4 Shares

By Selene Raj

The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired people celebrating the holidays this season to get creative to partake in festivities without risking the spread of infection.

Rabbi Koppel Silberberg and the Chabad Jewish Center of Tamarac have found a way to let people participate in one Chanukah tradition from the comfort of their homes through a gift swap.

Gift-giving is one aspect of Chanukah that people might find difficult to recreate if they live alone and aren’t going to see loved ones due to the pandemic—but Rabbi Silberberg hoped to help people connect even with social distancing.

“Many people are alone this year, so we’re doing a community gift swap,” said Rabbi Silberberg.

The gift swap is simple—give a gift, get a gift.

To partake in the gift swap, those interested must register before December 8 through the form provided on the center’s website.

After registering, participants will receive an e-mail with the information about the person they’ve been assigned to gift.

The gift-giver can then select a Chanukah gift to arrive by December 15, with a budget of between $20 and $30 to their gift recipient.

They should also include their own info when sending the gift, so the recipient will know who sent it.

Finally, they can wait patiently for their own gift to arrive before opening it, taking a photo, and letting Chabad know they’ve received it.

Got News? Send it to Tamarac Talk.

Author Profile

Selene Raj

Selene Raj is a writer and a Florida International University graduate. Born in Trinidad and raised in America, she completed her Master's in Mass Communications in 2020, and has been living in Coral Springs since 2004. She is passionate about the communities she lives and works in and loves reporting and sharing stories that are as complex and meaningful as the people who live in them.