By 5 Towns Central Staff

NORTH WOODMERE, NY (August 18, 2026)

For years, Simchas Torah night in North Woodmere & many communities had started to take on an unintended minhag: children would go from shul to shul collecting candy and treats, sometimes spending more time “shul hopping” than dancing with the Torah and celebrating the Yom Tov in their own shuls.

At the same time, individual shuls were increasingly trying to create bigger and more elaborate pekalach, turning a simple Simchas Torah tradition into something of a competition.

The community decided it was time to try something different.

The result is a remarkable neighborhood-wide initiative built around one simple idea: one neighborhood, one bag and one message of achdus.

Nearly 10 shuls have joined together to create a single, generously packed Simchas Torah bag that will be distributed to every child in North Woodmere, as well as visiting children, on Simchas Torah night.

Rather than children traveling from shul to shul looking for the biggest giveaways, the goal is to encourage them to remain in their own shuls, dance, participate and celebrate Simchas Torah together with their families and communities.

Each participating shul is represented on the bag, sending a message to the children that while every shul may have its own identity and traditions, the entire neighborhood is one community.

Last year’s participating shuls included BKNW, YINW, KLA, KBH, Kodesh, Khal Chasidim, Ohr Torah Ashkenaz, Ohr Torah Sephard and Noam Hashem, with additional participation expected as the initiative continues to grow.

The preparation is just as meaningful as the distribution.

Before Yom Tov, volunteers from the participating shuls come together to pack the bags. Each shul sends people to work alongside volunteers from the other kehillos, turning the preparation itself into an opportunity for neighbors and members of different communities to work together.

And the scale is impressive: more than 1,700 large bags filled with snacks, toys and treats are prepared for the children.

What began as an effort to address the growing trend of Simchas Torah “shul hopping” has evolved into something much bigger — a community-wide expression of achdus.

The message to the children is simple: Simchas Torah isn’t about who has the biggest bag or the most candy. It’s about dancing with the Torah, celebrating together and recognizing that every shul and every family is part of one North Woodmere community.

Kol Hakavod.