Fourth Annual Shalomfest In Greenville

The Upstate’s Only Jewish Cultural And Food Festival, Featuring Free Entertainment, Educational Programs And Delicious Jewish Food Sunday, April 15

GREENVILLE, SC – Temple of Israel is pleased to announce that ShalomFest’12, the fourth annual Jewish cultural and food festival, will take place on Sunday, April 15, 2012, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, at the campus of Temple of Israel, located at 400 Spring Forest Road (near Haywood Road, one mile north of Haywood Mall) in Greenville. The event is open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, go to www.shalomfestsc.org

The dream of bringing a Jewish cultural festival to the Upstate of South Carolina became a reality in 2009, when Temple of Israel created ShalomFest. It was a tremendous success with more than 2,500 attendees, representing a variety of religions and cultures. And in subsequent years, attendance has continued to grow as people have returned to enjoy the free event for its cultural programming, entertainment and food offerings.

Food is what often brings people to a cultural festival, and ShalomFest ’12 will not disappoint. Traditional Jewish foods including brisket, challah, kugel, bagels, matzoh ball soup, corned beef on rye, and other delicacies will be available for purchase. Delicious pastries—prepared by members of Temple of Israel congregants— will include mondel bread, hamantaschen, honey cake, black and white cookies, macaroons, strudel, and rugelah. The event also features Israeli delights such as hummus, pita bread, and falafel.

Pictured: Hamataschen—a Jewish pastry filled with fruit

While savoring these fares, visitors will be able to participate and learn about different aspects of Jewish life. Throughout the Temple’s campus, educational rooms will be arranged
for people to visit and learn about Judaism: religious history, the Torah, the Hebrew language, and religious customs and symbols. These exhibits will be complemented by multiple programs to be staged throughout the day: a Jewish wedding, a Bat Mitzvah, a Passover Seder, and even a baby naming or Bris ceremony. There will also be a demonstration of Hebrew writing, an exhibit about Israel, and a Holocaust Remembrance display.

In addition, Upstate rabbis will offer discussions of Judaism in relation to other religions as well as other current events. There will be live music and games for the children, an opportunity to see a Torah scroll, and cooking demonstrations by local chefs.