LA Jews plan 2014 Celebrate Israel festival
Representatives from about 100 organizations kick off preparations for Jewish state's largest Independence Day celebration in North America, expected to draw some 20,000 people in May
The meeting was held at the Beverly Hills home of Naty and Debbie Saidoff, board members of the Israel American Council (IAC), who together chair the Celebrate Israel festival.
This coming year’s festival, scheduled for May 18, will be held in Rancho Park, a neighborhood in West LA, and is expected to draw 20,000 people.
This is the third year that the IAC, together with Naty and Debbie Saidoff, will be the largest sponsors and producers of the Celebrate Israel festival.
Those attending the meeting included Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles David Siegel, IAC Chairman Shawn Evenhaim, area rabbis, leaders of local Jewish organizations, including several Hillel groups, and youth movements.
“We want the festival to be everyone’s festival. That’s why we had so many organizations represented tonight. We want to make a strong and clear statement that when we come together to celebrate Israel, we are all coming together as a community and as a city to make that happen,” said Shawn Evenhaim.
“We want to give everyone an opportunity to contribute, strategize, and help provide a vision for the festival. We need to do it all together.”
At the meeting, the various community leaders gave their input and feedback about last year’s festival including new ideas for performances and how young people can play a more central role in the event itself.
Last year, Mashina, a popular Israeli band, performed alongside a mix of operatic, rap, DJ and other music shows. There were also drumming circles, exhibitions of Israeli spacecraft vehicles, a digital history of Israel and the classic favorite of Israeli folk dancing among dozens of cultural exhibitions and events.
“In a world full of divisions and lines, Israel is our common denominator as a community. When we unite around the idea of Israel and our support for it, we emerge inspired and stronger as a community,” said Naty Saidoff.
