Every year at Israel in the Gardens, participants lament that there should be more events during the year that attract Jews from across the Bay Area.
Last weekend there were two such events.
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival screened “Dirty Dancing” at Union Square on July 10. The next day brought the Jewish Music Festival to Yerba Buena Gardens, the same location where Israel in the Gardens is held. This was the first time the Jewish Music Festival ventured into San Francisco for a free, daylong celebration.
While both of these events drew respectable crowds, neither was on the order of Israel in the Gardens. They should work toward such a goal in the future.
Most Bay Area Jewish organizations send out e-mail blasts about Israel in the Gardens, or feature it in their newsletters. The music festival doesn’t get the same level of support, and doesn’t have the staff or the money to make its own large-scale public relations push.
Imagine if these two events had had food and craft vendors or information booths from various Jewish organizations. That takes staff and money. Isn’t it worth it to bring out throngs of local Jews and make them feel part of a larger community?
Music festival director Ellie Shapiro was pleased with this enterprising, 25th anniversary party in San Francisco, noting it was “geared not just to the Jewish community.
“It was for all of us, showcasing Jewish art and creativity but geared to the whole Bay Area.”
She should aim even higher next year. Shapiro deserves a budget that allows her to stage a dream festival.
Despite a current economy adversely affecting nonprofits, premiere Jewish cultural events should have the backing of the entire community. Many of the region’s major Jewish funders, including the endowments of both federations, are on board with the music festival, but we’d love to see others join them.
Our great Jewish arts institutions need our full support.
This week’s cover story on the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival details an ambitious lineup of films, music and other special events.
As the film festival gets going in earnest on July 24, we hope Bay Area Jews will turn out in force to support it.
By the way, it’s not too late to make it to the music festival. There’s another concert at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts this Sunday, July 18. Check jewishmusicfestival.org for details.
We’ll see you at the show.