Atlanta Jewish Life Festival Brings Everyone Together

I re-started the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival (last called the Atlanta Israel Festival at the MJCCA) seven years ago. While our community is blessed with vibrant congregations, thriving day schools, incredible summer camps, passionate Jewish non-profits and cultural organizations accomplishing amazing and meaningful work, events and outcomes day in and day out … the Atlanta Jewish community did not sustain a yearly celebration that brought all of us together across congregations, levels of observance and age. A celebration not for a cause, holiday or event, but a festival, because you call Atlanta home — an opportunity to experience the richness of our Jewish community all in one place on one afternoon.

From the beginning, the vision has been simple yet ambitions: to create a joyful, inclusive and educational celebration that reflects the full vibrancy of Jewish life in Atlanta. In our first year, we included both kosher and kosher-style food. In the second year, we revamped this aspect to ensure all food and vendors were kosher — an important step to ensure everyone in our community could participate comfortably and confidently. From the beginning, we have invited any Jewish organization to become a partner to both participate as well as showcase their offerings to the community, whether they be a school, a camp, a synagogue, a social organization or an organization dedicated to assisting the Jewish people in Atlanta, the United States, Israel or anywhere in the world. And since the beginning, we have gone out of our way to make sure adults and kids, highly engaged and non-affiliated, and locals and Israelis feel welcome to schmooze, nosh, participate and enjoy.

The Festival incorporates kosher food, an artist gallery, music, a kids zone, dancing, contests and raffles, Jewish culture and traditions, and, of course, access to the Georgia Aquarium for the rest of your day (after the Festival’s opening at noon). It is an opportunity to meet your friends and make new acquaintances, learn Jewish and Israeli culture, and support and join Jewish causes. The Festival is a celebration of who we are and reflects our history, shared values and, in today’s world, our resilience — an opportunity to demonstrate proudly and openly our Jewish identity.

The Atlanta Jewish Life Festival does not belong to me or the Atlanta Jewish Times, it belongs to you, the community. This Festival reinforces Jewish life in Atlanta today and throughout the year. I invite you to join us!

For more information about the Festival, please visit atlantajewishlifefestival.com.