The annual JCC Harvest Fest returns for another celebration of Sukkot and autumn on Oct. 1.
JCC Chief Advancement Officer Sara Shalva said Harvest Fest is an intergenerational event designed to not just be fun, but also decrease any divisions that may exist within the community.
“It’s designed for really just fun experiences for families and members of the community to come together and celebrate the holiday of Sukkot,” she said. “We feel pretty strongly that there are so many divisions in society, and so it’s important for the Jewish Community Center to bring people together around joyful Jewish experiences, and this is one of those experiences.”
An event like Harvest Fest attracts both Jewish and non-Jewish attendees, so the event strikes a balance between being unquestionably Jewish but also not exclusionary to those of other faith backgrounds. Each year, the event features a band playing live music, and the theory behind the act they book exemplifies the idea of Judaism that is welcoming to all.
“The idea is that we’re really looking for a tribute band or a band that plays covers that people can sing along to and dance to — something that’s celebratory. We’re not necessarily looking for Jewish music; we’re looking for music that’s either played by Jews or enjoyed by Jews,” Shalva said.
The event is geared toward families and kids, but it’s for everyone. For example, this year’s edition is themed around “hard hats and bourbon.”
As the JCC describes it, it’s an event to “raise a glass, roll up your sleeves … [and] bring the whole family for a festive evening of sukkah building, bourbon tasting, live music, face painting, inflatables and more.”
The JCC has amenities for different ages and hopes everyone from the youngest to the oldest attendees will find something they enjoy.
“Sometimes we see singles come out. Occasionally we see younger Jews in their 20s and 30s. Although, if there were a population that we see less of, [it’s] those folks that aren’t yet married, they don’t always come to the communitywide celebrations,” Shalva said. “But we’re working hard to make sure that everyone feels welcome and comfortable and safe and excited to be engaging in meaningful Jewish ritual.”
The JCC relies on community outreach, targeted marketing and an emphasis on events designed for everyone. Harvest Fest has bourbon, but it’s not a nightclub. It has face painting, but it’s not a day care. It’s just a fun time for all, Jewish or not, with as much or as little emphasis on Judaism as one chooses.
“Maybe they come to Harvest Fest this year, and next year they decide to build a sukkah. Maybe they decide to buy a lulav and etrog. Maybe they just decide to have people over and light candles and kiddush and Hamotzi,” Shalva said. “We’re not dictating to people how they should be Jewish, but we’re modeling and offering an opportunity to have an experiential and educational holidays together.”
Harvest Fest began around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Shalva said every Harvest Fest since has felt relatively easy because of the initial constraints. Regardless of what occurs at each year’s festival, everyone involved is happy that it’s unhindered by a pandemic.
“Part of why we started this was because we were cognizant of people’s concerns with safety and germs and all of that, and we wanted to give the community a chance to see each other, but maybe not engage closely together,” she said. “Since COVID, it’s become much easier and much smoother to create the event.”
Each year, the Stoler Early Learning Center at the JCC has an educational theme. This year is focused on “building mensches,” Shalva said, and it extends beyond just the walls of the school. Hopefully, she said, Harvest Fest feeds into that theme.
“We hear a lot about communal themes, and it feels like this year that’s one of our themes — focusing on character development, [being] very values-forward, and just making decisions that are thoughtful and deliberate about our families,” Shalva said.
aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com
