Jewish Food and Culture Fest

On April 22, Birmingham’s Jewish communities will be coming together for the Jewish Culture and Food Festival at the Levite JCC. 

It is sponsored by the Friedman Family Foundation and includes Temple Emanu-El, the Birmingham Jewish Federation, Chabad of Alabama and Knesseth Israel as partners.

Isa Dorsky, Lori Dorsky and Jacob Halpern, co-chairs for the event, said food brings people together, and food is highlighted in this merger of the LJCC’s Jewish Food Festival and Temple Beth-El’s When Pigs Fly Kosher BBQ Cook-Off. 

Smoked beef brisket, fresh falafel, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, matzah ball soup, potato bourekas, Israeli salad and whitefish plates are all on the menu, as are desserts, beverages and hot dogs for kids. The When Pigs Fly Kosher BBQ Cook-Off will name a new champion in the beef brisket, barbecue chicken, baked beans, team name and team booth categories.

And the main idea of the festival is to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut, or Israel’s birthday. This year marks Israel’s 70th anniversary of independence.

The festival will have a model of the Western Wall with special decorations, a mock Israeli Defense Force obstacle course with Jewish education for kids and a photography and art exhibition of Israel. A kids zone with inflatables, an obstacle course and educational games will also be available, as will entertainment from The Regulators and the Disco Amigos.

The Jewish Food and Culture Fest will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, and food will be available for purchase. Funds raised will support partnering organizations. For more information, visit bhamjcc.org/culturefest.