It was three hours of pure bliss for over 300 children of divorce on Wednesday, December 28th as they were dazzled and delighted by the ultimate kids’ Chanukah bash hosted by Frum Divorce.

Created in 2011 to meet the unique needs of divorced men and women within the Jewish community, Frum Divorce has run dozens of successful events including seven semi-annual Shabbos getaways, shiurim and other gatherings. Chanukah and Purim parties geared specifically towards kids are highly anticipated events, turning what could be a stressful time for children of divorce into priceless memories that will be forever cherished.

Frum Divorce founder Benny Rogosnitzky reflected on a phone call he received three years ago from Dr. Faigy Zakheim a month before Chanukah, wanting to make sure that the needs of children, the youngest victims of divorce, were also being addressed. As details of the first Frum Divorce were being ironed out, Zakheim took matters into her own hands, trekking out to a toy store in Midtown Manhattan on a snowy pre-Chanukah night and lovingly hand picking presents that would be appropriate for each age group.

“She wanted to be absolutely certain that every child would leave with a smile,” said Rogosnitzky. “Many people are blessed with good fortune and wealth and donate to charity, but a precious few get involved with their hearts like Faigy, taking the time to be involved in the most intricate details.”

This year’s third annual Chanukah gala was held at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. Guests of all ages had the run of the entire museum, enjoying the fascinating exhibits as the latest and greatest in Jewish music played throughout the highly popular venue. Partygoers were also treated to an hour long show featuring the incredible magic of Ben Cohen and the zany antics of Cousin Nachum followed by menorah lighting, with children called up to the stage on numerous occasions to savor a golden moment in the spotlight.

A six foot tall stack of empty pizza boxes bore testament to a kid friendly dinner that also included French fries, sufganiyot, fruit, cookies, cupcakes and an irresistible spread of blue and white candies and snacks that were as gorgeous as they were delicious. Throughout the night guests had the opportunity to enjoy face painting, a balloon artist and a prop laden photo booth, in addition to being gifted with several small prizes.

The highlight of the night was the Chanukah presents, several hundred in all, sorted by age and piled high on tables, each one painstakingly wrapped by volunteers. Guests waited patiently for their gifts, some squealing with delight as they sat down in the middle of the atrium to unwrap their newfound possessions.

Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem seventh grader Zev Goldman scored a pair of Sharper Image Bluetooth wireless headphones. Goldman said this was his second Frum Divorce Chanukah party.

“The coolest part? Probably looking around the museum,” said Goldman.

Yehuda Feldman of West Hempstead came to the museum with his 12 year old daughter and 10 year old son. Having been at every Frum Divorce Chanukah party, Feldman said that his children look forward to seeing the friends they have made over the years.

“There is nothing else like this out there for them and my kids want to come back every year,” said Feldman. “It wasn’t even my time to have the kids on Chanukah but they begged me to come take them.”

The night was full of smiling faces, with parents capturing memorable moments on their cell phones, something Frum Divorce board member Chaya Klein described as a great equalizer.

“When they come here Chanukah is normal and is spent with people who get their lives and understand what they are all about,” said Klein. “They have a sense that they belong and for once, they don’t feel like the odd man out. Best of all, it gives them something to come back to school and tell their friends about.”

While almost everyone in attendance came from the New York metropolitan area, there were a few notable exceptions, including one mother who flew in from Canada with her two children. Devorah Weinreb said that despite the fact that she still had to cook the food for her son’s aufruf being held just two days after the Chanukah gala, she and her eleven year old spent almost three hours driving in to the party from Scranton.

“He needed something for Chanukah so I made the decision to spend some time with him,” said Weinreb. “He is going to be able to go back into school next week and say he went to the Hall of Science. The kids will all ask him a ton of questions and he will be able to answer them all.”

Debbie Rochlin, a member of Frum Divorce’s advisory board, radiated energy and enthusiasm throughout the party, buoyed by the magic of making dreams come true for children who are faced with adult-sized challenges.

“From this evening I cry out of both sides of my eyes,” said Rochlin. “One side are tears of joy that I can provide this for these children and the other side are tears of sadness because I know that some of the children are just living through a nightmare.”

It was a second trip to the Chanukah funfest for Maya Dagan of Brooklyn who came with three children ages 12, 11 and nine years old.

“We came late last year and it was so amazing that we left the house early so that we could come on time this year,” said Dagan. “Just pulling up here and seeing the lights and getting closer and hearing the music had everyone so excited.”

Dagan said that she was grateful to Frum Divorce for creating an event that was filled with so much joy.

“This place is so exciting and it makes every kid feel important,” said Dagan. “It just lights up their Chanukah and there is nothing more that a mother wants in life than to enjoy her child’s smile.”

To find out more about Frum Divorce or to register for their upcoming retreat visit them online at www.FrumDivorce.org

(YWN Desk – NYC)