After a four-year hiatus, the Tampa Bay Jewish Food Festival is back, happening Sunday, February 23 from 10:30am — 2:30pm.
Located on the grounds of Temple B’nai Israel, this event will feature delicious Jewish foods for sale, including Carnegie Deli corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, Israeli falafel pitas, homemade matzoh ball soup, potato knishes, noodle kugel, chopped liver, and more.
For those with a sweet tooth, offerings include Green’s chocolate & cinnamon babkas, Junior’s cheesecakes, Carnegie Deli black & white cookies, hamantaschen, rugelach, and other sweet treats.
Along with these Jewish food items, the festival will feature local community vendors, a live music stage, representatives from Jewish community organizations, and a kids’ play area. Additionally, all festival attendees are asked to bring a canned good or nonperishable food item to be donated to local food pantries.
“Food connects us to the past, allows us to connect with the people around us, and to connect with the Divine,” said Rabbi Michael Birnholz, who joined Temple B’nai Israel in July 2024. “Food is a central part of Judaism, not only because without food we don’t live, but because of the way that we experience food with our senses and from harvest to eating, food connects the greater world around us.”
This year’s festival will be implementing several new policies: The event will be cash-less, allowing for a more streamlined experience when purchasing food items. There will also be new bag restrictions – no backpacks or large bags will be allowed at the event. Small clutch bags and larger clear bags may be used.
The festival will occur rain or shine, and admission is free to the public. More information, including a full food menu, and be found at the festival website at TampaBayJewishFoodFestival.com.
