Can grownups snorkel in the virtual tropical sea in Eilat? How do belly dancers get that rippling effect? What does it feel like to ride a camel? And what exactly is “queer” poetry?
To get the answers first hand, get yourself, your family and your friends to “Israel in the Park” Sunday. The community festival in celebration of Israel’s 50th year of statehood will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at Sharon Meadows in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
With nearly six hours of major main stage entertainment, a “city” devoted to activities just for teens and a wide variety of cuisine, Don Friend believes this Israel Independence Day celebration will be one to remember.
“We’ve pulled out all stops to celebrate Israel at 50,” said Friend, who is co-chairing the day with wife Janie.
Pulling out all stops includes booking the main stage with concert-length performances by quality entertainers. The entertainment will begin with the a cappella voices of Berkeley’s all-women Vocolot ensemble at 12:30 p.m. and will top off at 4:30 p.m. with a 90-minute set by Israeli rock star Rami Kleinstein. Filling in the gaps are family entertainer Craig Taubman, RebbeSoul, New York-based Inasense and perhaps a surprise guest.
To help set the scene for the day, Sharon Meadows will be turned into the state of Israel, with 10 “cities” such as Jerusalem, Safed and Kiryat Shmona serving as sites for the plethora of children’s activities, arts and crafts, food demonstrations and informational displays of the day. Each city will be identified with backdrops reflecting the characteristics of the area and easy-to-read signs.
Tel Aviv and Jaffa, for example, will be the place to view or buy ceramics, photography and other work from a variety of artisans who will set up shop there. The South Peninsula Hebrew Day School in Sunnyvale plans to educate visitors about Yemenite Jews through its display. Israeli music and books and Middle Eastern groceries will be sold here. Tel Aviv is also the home of the Queer Cafe, sponsored by San Francisco’s Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, where participants can write and read gay and lesbian poetry.
You’ll find a Western Wall in Jerusalem, complete with a mechitzah — the separation between men and women. There the Mid-Peninsula Jewish Day School of Palo Alto will feature activities relating to Morocco and Ethiopia, continuing the theme of highlighting native lands of Israel’s citizens.
Just south, at Masada on the way to Beersheva, will be another first for the festival — another wall — this one for climbing. If you want to dance, continue on to Beersheva, where there will be belly-dancing demonstrations and instruction as well as Israeli dancing intermittently throughout the day.
The famous beach resort of Eilat will be off-limits to anyone but teens. It’s there that teens will navigate through their virtual coral reef to commune with tropical fish, try simulated wind surfing and indulge in live hip-hop and ska music by youth bands.
Meandering north through the Negev will take you through camel territory, where you can go for a ride on a real live camel and perhaps learn the answer to the perennial question: one hump or two?
Central Israel is kibbutz area with a petting zoo and food demonstrations, including butter making by Straus Family Creamery, drip irrigation by Our Farm, olive making and olive-oil tasting by DeSantis Farms, and honey making and tasting by Marshall Farms.
Continuing north, you can visit Safed and learn the art of Jewish meditation with Berkeley’s Chochmat HaLev or make beeswax candles and spice bags with Oakland Hebrew Day School. Though arts and crafts are featured in most cities, Tiberias presents a number of shopping opportunities including the work of the residents of San Francisco’s Jewish Home for the Aged. There will be golf in Haifa, on an educational course sponsored by San Francisco Congregation Sherith Israel, that will allow you to make a hole-in-one as you learn about Masada, Ein Gedi and more.
Just below the border — and the central refreshment area — is Kiryat Shmona, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation partner area. Here, you can have coffee and chat at Cafe Tzavta, sponsored by the S.F. Israel Center’s Tzavta Community for young adults; learn about the Gift of Israel, the savings plan for teen trips to Israel; or write a personal note to a citizen of Kiryat Shmona, which will be delivered by JCF representatives there. The JCF’s Young Adult Division and Jewish Community Information and Referral will be located here as well as the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California.
“No one should go away hungry this year,” said Lani Raider, Israel in the Park coordinator. Besides snacks and drinks at various sites, the major refreshment site will offer selections from a number of ethnic groups. Among the offerings: hot dogs and hamburgers, Ethiopian food, pierogi, Mediterranean foods, bourekas, milkshakes and ice cream, knishes, chicken, pizza, falafel, Israeli salads and coffee drinks as well as beer and wine.
All meat dishes will be kosher, and the rest of the food will be vegetarian. In addition, dairy and meat vendors will be separated.
To help travel through the Jewish state, visitors can have their passport stamped as they enter each city. There will be a prizes for the first 1,200 people completing the passport. There will be a number of raffles throughout the day, including the annual Bureau of Jewish Education raffle for a trip for two to Israel.
Israel in the Park is funded by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, the S.F.-based JCF, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Koret Foundation, the Miriam and Peter Haas Fund, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Milton and Sophie Meyer Trust Fund and the Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies Fund.
Sponsors include the JCF, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the S.F. Israel Center, the Consulate General of Israel, the BJE, the Jewish Bulletin and JCF’s Young Adult Division.