Children dance to the music at last year’s Rejoice: Jewish Music and Culture Festival in South Brunswick. Photo by Debra Rubin
Sidebar
If you go
What: Second annual Rejoice Jewish Music & Culture Festival
When: Sunday, Sept. 13
Where: Woodlot Park, South Brunswick
Festival hotline: 866-364-1455
Website: rejoicefestival.com
Festival-goers should bring lawn chairs or blankets and a nonperishable food item to be donated to the South Brunswick Food Bank. Kosher and vegetarian food will be available for purchase.
Advertisement
The Klez Dispensers will make a return appearance at Rejoice. Photo by Debra Rubin
The Sons of Tikvah Band, headed by Cantor Bruce Rockman —fifth from right — of Congregation B’nai Tikvah in North Brunswick, will be among the featured acts at Rejoice: Jewish Music and Culture Festival. Photo courtesy Congregation B’nai Tikvah
The Mama Doni Band will perform at this year’s Rejoice festival. Photo courtesy the Mama Doni Band
September 7, 2009
Thousands are expected to gather Sunday, Sept. 13, for the second annual Rejoice: Jewish Music and Culture Festival to enjoy musical performances, feast on kosher food, and learn about local Jewish organizations.
Last year’s festival, also held in Woodlot Park in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, saw children dancing and adults clapping on a hot but happy day.
“We were hoping for 1,000 last year and we had more than 3,000,” said Aaron Rosloff of South Brunswick, a cochair and originator of the event. “Hopefully, this year we will have an even bigger turnout.”
The 88-year-old Rosloff and his family put up a “significant” initial contribution to stage the event, which is free.
Also chairing the festival is Danny Greenberg of Kendall Park, former president of Congregation B’nai Tikvah in North Brunswick, and the synagogue’s cantor, Bruce Rockman.
“Aaron has really put his blood, sweat, and money into this to make his dream come true, and it’s our responsibility to continue it and add quality to it,” said Rockman.
The festival is being cosponsored by B’nai Tikvah, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the township of South Brunswick, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County.
Vendors will offer everything from Judaica to jewelry, while synagogues, schools, and community organizations will staff information tables.
For children there will be face-painting, a moonbounce, and Miss Lisa performing an act that spreads Yiddishkeit through acrobatics.
Performers will include Mr. Ray, a West Orange native who formerly performed with such rock musicians as Bruce Springsteen and Meat Loaf ; Rockman’s Sons of Tikvah band; the Princeton area-based Klez Dispensers; and Makhelat HaMercaz-The Jewish Choir of Central New Jersey, conducted by Cantor Anna West Ott of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick and Cantor Sheldon Levin of Congregation Neve Shalom in Metuchen.
Also performing will be the Mama Doni Band and the klezmer group Tsu Fil Duvids.
“I’m trying to keep it simpler than last year so each of the acts will get more time to play,” said Rockman, who is coordinating the entertainment. “Last year was awesome, but people complained the acts weren’t on long enough.”
Best in shul
CONGREGATION B’NAI TIKVAH of North Brunswick is continuing as cosponsor of the Rejoice festival — and no wonder: The inaugural event last year garnered the synagogue a gold Celebration/Dedication Solomon Schechter Award.
The congregation won three additional Solomon Schechter awards, which are given by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for extraordinary, outstanding, and unusual programming and achievements.
The Sons of Tikvah Band, headed by the congregation’s Cantor Bruce Rockman, received a gold award in Performing Arts for its integration of Jewish music into the fabric of B’nai Tikvah and the surrounding community.
The synagogue also got the gold in Worship and Ritual for its nondenominational Answer Cancer with a Prayer program and garnered an honorable mention for Family Education for its family Shabbat/Torah Trope/Mincha and Munchies programs.
— DEBRA RUBIN
Reader Discussion
Comment on this article
--TOP--
