It was a good weekend to be Jewish at the seventh annual Jewlicious festival. — Daily 49er
Jewlicious: kosher, but still rowdy
By Carlos Alfaro , Daily 49er and College Media Network
It was a good weekend to be Jewish at the seventh annual Jewlicious festival.
The festival is the nation’s largest cultural Jewish event and was held at the Alpert Jewish Community Center in Long Beach last weekend.
There wasn’t a moment to rest for those who were looking to immerse themselves in the culture of the event. There were at least three events happening every hour on the hour all weekend long, as well as delicious complimentary meals and desserts worthy of being dubbed kosher by any rabbi.
Melissa Behramann, a student visiting from Cal State Northridge and third time Jewlicious veteran said, “I’ve been pounding Rockstar energy drinks just so I can just keep going. There has not been a moment to rest since I got here and I don’t want to miss out on anything.”
Behrmann was just one of many college students who indulged in assorted energy drinks, which were provided by the event on large wooden pallets.
It was apparent that this was a cultural event of epic proportions because half of the Alpert Jewish Community Center gymnasium was transformed into separated male and female sleeping quarters. Visitors traveling from places such as Kentucky and even Jerusalem brought cots and sleeping bags to make the gym their home for the weekend. The weekend was not only filled with entertainment, but there were also tons of educational seminars like urban Jewish gardening, oil sustainability, Zionism, sex in the text, and more.
Saturday night was when the festival started getting a little rowdy as some of the festival goers enjoyed a little too much wine and other beverages. There were younger attendees noticeably “pre-gaming” in their cars parked in the community center parking lot.
The hip-hop concert caused hundreds of young people to dance at the event’s main stage. Before the concert, a comedy performance by four extremely raunchy Jewish comedians poked fun at almost every Jewish stereotype known to man.
Jewish comedian Mashe Kasher had the audience bursting into laughter as he cracked circumcision jokes and explained how the only time he ever won a fight was when he threw his dreidel at his opponent’s head. He also singled out two men in the audience who were obviously associated with Cal State Long Beach’s Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. Kasher mocked the two young men for several minutes about how Jewish frat guys might objectify women at a Bat Mitzvah.
After Kasher gave a painfully funny performance the Sklar Brothers came to the stage. The Sklar brothers are most reputably known for their appearances on the HBO television show “Entourage,” and were a highly anticipated act.
Although they headlined the performance, the audience did not seem to laugh as much as they did with Kasher. The Sklar brothers were an awkward comedic duo and were difficult to understand as they repeatedly spoke over and interrupted each other.
Toward the end of their set, the Sklar brothers did share some fairly entertaining jokes that ripped on classic nursery rhymes and reflected on the stupidity of fairy tales. Some of their jokes poked fun at “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Snow White.” They accused the prince in “Snow White” of being a necrophilliac.
Sunday was a highly-anticipated day, as there was a scheduled performance from the rapping rabbi, Matisyahu. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions in Vancouver, Matisyahu’s plane could not leave the ground and he was unable to make the event. The rabbi did his best to make up for the unfortunate circumstance and gave a live performance streamed over the internet and was projected onto a screen for all of those in attendance to see.
The Jewlicious festival brought a hip, new approach to the culture, while reflecting and bringing a sense of nostalgia to older traditions.
