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The first annual Fountain Hills Jewish Heritage and Food Festival is coming to Fountain Park on Jan. 25.
The event, hosted by Chabad of Fountain Hills, will feature heimish favorites such as falafel, pastrami, smoked turkey, corned beef, knishes, stuffed cabbage, matzah-ball soup, challah and babka — all certified kosher.
“In Jewish life, food tells a story of family, migration, tradition and joy,” says Rabbi Mendy Lipskier, co-director of Chabad of Fountain Hills, “and this festival lets people taste those stories.”
Entry is free, and attendees can purchase their food, much of which is prepared by Chef Josh Delgado.
In addition to eating, activities will include challah-braiding, matzah-baking, kids’ crafts, bounce houses and a Jewish art sale. There will also be a live klezmer band, Las Vegas’s Kesser Project, and local DJs, the BabaDJanov Brothers.
“Fountain Hills is known across Arizona for its festivals, and I think this festival fills a missing piece of the town’s cultural mosaic,” Lipskier says. “It adds new flavor to the town’s calendar.”
And no, you don’t need to be Jewish to join in.
“The target audience is really anyone that appreciates good cuisine, culture [and] a fun time,” Lipskier says. “It’s for families [and] food lovers. One of the most Jewish things we do is open our doors. That’s what this is about.”
Lipskier and his wife, Tzipi, have been opening their doors to the Jewish community in Fountain Hills since 2010. What’s rarer, though, is being able to bring together the Jewish and non-Jewish Fountain Hills populations in an event this big.
“This is not just about Jewish people connecting to their heritage, which is always important,” Lipskier says. “This is about people getting to know each other, especially these days when there’s so much antisemitism, unfortunately, in the world. This festival, at its heart, is about bringing people together through culture and community. I think it reminds us the best way to understand each other is to sit at the same table, and today that is so important.”
Beyond the nosh, organizers intend for this event to introduce neighbors to one another and enable folks to encounter Jewish culture first-hand.
“I think everyone should mark their calendars, should bring their friends and should come experience something new in Fountain Hills,” Lipskier says. “If you love festivals, if you love food, if you love community, you’re gonna love this.”
Fountain Hills Jewish Heritage and Food Festival
Sunday, Jan. 25, noon to 4 p.m.
12925 N. Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills