Members of the South Orange and Maplewood community gathered to celebrate Jewish American Heritage month with music, dancing and food at Shalom Festival on Sunday May 24.
Organized by the Township of Maplewood, South Orange Village, Maplewood Arts & Culture and the SOMA Jewish Cultural Affairs Committee, the annual Shalom Festival is billed as a “community-wide celebration of the great breadth of Jewish American culture, heritage and life.”
“Shalom Fest was a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the rich culture, history and contributions of Jewish Americans,” Deputy Maplewood Mayor Malia Herman said afterward.
Festival-goers celebrating Jewish American Heritage month Shalom Festival. (Photo by Nelson Brinston)
South Orange Council Member Hannah Zollman said Shalom Festival was “such a beautiful celebration of the many ways Jewish Americans have helped shape the culture, civic life, small businesses, arts and spirit of our local community.”
“As both a Jewish resident and a council member, it was incredibly meaningful to see Jewish and non-Jewish residents of all ages come together for an afternoon filled with music, food, dancing and connection,” Zollman said. “One of the things we can continue to do as a community is show up for one another and take the time to learn from and celebrate the many cultures, backgrounds and traditions that make South Orange and Maplewood such special places to call home.”
Maplewood Deputy Mayor Malia Herman, with microphone, along with Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca, and South Orange Council Members Jen Greenberg and Hannah Zollman and Maplewood Committee Member Jane Collins Colding. (Photo courtesy of Malia Herman)
Shalom Fest included Jewish folk dancing, a potluck of homemade Sephardic and Ashkenazi dishes, and a book table with donated books highlighting notable Jewish Americans physicist Albert Einstein, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
Festival-goer Dave Harman stressed that solidarity with other minority communities is a core part of what it means to be Jewish American.
“Jewish [people] have been at the forefront of every major civil rights movement in this country, from slavery, to women’s rights, to ending segregation in the Deep South, to … BLM and the LGBTQ community,” Harman said. “…Jews have contributed so much to American society [and] society around the world.”
The festival included lots of dancing. (Photo courtesy of Malia Herman)
A table displayed books of notable Jewish Americans including, physicist Albert Einstein, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. (Photo courtesy of Malia Herman)
The festival is a good reminder of the impact that the Jewish American community has had on America, he said. “It’s important to remember [and] celebrate all the positive contributions Jewish culture has made,” he said.
Jewish American Heritage Month’s roots go back to 1980, when President Jimmy Carter established an official Jewish Heritage Week, and was later federally recognised in 2006. It is recognized every year in South Orange and Maplewood, which has a large Jewish population, with both towns issuing proclamations every year, celebrating the impact the Jewish community has had on America.
“At a time when antisemitism remains alarmingly high, it is especially important to celebrate and support our Jewish community,” Deputy Mayor Herman said. “Here in Maplewood, we take pride in honoring the many cultures and heritages that make our community strong. I’m especially thrilled that this year, in partnership with South Orange, our two towns are offering three separate events in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month.”
The other events are:
- A free screening of the film I Will Build This World From Love at 6:30 p.m. at Box Office Cinemas at SOPAC on Wednesday, May 27, and a Q&A with co-director John Block afterward.
- An author talk with Rachelle Goldstein, who will discuss her book Hidden Lives – Stories from Child Survivors of the Holocaust at noon on Thursday, May 28 at The Baird.
Nelson Brinston is a 12th grade student at Columbia High School who is working with Village Green as a paid freelancer through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
Folk dancing by the New York Jewish Dancers. (Photo courtesy of Malia Herman)
There was a potluck with Sephardic and Ashkenazi dishes to try at Shalom Festival. (Photo courtesy Malia Herman)
Face painting and balloon sculptures for the kids. (Photo courtesy Malia Herman)
