Get a taste of the area’s outstanding kosher restaurants and learn about the work done by the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey at the Kosher Food Expo on Monday, October 11, in the outdoor tents at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood. VIP ticket holders will enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the main tasting event from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Guests will be able to sample the cuisine and wines of participating kosher restaurants.
Restaurant participation at the Kosher Food Expo is being organized by Elan Kornblum, publisher of the Great Kosher Restaurants Guide and Great Kosher Restaurant Foodies website, who has been in the kosher food industry for 20 years. “We will have about a dozen different participants who will showcase a variety of fleishig and pareve cuisines,” he said. “It will be a casual, friendly event where you can have a great time and give back to the community by supporting Federation.” Kornblum said he has produced many events like this in Long Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and is excited to be in New Jersey for the first time.
Cheryl Lasher, co-chair along with Melissa Marans, said, “The setting at Congregation Ahavath Torah is beautiful as well as practical. The tent will be large enough for people to social distance yet still be able to mingle. I think this event will expose the Orthodox Jewish community to the breadth of work Federation does for all Jews, Orthodox, Conservative and Reform.”
Marans said she hopes the event will bring together hundreds of people from northern New Jersey for a fun evening and give them a better understanding of everything Federation does to support the entire Jewish community, including Orthodox day schools, yeshivot, shuls and chesed organizations. “The Kosher Food Expo will showcase the true power of Federation and its remarkable ability to reach across zip codes and religious denominations to bring people together for a purpose. In this case the purpose is food, fun and community building.” Marans said she hopes the event will give the area’s hard-hit restaurants a boost while demonstrating Federation’s mission of supporting the neediest in the community.” In last year’s annual campaign, Federation raised more than $14 million, which was distributed to 50 organizations and agencies. “I feel grateful for the opportunity to support this work every year and have a great time doing it,” Marans added.
The Kosher Food Expo is the brainchild of Mindy Berman, who has worked for many branches of Jewish Federation. A resident of Highland Park, Berman joined Federation about a year ago to engage the Orthodox community in supporting Federation’s work.
To purchase tickets for the Kosher Food Expo, contact Berman at [email protected] or 201-820-3909. Guests must be over 21 years old and follow all the CDC protocols of the venue. Attendance will be limited to 250 people. Priority for registration will be given to residents of northern New Jersey. All others will be placed on a waiting list, with final approval to be confirmed by Monday, October 4.
By Bracha Schwartz
