Everybody Look: Jewlicious Festival is on a Boat

Some say it’s haunted. Some say it’s a masterpiece of Art Deco decor. Some say it is one of the finest ocean going liners ever built in the 20th Century. Whatever you want to believe about the RMS Queen Mary, it is one of the coolest places to do a fest. Roam the amazing decks and sumptuous halls. Enjoy bars, and views. Take the haunted boat tour. And of course, the original and compelling food, music and programming that Jewlicious Festival is famous for.

Before there were a bevy of imitators, Jewlicious Festival originated a unique blend of programming music and fun, that simply is unlike anything else at this price. Thanks to very generous donors, we can offer the Festival for a fee that is simply a steal. Everyone will be there – will you?

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What Is The Future Of Zionism In LA?

I expected one of the benefits of moving to LA would mean that Israel’s birthday would be huge. I mean street party huge: lamp poles decked out with Israeli flags, al ha aish on every corner, awkwardly spelled banners and fliers plastering the walls, middle-eastern disco music blaring from storefronts. LA is home to the largest Israeli ex-pat community in the world, and the second largest Jewish population in North America. Beyond demographics, things for Israel are not a walk in the park right now.

But is today really Israel’s 63rd Birthday? On the streets of one of LA’s most Jewish neighborhoods, Pico-Robertson, I could not tell that it was really Israeli Independence day. Perhaps in Encino, aka Little Tel Aviv, things are off-the hook Israel? Maybe the pizza stores are selling blue and white pizzas? I don’t think so.

Only @JewliciousFest Afro-Pop-80′s-Dance-Floor-Meets-Tel Aviv

L.A.’s Fool’s Gold play around the world with music that bridges genres, crosses continents and even transcends language. The brainchild of Israeli-American singer-songwriter Luke Top and guitarist Lewis Pesacov, Fool’s Gold has blossomed into a collective that has come up with the soundtrack to a multinational backyard party. Its ’80s dance floor-meets-Afro-pop, and we’re not going to pretend to know Congolese beats from Eritrean, or gankoguis from chekeres, but the rhythms, and the riddims beneath the rhythms, simply exude the L word, no matter their DNA. Top’s soulful lyrics mix Hebrew and English, giving the band an otherwordly quality. And the melting-pot music holds it all together — Their signature song “Surprise Hotel’s” twittering guitar line gives you happy feet; “Poseidon” could be a synth-pop hit if any synths were involved; and “The World Is All There Is” is an open-hearted hymn filled with handclaps and chanting. After seeing them this summer at the Hollywood Bowl, we knew they were Jewlicious. (Quoted generously from this review in BuzzBands.com)

Jewlicious Shabbos In Sundance

 

See you in Sundance this Shabbos!

If you or any of your fellow children of Israel are going to the great Mormon State of Utah this weekend for the Sundance Film Festival – make sure to stop by our Shabbat reception. This Shabbat / Cocktail Evening at Sundance is a great chance to meet others in the biz, enjoy fresh challah, delicious wine, and snacks.

With all the craziness in Sundance – we hope that our Shabbat space will be a chilled so you can enjoy some tranquility, spirituality and great conversation.

Special guests include: Anthony Bregman, Producer. Sydney Lavine, Founder of Film Finders & SydneysBuzz. Mendel Schwartz, The Chai Center, yours truly, and others. All are welcome!

Cost: Free
Location: “MEDIA LOUNGE” 510 Park Avenue, Park City, UT 84060
Pls RSVP to have your name on event listing: info@chaicenter.org

Shabbat in Sundance is Sponsored by:
The Chai Center / Real TV Films / Jewlicious / Loeb & Loeb / Nation Light Productions

Jewlicious Festival 6.0 – Tix On Sale

6TH ANNUAL JEWLICIOUS MUSIC ARTS & CULTURE FESTIVAL
FEB 19-21, 2010 · LONG BEACH, CA

100 FIRST PRE-SALE TICKETS FOR ONLY $36/$75

Los Angeles , CA – December 3, 2009 – Jewlicious Festival, and JConnect, in collaboration with Beach Hillel, Alevy Jewish Student Services, and Jewlicious.com are proud to announce ticket sales for the sixth annual, world-famous, Jewlicious Music Arts and Culture Festival. The three-day festival dedicated to Jewish unity will be held February 19-21, 2010, at the Alpert JCC in Long Beach, California. A list of performers and presenters will be announced in late December. Pre-sale tickets are on sale now at www.BrownPaperTickets.com.

The three-day festival has grown exponentially since it was founded in 2005. Jewlicious Festival is a right of passage for young Jews and the largest event of its kind, with 1,000 Jewish students & young adults in 2009, from over 60 colleges and universities, 20 states, and 6 countries. “Jewlicious,” writes The Forward, “is the can’t-miss event for Jewish pop stars such as Matisyahu and Jewish students of all denominations.”

“There are many ways to be part of Jewlicious,” says Jewlicious volunteer Eden Banarie, “as a volunteer, presenter or performer.” Team Jewlicious is an active volunteer core that includes work exchange, Street Team, dozens of campus reps, and a creative eco-conscious Green team. Jewlicious also invites the public to submit creative programs, music, art, film, and ideas.

Accommodations for the Festival are on-site camping at the Alpert JCC and at nearby hotels with special Festival Weekend rates. Regular passes start at $75 and up for the three day weekend and include all concerts, programs, Shabbat Meals and Sunday Breakfast, from Friday and Noon, until Sunday at 3pm. Pre-Sale tickets start at $36 for a weekend pass.

Vendor, organizations, and companies that want to be part of the Festival are encouraged to contact eric@jewliciousfestivals.com soon or call the festival office at 310-277-5544.

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Ghost of Rachel Corrie haunts the SF Jewish Film Festival

Rachel Corrie burns a mock U.S. flag during a rally in the southern Gaza town of Rafah in February 2003. photo/ap/khalil hamra

The SF Jewish Film Festival has for years been a source of pride for my mom. She enjoys the great films they screen, buying a pass most years, in addition to volunteering. My mom saves each program guide for me to review, often marking down films that she thinks I would have enjoyed and the films that she enjoyed. I have a pile of those program guides somewhere.

So on account of my mom, I am pretty familiar with the SFJFF. The Festival has screened an incredible selection of Jewish films from around the world, some of them controversial. And they have screened their share of anti-Israel films. (There are lots of Jews and others willing to pay money to watch films about just how terrible those Zionist Jews are.)

However, now even long-time supporters of the Festival are asking questions about the goals of the Festival, and its board of directors, after it was revealed that the Festival is screening Rachel and seems to have been hijacked for use as a political platform.

“Rachel,” a film about the dead American activist Rachel Corrie, and her activist mother, are headlining the SF Jewish Film Festival this year. The Israeli Consulate is furious, as are many local and national Jewish groups.

Peter Stein, the film festival’s executive director said in J Weekly:

“I know there are many members of the community who would prefer if the festival stayed away from programming films on difficult topics or topics of passionate division of opinion

“That being said, if we, as an arts organization, are going to remain relevant in our time, it really is part of our role to catalyze conversation, however uncomfortable it may be.”

Stein argues that he has brought lots of other controversial stuff. However, Mr. Stein, Rachel Corrie is different.

Corrie is a martyred saint to those who chant “Death to Israel” and “Zionism is Racism”. Corrie is a icon of the Palestinian Resistance whose photo hangs along side those of suicide bombers. Corrie is a hero to those who want Israel gone and replaced by a bi-national state without a Jewish character.

Including the film and her mom Cindy, who have appeared at Israel Hate Weeks nationwide, and at UC Irvine’s week-long program, “Never Again? The Palestinian Holocaust,” is asking for, is planning for, enormous controversy, disunity, and acrimony.

Some might argue that Stein is good at his job. He is keeping the world focused on his film festival. Amid budget cuts, recession, and global troubles, he has gotten the Jewish community up in arms both in support and in disgust. I wonder how the Festival funders feel about the Festival becoming a platform for political turmoil?

Critics are pointing out that this screening is also creating huge publicity for a marginal group Jewish Voice for Peace, whose acting national director Rachell Pfeffer, now sits on the board of the SFJFF. J Weekly writes that, “Local chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace… and the American Friends Service Committee… and others who have taken up the cause of the people of Gaza, signed on to help the festival promote “Rachel” to their constituencies.”

Meanwhile, the Festival board and all of their sponsors have been barraged by emails and criticism. They realize now that they hit THE MOTHER OF ALL FLASH POINTS for the pro-Israel camp – St. Rachel. They are trying to include one of the detractors to deflect some of the criticism and don’t understand why they are being singled out for such scrutiny. After all, in Israel people debate all kinds of things, why not here in America, you can hear supporters of the Festival say. It is true, in Israel, they have all kinds of detractors, and critics. However, the stated goal of those that promote Rachel Corrie and her mother are not benign nor constructive. They seek the dismantling of the Jewish state of Israel. Even Cindy Corrie herself is a pawn in a much larger game of destroying support for Israel among average Americans, liberal Christians, and on college campuses.

This whole episode coincides with the Three Weeks, a time that Jews have been divided by our enemies, and have historically treated each other with scorn and hate. This hatred led to the destruction of the Holy Temple. This hatred tears at the fabric of the Jewish community, and helps alienate already alienated young Jews who don’t know what to think or feel about being Jewish. Israel’s detractors scored a major victory this week.