The community of Martha’s Vineyard will gather on July 22 for the second annual Jewish Culture Festival in West Tisbury, Mass. Open to visitors and residents of Martha’s Vineyard, the festival is a chance for islanders to come together and participate in an event celebrating Jewish resilience, culture and identity with food, art and music.
“After the success of last year’s inaugural festival, we knew we had to go bigger this year,“ said Rabbi Tzvi Alperowitz, who co-directs Chabad on the Vineyard with his wife, Hadassah, and organizes the event. “It has been a difficult year for Israel and the global Jewish community, and people want to be together. We believe that the festival will provide a meaningful opportunity for respite and celebration.”
Headlining this year’s festival is internationally renowned reggae artist Matisyahu, whose hit songs “One Day,” “Jerusalem” and “King Without a Crown” have topped global music charts. The festival will also feature local musical acts such as the Klezwoods, a Boston-based group whose musical stylings fuse Klezmer tradition with modern motifs; and Prophets & Singers, a Martha’s Vineyard home-grown rock band.
Attendees can expect a high-end culinary experience, with a specialty menu curated by French pastry chef Hudi Riven, featuring an extensive array of gourmet kosher foods highlighting Jewish cuisines worldwide. Royal Wine Corp., the leading supplier and distributor of Kosher wine internationally, will host a tasting of their wines, whose origins span the globe. The culinary experience will be enriched by insightful panel discussions led by food and wine experts in a nearby tent.
The festival will also feature an immersive art exhibition curated by artist Shlome Hayun. Featured artists include Elizabeth Sutton, who will be painting live in addition to exhibiting her work, island artists Barney Zeitz, Debby Rosenthal, Rosalie Shane, Ronni Simon and Carrie Peckar, and Judaica artists Sury Neuman and Shaindy Lefkowitz, who will shine the spotlight on Jewish identity, inspiration and spirituality. Visiting Israeli artists Enatnesh Yallow and Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid will also be present.
“As a child of Holocaust survivors, I identify deeply with my Jewish identity, and Jewish continuity is a high priority,” said festival committee member Harriet Schleifer, who along with her husband, Len, is one of the festival’s sponsors. “This festival is an opportunity to help ensure Jewish continuity and share the richness of our culture with the entire Vineyard community.”
This is a ticketed event, available on a first-come basis. For details or to purchase tickets, visit: Jewishculturefest.com. To learn more about Chabad on the Vineyard, visit: https://www.vineyardchabad.org/
