Enjoy a taste of Jewish culture

This October, the community is invited to participate in an outdoor culinary celebration of Jewish heritage and culture.

The Levite Jewish Community Center (LJCC) will be hosting its 12th annual Jewish Food Festival on Oct.19 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. This year, the popular event will be moving outdoors as guests are invited to the LJCC soccer field. 

Executive Director Betzy Lynch said they usually have around 1,000 people in attendance and she is expecting a large crowd again this year.

“We have volunteers that prepare for this festival for months in advance,” she said. “We want  people to come eat and hang out into the afternoon.”

Traditional Jewish foods, deli items and Israeli street food will be cooked in-house in celebration of the Jewish fall harvest holiday of Sukkot.

Menu items include traditional beef brisket, which Lynch said is slow cooked and “melts in your mouth.” There will also be Noodle Kugel (giant egg noodles) and stuffed cabbage rolls with beets, which Lynch said are “a mix of both sweet and sour.”

Falafel sandwiches (made of fried chickpeas), whitefish salad (a creamy smoky dish), potato bourekas (mashed potatoes in puff pastry), matzo ball soup (giant dumplings), Israeli salad (made with cucumbers and tomatoes) and corned beef sandwiches will be served. Desserts such as cinnamon challah bread will be provided by Ricki’s Bakery from Memphis.

In addition to a variety of foods, the festival will feature craft vendors, live music from the Ori Naftaly Band, a pumpkin patch, hay rides, Owls Hollow Market and a cornhole tournament.

“It’s a great opportunity for the community to come out and have a taste of Jewish food,” Lynch said. “A big part of who we are is sharing with others.”

The Levite Jewish Community Center has been in Birmingham since 1906 and is a family-oriented recreational and educational facility as well as a United Way agency. The facility offers a wide array of programs and activities in sports and fitness, childcare, education and more. 

The LJCC is located on Montclair Road and  welcomes to people of all faiths, ages and backgrounds.

For more, visit bhamjcc.org.