Deputy Mayor Miller showcased a U.S. flag that was flown during a recent military mission in honor of the Fairways community – which he will be presenting to the community once he returns home from his current tour of duty.

Committeewoman Debbie Fuentes personally headlined the event as well, celebrating as both a Fairways resident and member of the Township Committee. “Lakewood seniors are honored to kick Lakewood’s ‘America 250’ celebrations into full gear,” said Committeewomen Fuentes. “We would like to thank everyone who joined us today for making this a beautiful event and an appropriate tribute to this historic milestone in our nation’s history.”