Palo Alto celebrates with Jewish street fair on Sunday
ALEXANDRA J. WALL Bulletin Staff A celebration of Jewish culture like this, Palo Alto has never seen. On Sunday, Palo Alto will have its first-ever Jewish street fair, as California Avenue will be inundated with Jewish music, Jewish books, Jewish authors, Jewish art, Jewish artists, Jewish dance, Jewish crafts, Jewish learning, Jewish organizations and Jewish food. And hopefully, a lot of Jews. “To Life! A Jewish Cultural Faire” will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. New Bridges, a Peninsula-based outreach organization, is the primary sponsor, but other Jewish organizations are taking part in this community-wide event. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to put a vibrant face to the community here, to say, ‘We’re here and we’d love for you to be involved,'” said Janice Sands-Weinstein, executive director of New Bridges, which is primarily funded by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. Sands-Weinstein said the idea for the festival originated with a New Bridges-sponsored event that took place last year, at which representatives from different Jewish organizations on the Peninsula discussed ways to improve outreach. A street fair seemed like an ideal way to draw people, both affiliated and not, as well as non-Jews. “We may be the organization that’s behind this,” said Sands-Weinstein. But other organizations “are coming together with a lot of spirit, enthusiasm and backing.” Terry Pimsleur & Co. Inc., which is putting on the fair, estimates there could be around 30,000 people. Sands-Weinstein figures that means a minimum of 10,000 will show up. Entertainers will perform simultaneously throughout the day, in three locations. In addition to a main stage at Park Boulevard, there will be two smaller stages, one at Birch Street and one at Ash Street. Mizrachi singer Mira will open the festivities at 10 a.m. on the main stage, with RebbeSoul, a Jewish rocker well-known in the Bay Area, closing from 4 to 6 p.m. Other performers include the Kinsy Sicks, Red Hot Chachkas and storyteller Joel Ben Izzy. Bay Area authors will also be giving readings and/or discussing their work on the Birch stage. Other highlights will include some 100 artists, a mezuzah-making workshop, study sessions with area rabbis, Jewish food of all kinds, Israeli folk dancing, informational booths and a raffle, in which 30 prizes from local vendors will be given out. While Palo Alto is no stranger to such festivals, Sands-Weinstein said they mostly have to do with food and wine. “To Life!” has enough elements in it to appeal to even the most jaded street fairgoer. “This has an emphasis on art, but with a Jewish theme to it. It could bring even the people burnt out on street fairs, because this is something new and different.” There are several ways to get to the fair. There will be plenty of free parking in nearby public parking lots. It is also accessible by Caltrain, with a stop at California Avenue and Park Boulevard. Also, a free shuttle will leave from the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center on the hour, returning to the JCC on the half-hour. “From a communal perspective, this is fantastic,” said Sands-Weinstein. “Everything is coming together.” Despite the defeat of the eruv in Palo Alto recently, and the future home of the JCC up in the air, Sands-Weinstein said that while “Jews have been up against a lot, there’s a lot for us to be proud of.”