In celebration of both Latino Heritage Month and Rosh Hashanah, the Latino-Jewish Cultural Committee is hosting Fiesta Shalom, a showcase for the best in food, art and music from both cultures Sun., Sept. 24 on the campus of California State University, Northridge.
The festival is the brainchild of Réut Ness, field representative for State Sen. Richard Alarcón.”I’ve always figured the best way to promote dialogue is to work together,” Ness said. “What better way to work together than on a festival celebrating our two cultures.”
Fiesta Shalom’s host organization, the Latino-Jewish Cultural Committee, was created by Alarcón last year. Committee members include co-chairs Steve Martinez of Victory Outreach; former Valley Alliance Jewish Com-munity Relations Committee (JCRC) chair Scott Svonkin; Cantor Caren Glasser of Temple Kol Tikvah; Gerardo Guzman of the San Fernando Valley Mexican American Political Association; Robert Caine of El Portal Center for the Arts; and Saundra Mandel, director of The Jewish Federation Valley Alliance’s JCRC.
The event will feature food, entertainment, crafts and exhibits reflecting the diverse cultures of both the Jewish and Latino communities in Los Angeles. Cantor Glasser will kick off the entertainment with renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikva” followed by a diverse group of performers including dance troupes Danza Azteca and Ballet Argentina, the Kadima String Quartet and Cantor Wally Schachet-Briskin of Leo Baeck Temple. Los Angeles Inca will play Andean folk music, and Archie Barkin will counter with Borscht Belt comedy. The Latino-Jewish Cultural Committee also hopes to host the acclaimed Yemenite Dancers and Klex-Mex, a klezmer mariachi group, although these groups’ appearances were unconfirmed at press time.
Despite their differences, the Jewish and Latino communities share a unique history, according to B’nai B’rith Regional Director Steven Koff, a member of the festival’s steering committee, who notes that both groups have their roots in Boyle Heights and have followed the same path into the San Fernando Valley.”I studied the history of the Jewish community in Los Angeles for the B’nai B’rith 100th anniversary last year,” Koff said. “The San Fernando Valley particularly has always been influenced and led by Jewish and Latino leaders. Réut is one of the top people with an understanding of both the Jewish community and the Latino community. I applaud her and Senator Alarcón for his leadership in creating and implementing this event.”
Koff said Fiesta Shalom will reflect not only the diversity of the two cultures but also the various groups within each community, with Ashkenazi and Sephardi groups represented from the Jewish side and the many countries of Central and Latin America included as well.
“It will be exciting to have a venue where you can try every-thing from empanadas to knishes,” he said.
Latino-Jewish relations have had a rocky history in the Valley. In particular, the clash between Alarcón and former assemblyman and Democratic leader Richard Katz during their contentious run for the California State Senate in 1998 resulted in a serious rift between local Latinos and Jews.
Alarcón hopes events like Fiesta Shalom will help heal that rift.
“Clearly, Latinos are emerging politically as they never have before. I don’t want our expression of political involvement to be confused with a cultural or a political battle,” Alarcón said. “There shouldn’t be a disrespect when Hispanics and Jews find themselves running against each other. I was very pleased when Richard [Katz] agreed to be on our honorary committee [for the festival].”
Not only Katz but a long list of former and current elected officials will be represented at the festival, from Sen. Barbara Boxer to Los Angeles City Council members John Ferraro, Michael Feuer, Cindy Miscikowski and Joel Wachs. In order to avoid the usual podium spiels at the event, Alarcón said he has asked anyone planning to speak to stick to one topic: his or her personal or political experience with either the Jewish or Latino community. Alarcón said he plans to share his memories of being inspired by Jewish teachers and coaches; he said he expects Jewish leaders have been similarly affected by their encounters with the Latino community.
“There is so much we have in common,” Alarcón notes. “We’re both immigrants, we’re both proud of our heritage, and we both share what I would call an underdog history, the feeling that we are always being challenged by bigotry. We hope to learn more about each other through this cultural exchange.”Fiesta Shalom will run from 11 a.m.-5 p.m on the CSUN campus in front of Oviatt Library. Admission and parking are free. For more information or directions, call (818) 781-7926.
