Preschoolers spread cheer at Belmont Village
Resident Sonia Most, 87, claps with the children from Chabad Burbank Preschool as they sing songs to residents at Belmont Village Retirement Home.
Children from a Chabad Burbank Preschool brought some holiday cheer to residents of the Belmont Village assisted-living facility Monday morning.
Dressed as candles, Maccabees and donuts, about 25 preschoolers performed various songs about dreidels, latkes and Hanukkah. The children sang and sometimes screamed their lyrics while the Belmont residents shook noisemakers and clapped along.
“The music transcends all religions,” said Giselle Temmel, 92, who happily danced during the performance. “When the music is being played and it’s got tempo and you feel like moving, it’s good, no matter what religion it comes from.”
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Resident Sonya Most, 87, said that she also enjoyed the children’s performance, adding that she clapped along to every song.
“I loved it and thought they were darling and cute,” she said. “I loved their costumes and everything about it.”
It is the fifth year that students from the Chabad Burbank Preschool have gone out to a senior living facility to visit residents and spread some cheer . It is the first time they have visited the folks at Belmont Village, said Elana Kornfeld, director of the preschool.
The program was started as a way to teach students about giving back at a young age, Kornfeld added.
“When you give something to somebody else, it just makes you feel so much better,” she said. “It’s a special moment for children to connect with seniors.”
Rabi Shmuly Kornfeld, Elana Kornfeld’s husband, concurred with his wife, adding that it is important for children to understand that they should be spreading their positive and happy energy to others in the community, especially older residents.
Though about half of the preschoolers sang along with a guitar player and the other half smiled and bounced around to the beat, the rabbi said that the children were terrific and were able to spread that holiday cheer to the community.
“They have a school performance on Thursday, so this was an opportunity for them to come and practice and share that energy with the residents,” he said. “When the kids sang, they let their hearts come out, and I think they did a really great job.”
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
