Young Jews Have Pick of Parties for Christmas Eve
Rachel is a reporter/contributor for the AJT and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. After post graduate work at Columbia University, she teaches writing at Georgia State and hosts/produces cable programming. She can currently be seen on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.
By Rachel Fayne Gruskin
Chinese food and a movie aren’t the only options for young Jewish adults this Christmas Eve.
Several events are aimed at the young professional crowd Dec. 24, including GozaPalooza and Latkes and Vodkas.
The 8-year-old Latkes and Vodkas — not to be confused with the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Vodka & Latkes at Big Sky Buckhead on Dec. 29 — is sponsored by and will take place at City Winery in Ponce City Market from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 24, which also is the first night of Chanukah. The event will offer a build-your-own latke bar with various toppings, vodka samplings and live music from Sammy Rosenbaum.
City Winery manager JC Shurts recommends getting your tickets early. Last year’s event was expected to cap at 85 people, and 300 tickets were purchased. “It’s a night that is expected to attract people of all faiths because of the Christmas and Chanukah dates coinciding this year,” Shurts said. “It’s a great night for everyone to come out and meet new people.”
General admission is $15, and a portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Tickets are available at the door or at CityWinery.com.
You can use Latkes and Vodkas as a warm-up for GozaPalooza, which starts at 9 p.m. at Park Tavern and is expected to last until 2 a.m.
Atlanta-based Goza Tequila is hosting the event for its third year. Goza founders Adam Hirsch and Jacob Gluck said the party began out of their desire to create something exciting and different for young Jewish people in the community to do with friends on Christmas Eve.
Hirsch and Gluck are expecting in the ballpark of 800 people this year, and they plan to continue the tradition of the event’s offering something different, Gluck said. “We want to make sure that we keep GozaPalooza fresh and exciting for everyone, year after year. And we’ve worked hard to make sure that’s the case this year at Park Tavern.”
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Ticketholders will receive a Goza drink of their choice and have access to a food truck, and Goza has teamed up with Uber to offer a free ride that night to first-time users of uberPOOL, the carpooling version of Uber. Just use the code GozaPalooza.
Tickets are $20 in advance, with a $1 discount for liking Goza on Facebook, and are available for purchase through GozaPalooza’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/events/593279310870704). The price rises to $35 at the door. 
Most of the proceeds will go to the Marcus JCC’s young adult division. “Not only are we a company local to Atlanta, but we have received so much support from the Atlanta Jewish community over the years,” Hirsch said. “It’s nice to enhance the community experience and give back to the JCC.”
Other Chanukah parties are taking place in Buckhead and Brookhaven on Christmas Eve.
Ahavath Achim Synagogue is hosting Chinakah & J-Jam from 7 to 11 p.m. for families. The Conservative congregation offers kosher Chinese food from Chai Peking and live music from Tony Levitas and the Levitations. Tickets, available at aasynagogue.org, are $25 for Ahavath Achim members and $35 for nonmembers, or you can skip dinner and attend only the concert for $20 in advance or $30 at the door.
The Sixth Point is keeping with the Chinese food theme with Latkes and Lo Mein. The 7:30 p.m. event at the Ashford Creek Clubhouse includes dinner, latkes, dessert, drinks and games. Tickets are $10 in advance at thesixthpoint.org or $15 at the door.
Congregation Shaarei Shamayim’s Chinese dinner on the first night of Chanukah starts at 7 at the Toco Hills shul. Call 404-417-0472 or email mkunis@shaareishamayim.com for details or to RSVP.
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