BUILDING JEWNITY
It’s absolutely Jewlicious!
By Lisa Grajewski

Tzitzit wagging, payos flying, the ancient Kabbalistic language of Aramaic… throw in a little hip hop, your favorite P.Js and you have the hippest, coolest place to be a Jew – Jewlicious Festival! Starting with an inspiring Shabbat service on Friday evening, February 29 through March 2, over 500 young Jews, mostly college students and young professionals, from over 50 campuses, will converge on the Alpert JCC in Long Beach to get a positive Jewish experience. Not to mention listen to musicians like Y-Love, a convert to Orthodox Judaism – a practicing Chasid who sings hip hop in Hebrew, Arabic, and Yiddish and has performed with the likes of Matishyahu. Or Rav Schmuel, a beer-drinking, guitar-playing rabbi who loves the Grateful Dead and has played in sold-out parking lots before and after Phish concerts. Billboard.com puts him in a Chasidic class of his own, comparing him to “…everyone from Barenaked Ladies (Rav Shmuel has a certain vocal resemblance to Steven Page) to Jack Johnson to the Moldy Peaches' Adam Green…” And these are just two of the dozens of musicians and speakers scheduled for the event.

The Jewlicious Festival is the brainchild of Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, an educator and director of Jewlicious Festivals and his wife and partner, Rachel Bookstein, director of Beach Hilllel and educator. Both had worked in Poland with Ronald Lauder’s Jewish schools. The schools, designed to rebuild the Jewish community in Poland, were the building blocks for where the Booksteins are today. Both are highly observant, but they did not grow up in the Orthodox movement, so you sense a true knowledge from them about what it means to live in this world. There is a spark of recognition – a connection from the moment you meet them, which has been the key to building Jewish unity – Jewnity – with the younger Jewish community. “Rabbi Yonah and Rachel put their heart and soul into Jewlicious, making sure that all participants have the time of their life and leave the weekend fulfilled, happy, and anxious for the next one!” says Estee Pollak, a Jewlicious Festival attendee from last year.

When the Booksteins arrived in Southern California, they wanted to jumpstart Jewish life on campuses. Says Rachel Bookstein, “Young Jews are estranged from Jewish life… We wanted to empower and build community.” The Booksteins believe that in providing programs like the Jewlicious Festival and being active on the college campuses – and they are – it helps evolve Jewish life. “It works… there is a consensus that this works,” says Bookstein. In addition, Jewish students are more likely to do “Jewish things” – visit Israel, read a Jewish book, and date other Jews. The Booksteins also make it easy to be Jewishly identified. You would not necessarily think of an Orthodox rabbi and the rebbeztin as being hip or cool… But they are. Donning college team baseballs caps and cowboy boots and exuding an air of energy that is highly contagious, they make it easy for the younger generation to see that you can be cool and Jewish. Which in an age of high assimilation, low synagogue membership and inter-marriage or just plain leaving the faith, is important.

Co-produced with Beach Hillel and Jewish Student Services of Long Beach and Orange County, the Festival started with 100 kids, from 20 schools. “Ray Alpert approached me and asked, ‘If you could do anything, what would you do?’ I replied, ‘Have a great weekend for college kids.’ He saw the new Long Beach Hillel as an investment…” remembers Rachel Bookstein. Now, a few years later, the program is the largest Jewish student event on the West Coast, which includes both California and Nevada, but draws students and young people from far away as Boston and New York.

Though the Booksteins have been the brains and much of the energy behind Beach Hillel and the Jewlicious Festival, it would be remiss not to mention the several families and individuals who have supported the Booksteins both financially and with strong encouragement: Deanna and Allen Alevy, who were also instrumental in bringing the Booksteins to Long Beach, Barbara and Ray Alpert, the Breslauer-Soref Foundation, and Brian and Sarah Chisick. The Booksteins have also learned, from the beginning, to have active student committees choosing performers and speakers, provide cues, and staff events. Beach Hillel has had support from outside agencies, including StandWithUs and Hillel International, and it has received grants from the Charles & Andrea Bronfman Foundation, Shusterman, and Avi Chai. And there is room for others as well. The Festival has also teamed up with Jewlicious to co-brand. The benefit: Jewlicious is one of the busiest blogs out on the web.

The Jewlicious Festival is about being able to bridge all levels of Jewish observance. It is a great weekend, bringing together young Jews from all parts of the spectrum – politically, religiously, and culturally. Last year 60 speakers, artists, and presenters provided a “positively Jewish” weekend. “And the people we bring in,” says Rabbi Yonah, “are chosen in that they relate to the kids.” This weekend has changed lives as well. Not only has it brought unity to the greater community; it has made introductions that have led to friendships, engagements, and weddings! Robert Garrett knows about those introductions – he met his newly betrothed wife, Estee, at last year’s event! With a smile Garrett says, “The positive energy that permeates the weekend celebrates young people and Jewish living, and creates the opportunity for lifelong friendships and relationships to form and blossom.”

So pack up the tallit and tefillen, grab your iPod, and be sure to register (early) for the jewciest, most inspiring, hippest, craziest Jewish event of the year! And forget about what you know, or don’t know… who you know or don’t know - that all goes away at the Jewlicious Festival – because once you are there, you are just part of the tribe!

Tickets are limited. Early discount prices, including a T-shirt, are:
$36 - Student Ticket - early discount, includes free t-shirt_
$60 - General Ticket - early discount, includes free t-shirt_
$180 - Sponsor Ticket - help Jewlicious Festival with sponsor level ticket, includes 2 t-shirts and extra concert tickets.
To get your early tickets or to join this list of sponsors, go to: www.jewliciousfestivals.com

SPONSORS & PARTNERS: List in formation
2nd Street Beauty
Alpert Jewish Community Center, Long Beach_
American Apparel_
Cal Kosher_
Consulate General of Israel, Los Angeles_
GesherCity-Long Beach_
Heeb Magazine_
Jewish Community Foundation of Long Beach_
Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Long Beach_
Jewish Federation of Long Beach_
New Voices_OC Jewish Life_
Oranim-Jewlicious Birthright Israel Trip_
StandWithUs.com

For feedback, contact editor@ocjewishlife.com.