Second Annual Greater Boston Family Day and Jewish Music Festival

Prowse Farm in Canton hosts Labor Day Event

By Susie Davidson

Advocate Correspondent

STOUGHTON – For the second year in a row, the hills will be alive with Judaic music and culture for Labor Day’s Jewish Music Fest. The event was an overwhelming success last year, which surprised everyone including its founder, Shaloh House’s Rabbi Mendel Gurkow.

“People were very excited about the idea,” he recalled, “but with caution.Weeks and months leading up to last year’s festival, I would tell people that I expected as many as 3000 for that day, and everybody laughed at me. We ended up with over 6000. I was in shock, I had a good feeling of fulfillment the likes of which I had never had before in my life.”

The Second Annual Family Day & Jewish Music Festival will be held Sept. 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Canton’s 44 acre Prowse Farm, located at the foot of the Blue Hills. This year’s event, M.C.’d by radio personality Mark Snyder, will feature the popular Jewish group Safam, the Kadima Band, which specializes in all brands of Jewish music from modern Israeli to Yiddish and Ladino, Daniel Gil and band, which composes Jewish songs combining folk and classical tradition, and Steve Meltzer & Noam Katz. In addition, a children’s puppet show and celebrities will read at the Albert and Mamie Children’s Judaic Library booth. Kosher food vendors, Judaic craft booths, amusement rides, Judaic vendors, hayrides and a cultural display will round out the all-day haimische extravaganza.

“This day offers an opportunity for the whole family, young and old, to experience the wonders of Jewish culture in a beautiful outdoor setting,” said Gurkow.

Why did he start it? “Well, after coordinating public educational programs such as the Winter Expo,” he answered, “and seeing that it drew lots of attention, I saw that there was a need for quality and professional public Jewish programming. I knew that it must be creatively new, not a duplicate of already existing programs. I knew that in other cities there is a Music Festival concept, but there was no equivalent in the greater Boston area. My idea was to create a day of Jewish culture and music, giving people the opportunity to leave their busy lives and enjoy the day, in a non-binding and non-threatening environment.

“This will be a day to enjoy Jewish pride and culture and show support for Israel. Bring along a chair or blanket and lots of sunscreen,” he advised.

“This year’s festival is dedicated to the 100th birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, and to the year of ‘Hakhel’, year of ingathering, to demonstrate our devotion to G-d, the Torah and the land of Israel.” (“Hakhel” was a once-in-seven-year gathering, in the presence of Jerusalem’s Holy Temple.)

Supporters include Reebok International, Rodman Ford, Gerry and Andrea Dovner and American Auto Transporters, N. E. Sinai Hospital. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, $30 for a family (2 parents with children), under 5 free. Parking and amusements are also free.

For more information or to volunteer, please call (toll-free) I-866-2-SHALOH or visit www.shalohhouse.com.