Burning chometz at the Woodmere Fire Department

From 6:45 to 11:45 a.m. vehicles streamed in and out of the parking lot at the intersection of Irving Place and Central Avenue in Woodmere as Jews from the Five Towns and surrounding communities brought their chometz to be burned outside the Woodmere Fire Department on April 6.

Held for the past 10 years, the organized chometz burning was established in response to a house fire in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn that was caused by its residents setting chometz — food not permitted to be eaten during Passover — ablaze that ignited the residential fire. “This is safe and under control,” Woodmere Chief Lenny Cherson said about the fire department’s organized chometz burning. He added that last week’s climate, wind, low humidity and dryness in the atmosphere are red flags for hazardous fire conditions.

Between 1,500 to 2,000 people dropped off their chometz during the five-hour event. According to Lt. Marc Deutsch, a few tons of food was burned in the 40-foot dumpster. There were also six trash cans for chometz.

“Instead of having people with limited knowledge of fire you have trained professionals doing it,” said firefighter and ex-captain Jay Goldmark. Cherson added that the fire department coordinated with Sanitary District 1 for a trash collection and with the police at the 4th precinct regarding traffic control.

Rabbi Eliezer Grunberg of Buffalo Grove, Ill., visited family in Far Rockaway for Passover and brought his two sons, Avraham, 6, and Henach, 3, to the chometz burning for the second consecutive year. “It’s a very nice service for the community, people don’t have to do it at home and it keeps it safe,” Rabbi Grunberg said. “It’s a good experience for them,” he added referring to his sons. Avraham said he likes to see the bread burn and liked seeing the fire trucks. As a special treat for the children, the firehouse was open for them to visit.

“It is one more thing we provide for the community,” said Fire Commissioner Dave Miller about the chometz burning.