Blue, White, and Green

Every year Jewish Federation Orange County produces a large community gathering in celebration of Israel. “This year’s expo is much larger than last year’s, and there’s something for everybody,” said Israel Expo Chair Gordon Fishman, M.D. “We want to bring families together, which is the whole idea of doing a community event like this. If the kids have a good time, they’ll remember it from year to year and bring their parents along.”

Israel Expo 2010, slated for May 2 from 1 to 6 p.m., has a theme of “Blue, White… and Green”, celebrating our commitment to a cleaner, more environmentally-conscious world. The entire community — including the university community, the pro-Israel community, and the environmentally conscious community – will join together in celebration of Israel and in support of a healthier world.

Further sweetening the deal is free admission, free public parking at Mariners Church, free parking for people with disabilities at the Tarbut V’Torah Lower School, and a drawing for an El Al ticket to Israel. V.I.P. parking is available for $8 at the Tarbut V’Torah Upper School.

Israel Expo 2010 is replete with entertainment. Kolot, a dynamic music group from Israel, will offer a combination of traditional Jewish and contemporary Israeli music. The group includes four singers, who were part of the Israeli military bands. They are part of a 20-singer group that has been performing for more than 9 years all over Israel and abroad. Kolot offers a show for all ages with danceable material in Hebrew, English, and Yiddish.

There will be a Jewish rock and roll party featuring Dan Nichols, one of the most popular and influential Jewish musicians in North America, and introducing Mikey Pauker. Nichols performs more than 200 events a year. His music has become an important part of the Reform Jewish movement. Synagogue youth and clergy have incorporated it into curriculum and services. Nichols’s last two albums have garnered critical acclaim and a legion of growing fans. Songs like “L’takein (The Na Na Song),” “B’tzelem Elohim,” “Kehilah Kedoshah,” and “My Heart is in the East” are some of the most popular songs in Reform Judaism today.

Mikey Pauker, a Jewish folk/rock artist, is releasing his next album entitled, “Sim Shalom” in the spring of 2010. “Sim Shalom,” is a mix of progressive liturgic-influenced songs that takes listeners on an uplifting journey communicating a common theme of Jewish Self-Reflection and challenges the people of our world to celebrate our differences.

David and The High Spirit have been releasing best-selling music and videos since 1991, with their “The Real Complete Jewish Party.” The band has over 55 CDs in several languages. Its music appeared in more than 18 major movie releases and television shows. The band has performed worldwide from private parties all the way to celebrity events, creating cohesiveness among people from different backgrounds, cultures, and faiths.

What would an Israel Expo be without Israeli dancing with Yoni Carr? Carr has performed on Broadway and toured around the world as a soloist with the Inbal Theater and Karmon Group. She has more than 20 years of experience in teaching and performing Israeli dance.

The Fishman Family All-Community Children’s Choir — ten children’s choirs from the Orange County Jewish Community — will be on stage, all at the same time, singing the same songs together. The Israel Expo has picked up where the Chanukah Concert left off after 10 years of bringing the Jewish Community together. Now the choirs will appear singing three songs together at the Expo. Participating congregations and day schools include Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine, Chabad of Irvine, Congregation B’nai Israel, Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’a lot, Hebrew Academy, Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, Temple Beth David, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Beth Tikvah, and University Synagogue.

Israeli merchandise will be in abundance at Israel Expo 2010. From fine art to paintings, fashion to jewelry, handbags to accessories, skincare to gifts and much more, Israeli-made products will be sold throughout the day. The marketplace will also feature familiar local Judaica and art vendors.

Exciting attractions for the young and young at heart include a camel ride, carnival rides, clowns and jugglers, a rock-climbing wall, arts and crafts, a krav maga demonstration, balloon artists, air brush, face painting, an inflatable slide and obstacle course, a trackless train, an orbitron, and a mechanical bull.

This year’s Israel Expo will include movies too. California Orange Jews: The Story of the Jews of Orange County explores the untold history of the Jewish community in Orange County. Produced by the Orange County Jewish Historical Society and made possible by generous grants from Jewish Federation Orange County, Allan and Sandy Fainbarg, Steven Fainbarg, and Isidore Myers, this documentary employs a wide range of media to tell the complete story of the Jews “behind the Orange Curtain.”

In addition, Israel Up Close (IUC) is an exciting, educational, entertaining series of broadcast-quality special news reports, presented in newsmagazine format. Israel Up Close goes beyond the headlines and beyond the politics and conflict that characterize most media reports on Israel. They highlight the innovations that have made Israel a global leader in medicine, technology, business, science, the arts and education.

Also featured are three 40-minute Machal volunteer documentaries about Israel’s War of Independence. The Machal Volunteers (1998) was produced by a French documentary company to celebrate Israel’s 50th Anniversary, with the help of Dr. Jason Fenton. It intersperses actual War of Independence battle clips with interviews with a series of Machalniks, as well as then President Ezer Weizman and other key Israeli figures. Tales of the Guns: Guns of Israel (2000) was produced by the History Channel, also with the help of Dr. Jason Fenton. Israel, Birth of a Nation (1997), also produced by the History Channel, is a comprehensive documentary narrated by historian Martin Gilbert.

For the environmental enthusiast, there will be a green electric and hybrid vehicle show. Participating vehicles and companies: Tesla Roadster, Fletcher Jones Motorcars, BHM Scooters LLC – Electric Bike, Ford, Chevy, and more.

Tesla Motors cars join style, acceleration, and handling with advanced technologies that make the electric cars quick and energy-efficient. Fletcher Jones will display Mercedes-Benz’s five “Blue Efficiency” vehicles.

There will be a green pavilion of environmentally-aware services and programs, and natural and organic products: eco-friendly clothing, exotic gifts, natural healing products, food and nutrition products, acupressure, green cleaning products, literature for solar programs, and more. The Young Leadership Division of Jewish Federation Orange County (YLD) will sponsor a healing and rhythm tent including a mini yoga session by Yoga Works, a drum circle by David Van Dorn, and massage therapy by Vitalae Wellness.

The Orange Coast College Hillel – Coast Hillel – is designing the Israeli Green Information Center showcasing the diversity and depth of the Israeli contributions to the past, present and future of the “re-Greening” of the planet. Coast Hillel has been a major participant in presenting the internationally recognized “OCC Green Day” event.

Greenotopia, designed by CreativePartiesForKids, is a magical place where the younger ones can celebrate Israel’s green tradition of Tikkun Olam. Greeted by “Solar Boy,” the little ones can hear storytime with a green theme, (by Lisa Cohen, The Story Lady, and Friends), create ecologically friendly art projects, and learn how to draw and create their own cartoons and comic strips with a green theme. There will be live music, face painting, and strolling characters, as well as movement and exercise time, integrating yoga for young ones, Mommy and Me Exercise, and Healthy Foods for Young Kids.

Of course, no Israel Expo would be complete without food. Attendees will be able to savor Israeli food, desserts, and sweets.

Chabad will coordinate a special Lag B’Omer celebration. Traditionally, the day – the 33^rd day of counting the Omer – is celebrated with picnics, ballgames, mock bow-and-arrow play-fighting, and bonfires with singing and dancing around them.

TALIT NATION and the Israeli Scouts invite participants to “Experience Israel” interactively. Experience Israeli agriculture using green methods of planting. Take a taste of Israeli art and culture by making a bracelet. Be a guest in an authentic Bedouin tent. Try decrypting Hebrew codes, and get a hold of Israeli technology by taking a “picture in Israel.” In addition, children and parents can listen and learn about the environmental issues concerning Israel and the world. TALIT NATION, in collaboration with the Israeli Scouts, also has created a replica of an Israeli boot camp using an obstacle course and formation methods.

A student art exhibit will include green and Israel-themed art created by talented students from TVT and OC Hebrew schools and Day schools.

TheTradesmanExtreme will be responsible for transforming the event into a Green Experience.

“Because so many people in the community want the opportunity to meet and support UCI students and see what great things they’re doing on campus, and because the student want to educate the community about what’s happening on campuses, especially at UCI, the students will be especially involved at Israel Expo 2010,” said Shalom Elcott, CEO of Jewish Federation Orange County. Anteaters for Israel and Hillel of UCI will be there to celebrate Israel, as will UCI administrators and faculty. Stop at the UCI student booth to ask about life on campus.

“People in the Orange County community have stepped forward in support of the Jewish students on campus, including clergy outside of the Jewish community,” Elcott added. “They will celebrate Israel with us too.”

“When you have a community effort that includes many sponsors and more than 100 volunteers, the community responds,” Dr. Fishman concluded.

ISRAEL EXPO 2010 SPONSORED BY

JEWISH FEDERATION ORANGE COUNTY AND:

NON-PROFIT CO-SPONSORS AND INFORMATION BOOTHS:

ISRAEL EXPO 2010 SPONSORED BY JEWISH FEDERATION ORANGE COUNTY IN COLLABORATION WITH: ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, HERITAGE POINTE, MERAGE JCC, AJC, AIPAC, AMERICAN FOR A SAFE ISRAEL, BETH JACOB CONGREGATION OF IRVINE, BUBBE & ZAYDE’S PLACE, BUREAU OF JEWISH EDUCATION, CAMP JCA SHALOM, CAMP MOUNTAIN CHAI, CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF: ALISO VIEJO, CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, CYPRESS, SOUTH HUNTINGTON BEACH, IRVINE, NORTH IRVINE, LAGUNA BEACH, LAGUNA NIGUEL, LOS ALAMITOS, MISSION VIEJO, NEWPORT BEACH, NORTH COUNTY /CONGREGATION BETH MEIR HACOHEN, WEST ORANGE COUNTY, RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, S. CLEMENTE, TUSTIN & UCI; CONGREGATION B’NAI ISRAEL, CONGREGATION B’NAI TZEDEK, CONGREGATION EILAT, CONGREGATION SHIR HA-MA’ALOT, CROHN’S AND COLITIS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE, HADASSAH SO.CA., THE HEBREW ACADEMY, HILLEL FOUNDATION, JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IRVINE SPECTRUM ROTARY, ISRAEL MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ISRAELI SCOUTS, JEWISH BUSINESS NETWORK OF OC, JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE, JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LONG BEACH & WEST OC, JEWISH WORLD WATCH, JNF, MASA ISRAEL JOURNEY, MOUNT SINAI MEMORIAL PARKS AND MORTUARIES, PACIFIC COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL JEWS, SHALOM INSTITUTE, SILVER GAN ISRAEL, STAND WITH US, TARBUT V’TORAH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL, TEMPLE BAT YAHM, TEMPLE BETH DAVID, TEMPLE BETH EL, TEMPLE BETH EMET, TEMPLE BETH OHR, TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM, TEMPLE BETH TIKVAH, UNIVERSITY SYNAGOGUE.