Shoreline Jewish Festival set for Aug. 12 in Guilford

GUILFORD - The seventh annual Shoreline Jewish Festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. August 12 on the Guilford Green.

"The festival features various styles of Jewish music, kosher traditional and Israeli fair food, an art and book sale, children’s crafts and activities, and information booths from local Jewish organizations," organizers said in a statement.

Admission is free. Food, crafts, and vendor items are for purchase.

“The festival celebrates Jewish life and living,” Rabbi Yossi Yaffe, director of Chabad of the Shoreline and coordinator of the event said, also in the statement. “The music, the food, the entertainment--people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy it and have come to regard it as a Shoreline summer tradition.”

The music includes the Nu Haven Kapelye, Shemantra, Merkavah, The Klezmenschen and Mr. Shabbos.

Also from the statement: "The Nu Haven Kapelye led by David Chevan joins professional musicians with community members to form New England’s largest klezmer band. Their love of klezmer music produces a rich mix of Balkans and blues, jazz and spirit, prayer and history.

Shemantra is the music of Richard Gans, layering traditional Hebrew liturgy with simple melodies, rich digital instrumentation and a strikingly resonant voice to create a new form of music that engages and inspires

Mr. Shabbos plays a unique mix of Jewish and biblical lyrics with country, bluegrass, rockabilly music. For the young—and the young at heart—Mr. Shabbos leads an interactive sing-along show that is guaranteed to get everyone up on their feet and dancing.

Merkavah: the Chasidic New Orleans Funky Jam Band is led by electric guitar virtuoso Yerachmiel Altizio. They play a blend of jam band improvisation and chasidic melodies. This musical experience combines high energy with joyous chasidic expression.

Roz Etra leads The Klezmenschen, a “freyliche” big band from the New London area. Their combined brass, strings, and woodwinds play lively traditional Yiddish and Israeli folk melodies for listening and dancing."

The event also will include Israeli and local artists and artisans "selling a variety of Judaica, jewelry, art work and unique Israeli products. Books, videos and games of Jewish interest for both children and adults will be available for sale. Festival-goers will be able to choose from a variety of (kosher) fair favorites, including hamburgers, hot dogs, falafel (an Israeli specialty), chicken, knishes, cotton candy, sno cones, and more," the statement said.

For kids there will be an inflatable slide, obstacle course and bouncers sponsored by Sound Spectrum Entertainment of Wallingford and a variety of themed arts and crafts projects, the statement said. "The program also includes shofar-making presentations, with opportunities to make your own ram’s horn in honor of the upcoming Jewish New Year."

Boris Mizhen is a primary festival sponsor and additional sponsorship is provided by the Guilford Courier, Yale-New Haven Shoreline Medical Center, Cherry Hill Construction, Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Sound Spectrum Entertainment of Wallingford, and Guilford Savings Bank, the statement said.

For more information, visit www.jewishoreline.org. Artists can reserve a booth for the day for a fee of $85.

To help sponsor this event, or to reserve a booth, contact Rabbi Yaffe at (203) 453-5580 or at chabad@snet.net.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.