It’s Chol HaMoed Sukkos, and after being cooped up for a wonderful three-day holiday, my children are just “bursting at the seams.” At 4 p.m. on the Sunday following the first segment of Sukkos, my scrumptious two-year-old daughter is pulling at my pants, saying, “Aba, Aba, let’s go outside.” How can I refuse those pouting lips and puppy-dog eyes? My heart melts and my face says it all; with a triumphant gait and exuberant delight, my daughter gallops to my wife with newfound purpose: “Yay, Mommy, we go out to trip now! Come, Mommy, coooooome!” But where can I take her and her younger sister for some kosher fun when there seems to be so little sun? I recall Yaniv Meirov’s text regarding Chazaq’s latest event: Cousin Nachum and the Twins from France have been asked to come make the local kids laugh, sing, and dance. My wife and I thank G-d for Chazaq, prepare a snack-pack, and take the girls out for what is sure to be an exciting show.
Upon arrival, we are immediately welcomed with an ever-swelling crowd; we weren’t the only parents relying on Chazaq’s reputation for arranging excellent entertainment for the community. Of course, many thanks go to the Yeshiva of Central Queens for making their spacious auditorium available. As we walk toward our seats, we hear children clap, laugh, and stomp to Cousin Nachum’s antics. We finally sit down and enjoy a wonderful display of dexterity and sleight-of-hand. Cousin Nachum wows the crowd with his fresh magic tricks and balancing acts. The kids absolutely love him, too. He is so interactive with a crowd eager to be called on. Children rush to volunteer when he calls on them for his performances. By the time an hour comes around, both my daughters are beaming. A palpable joy floats in the air as I look around and soak in the feeling of so many happy children totally engrossed in the event. I turn to my wife and we share that special smile parents have when their children are enjoying healthy, happy fun.
By the time the second show starts, the children are hyped and ready to go. The Twins from France will need to contend with a high-bar, but I hear they have a good reputation. They roll onto the stage with upbeat music and loud cheers – two identical brothers from France. Pyrotechnics, oblique French humor, unicycles, and three-wheel vertical cycles – what else can I ask for? The children laugh along with the adults, who seem to be shocked at their own level of amusement. My wife and I are definitely having a good time. The opening act involved a flying fake human body attached to a rope; it was unexpected and amazing – the perfect ingredients for such a show. French humor aside, the really excited children love the stunts and keep flooding the stage. The Twins from France take it all in good stride and continue to entertain the crowd with deft skill, eliciting “oohs” and “ahhhs” from the young and old alike. Applause after thunderous applause: Some of their maneuvers are truly mind-boggling. By the end of the whole event, my children are happy and content. We join a dazed crowd slowly making its way outside, and I realize that Chazaq has once again brought happiness to the community.
A CHAZAQ Chol HaMoed Extravaganza: Cousin Nachum And The Twins From France
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