Celebrate Hanukkah with Temple Hatikva
BY GENE DEFRANCIS
Seasons greetings to all our
friends, families, and neighbors
both merchants and residents
alike. We want to wish
everyone a Merry Christmas
and Happy Chanukah.
The holidays are a time for
unity and forgiveness. Forgive
our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespassed
against us.
We have several events
coming up. Santa at The Sanz
is this Sunday, December 22 at
11 a.m. Bring your cameras or
phones and take a free photo
with Santa.
Holiday Movie Night is
Monday, December 30 at The
Sanz at 6:30 p.m. We will be
watching A Christmas Carol
(1938) (1hr, 10 mins) and A
Charlie Brown Christmas
(1hr, 12 mins). Tickets are $7
which includes both fi lms.
Seating is limited to 50 seats.
Raffl es and concession stands
will also be available.
We want to offer some tips
to our small business this holiday
season before it’s over. It’s
not the big box stores or the
online sales that are hurting
your business. If you’re not
doing these ten simple things,
then you’re not maximizing
your potential.
1. You want holiday money
but did not decorate for the
holidays. Even if you don’t
celebrate, a thoughtful and
heartfelt display of lighting
and decorations can instill joy
and cheer into your customers.
Happy customers spend
more money.
2. Christmas music is a
simple and easy way to also
bring the right energy into
your establishment during the
holidays. Many of you are not
even playing music and some
of you are playing music that
doesn’t fi t the holidays.
3) Make a list. Check it
twice. Collect the emails of
all your past shoppers. Send
them a holiday greeting each
year thanking them for visiting
your business. The simple
gesture is cost effective and
will go a very long way.
4) Offer a small discount.
Some businesses think Tis
the Season to raise the prices.
But 100 people buying a product
for $25 is more than 50 people
buying something for $30.
It is better to give than to receive
even as a merchant. You
are in a small community and
rely on repeat shoppers. Tourist
do not pass by Allerton to
shop and very few people come
from other neighborhoods. So
it is very important to establish
these relationships with
the residents.
5) Keep the surrounding
area clean. Even if it is not on
your property report it to us at
AllertonMerchants@gmail.
com.
6) Contribute to the Holiday
street lights. The more
you give the more we can do.
And if everyone gave a little,
we can brighten up Allerton
a little bit more. People notice
when the lights are not up. We
had a delay this year working
with a new vendor and everyone
was asking if we were going
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 54 ECEMBER 20-26, 2019 BTR
A festival of lights
is the one thing
we can all agree
on benefi ting from
during these dark
and cold months,
particularly with
the tragedies we
hear of all around
the world.
Cantor Kyle Cherry
to have lights. And yes,
we will always have lights on
Allerton as long as AIM is in
town. And yes, they will be
up before Thanksgiving next
year.
7) Smile. We all know it’s
not easy running a business
in New York City. Especially a
small business. Our members
are dedicated to helping make
it easier. Stay positive because
negativity only attracts bad
customers, the ones that like
to fi ght and argue. This applies
across the globe. No one enters
a place where they don’t feel
welcomed and they only spend
money in such a place out of
necessity. If an employee is
having a bad day it’s best they
don’t deal with customers that
day. As I said earlier, you rely
on repeat customers. If the
customers don’t feel welcomed
they won’t visit. Your employees
represent you so you have
to ensure they are creating the
right atmosphere.
8) We especially do not discriminate.
We pride ourselves
on cultural diversity here in
Allerton. We have learned
how to be proud of our heritage,
and even poke fun at
each other and ourselves. We
live together and work together
very well. And all are
welcome in our stores to experience
our cultures. The Dominican
restaurants Primo’s
and Cocina Latina are not exclusively
for Dominicans or
Latinos. The owners are amazing
people and welcome everyone.
I eat there frequently and
the food is fantastic. Roma
Pizzeria is not exclusively for
Italians and Europeans. The
owner will tell bad jokes to
anyone who listens. Mamma’s
and Daughters, our African
braiding store, will braid anyone’s
hair. Priscia’s Nail Salon
is spacious and clean and they
take care of their store front
like no one else and also welcome
everyone. This is the Allerton
way of doing business.
Experience different food and
music and languages. That’s
all wonderful. And we hold the
same standard to businesses
near Allerton. So when we get
word that a local Supermarket
is not welcoming to certain
people, we take action. I will
clarify later exactly what I am
referring to but hope it gets
corrected before next article.
All in all, the holidays
can be a lucrative time of the
year. Done right you could
raise enough money within
this time period to live comfortably
and carry the business.
And the months outside
of Thanksgiving to New Year
could be profi table while the
holiday season pays all your
bills. But you have to insert
the love and passion into your
business. It is contagious. And
if there is any other way we
can help just ask.
We want what you want. A
healthy happy Allerton.
As many of you know the
Pelham Parkway Christmas
House has gone dark this year.
The family has been going
through some diffi cult times
with medical expenses and all
that is involved. I won’t get too
deep into their personal story
but they need our strength
and our love. This family has
given us decades of enjoyment
and something to be proud of
in our community. I ask all of
you to join us Sunday, December
22 (after Santa At the Sanz)
at 5:30 p.m. as we rally around
the Christmas House on Pelham
Parkway. Bring an electronic
candle and some outdoor
battery operated lighting
we can shine onto the house.
We will bring hot cocoa... sing
carols ... and if any special
santas wish to make a donation
to the family to help with
expenses and bills then come
with the gift in hand. They are
not asking for anything but we
must rally around our neighbors.
When they are in need,
we are in need. When they
hurt, we hurt. So show your
support and join us Sunday
to simply say ‘Thank you’ all
these years of light and positive
energy.
Merry Christmas to all and
to all happy shopping.
Shop locally. Look for the
Holiday Light Sponsorship
Poster in the merchant’s window.
Tell them thank you and/
or spend a dollar or two.
Your community is your
business.
Temple Hatikva will hold a
Shabbat Service, welcoming in
the approaching holiday of Hanukkah,
on Friday, December
20, at 7:30 p.m. Temple Hatikva’s
Shabbat Services are held
monthly year-round at Bronx
House.Although Hanukkah
doesn’t actually begin until
the evening of December 22,
as we have entered a period of
chill temperatures, the temple
looks forward to offering all
community residents a joyous
evening celebrating the miracle
of the lights, as well as a
warm, welcoming atmosphere
in which to learn more about
and connect to Judaism.
Our monthly Shabbat Services
with traditional prayers
in Hebrew and English, and
informative Sunday Adult
Education sessions featuring
lively discussions, are designed
to be comfortable regardless
of level of knowledge,
background or expertise.
“A festival of lights is the
one thing we can all agree on
benefi ting from during these
dark and cold months, particularly
with the tragedies we
hear of all around the world,”
said Cantor Kyle Cherry.
“This is a time when we
should all gather together to
celebrate the miracle Hashem
performed to remind us that,
even in dismal times, the light
of hope and triumph will still
continue to burn for us and
shine on our path to peace and
joy. Now let’s sing some songs
and pass the latkes!”
The service will be immediately
followed by a free Shabbat
Hanukkah Kiddush, a time
to share stories of personal experiences
and express gratitude
that we have reached this
new season, while enjoying
challah, wine, and traditional
holiday potato latkes and sufganiot
(jelly donuts).
Two days later, Temple Hatikva’s
Sunday morning Adult
Education series will continue
on Sunday, December 22 at 10
a.m. at Bronx House. Cantor
Kyle’s theme for this year is
the examination and contrasting
of the distinct cultures and
customs Jews have developed
in different parts of the world.
Following previous sessions
on Ashkenazi and Sephardic
traditions, this month the
Cantor’s focus will be on exploring
the history and development
of lesser known Mizrahi
(Middle Eastern) Jewish
traditions and their relationship
to the Sefardi.
Every Adult Ed session begins
at 10 a.m. with a Bagel
Breakfast, all free of charge.
This month’s bagels and
cream cheese, juice, cake and
coffee will be supplemented
with Hanukkah potato latkes,
sponsored by Shalom Jewish
Funeral Home, and sufganiot
(jelly donuts), sponsored by
the Bronx Jewish Community
Council.
Temple Hatikva’s monthly
Adult Education sessions are
held on Sunday mornings,
from October through December
and resume again from
March through May, with a
‘winter break’ in between to
avoid the coldest months. The
yearly themes cover a wide
variety of topics of interest to
people of all religious backgrounds.
For more information see
the temple’s website at www.
templehatikva.com or Temple
Hatikva’s Facebook page.
If you have questions,
or wish to request monthly
notifications of synagogue
plans, reach out by phone at
( 917) 819-2456, by e-mail at
templehatikva@aol.com or
U.S. mail at Temple Hatikva,
c/o Bronx House, 990 Pelham
Parkway South, Bronx,
NY 10469.
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