60 Jewish Motor Homes Stop NYC Traffic

A curious surprise awaited tourists and New Yorkers heading out for lunch this Thursday in the form of a parade of Jewish-themed motor homes.

Consisting of 60 “Mitzvah Mobiles” – essentially Chabad Houses on wheels – the rally was designed to raise awareness of the upcoming Passover holiday and urge citizens to recommit themselves to acts of goodness and kindness.

Organized by a group of young Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students, the parade’s route through the New York City municipal area encouraged men, women and children from all walks of life to come aboard and learn about the eight-day holiday, and walk off with the special Passover staple known as shmura matzah.

The procession set out one day before the 108th anniversary of the birth of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who inspired the concept of the “Mitzvah Mobile” decades ago.

“The Rebbe taught that to dispel a great deal of darkness, all you need is a small candle,” explained Mendel Konikov, one of the parade’s organizers. “This is the power of a small good deed. One simple act of kindness can tilt the global scale to the side of good.”