Media Contact
Adam Peck; [email protected]; 202-531-6408
170 local JCCs and their communities will be able to access unified, high-quality programming and content from JCC Association.
New York, NY —JCC Association of North America in partnership with Virtual J, a platform developed by Schwartz Reisman JCC | Prosserman JCC, Toronto, ON, is launching the fall and winter season of JFest, an Arts Festival for the JCC Movement, which offers high quality cultural and educational content for all ages.
Through dynamic programs and partnerships with artist-educators from around the world, JFest events will explore three core themes of storytelling throughout the next year: How to Tell Your Story, How Others Tell Our Story, and How History Tells Our Story. All programs are free of cost, made possible through funds granted by The Covenant Foundation with additional support from The Pertzik Fund for Arts and Culture.
JCC Association is poised to bring JFest to our network of more than 170 local JCCs and their communities. JFest content will be curated by JCC Association, developed in collaboration with strategic creative partners and JCCs, and delivered digitally across the Virtual J platform, which was designed for JCC audiences and their extended communities. Throughout the fall and winter, JFest will deliver virtual Jewish arts festival events, accessible to JCC communities, bringing them experiences and entree to amazing cultural artists and educators in their own living rooms.
For years, arts and culture initiatives have been integral to the work of JCC Association. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape, and JCCs have come together in new ways to share content and programming across communities. This greater cross-collaboration, a long-term creative opportunity born from the pandemic crisis, has created a solid foundation for JFest and other arts and culture offerings within the JCC Movement.
“JFest anchors itself in the power and importance of storytelling, as a cherished Jewish tradition and a way we connect the past, present, and future. Born out of necessity and their timeless responsibility to strengthen and engage Jewish community, JCCs today are more aligned than ever—developing virtual programs together, pooling resources, and sharing content to engage far larger audiences,” said Randy Ellen Lutterman, vice president for development and arts & culture at JCC Association. “JFest offers JCCs innovative ways to connect and engage with members, regardless of individuals’ locations. We are seeing our movement grow from crisis to creativity—making way for a movement-wide arts initiative like JFest.”
JFest will deliver quarterly, virtual Jewish arts festival events that span a broad range of disciplines and interests, providing access to excellence in support of JCCs during this time of restricted gatherings and constricted resources. The fall season will kick off with a pair of events this month, starting with a live, virtual cooking show featuring renowned Israeli chef and restaurateur Michael Solomonov. More details on that event can be found here.
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About JCC Association of North America
JCC Association of North America leads and connects the JCC Movement, advancing and enriching North American Jewish life. With 1.5 million people walking through the doors of more than 170 Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps (JCCs) each week, the JCC Movement is the largest platform for Jewish engagement on the continent. JCC Association, the convening organization of this dynamic network, partners with JCCs to bring together the collective power and knowledge of the entire JCC Movement, including 12,000 full-time and 41,000 part-time and seasonal professionals. By supporting them, together we enhance and strengthen Jewish life throughout North America. Learn more at JCCA.org or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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