A Day to Come Together: Reflections from the Jewish Food Festival

On Sunday 22 March, thousands of people came together for the Jewish Food Festival — a day filled with warmth, connection, and shared experience.

After a challenging year for our community, being together felt different. There was a sense of intention in the way people arrived, gathered, and stayed — not just for the food, but for each other.

Held in a new, secure, all-weather venue in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, the festival created something that can’t be taken for granted right now: a space where people felt comfortable, safe, and able to simply be together.

Throughout the day, that sense of togetherness took many forms. Families sat side by side in the picnic area enjoying the live music. Friends reconnected over familiar dishes. Children explored the Shabbat story installation that brought the story of creation and our Shabbat traditions to life in playful and meaningful ways.

Food, as always, was at the centre.

From falafel and sabich to brisket, babka and hamantaschen, the festival celebrated Jewish culinary traditions from around the world. Every vendor offered kosher food — including several who embraced kosher service for the first time — helping create an environment that felt open and accessible to all.

But what stayed with us most wasn’t just what was served. It was how people came together around it.

Tables were shared. Conversations started easily. There was a feeling — sometimes subtle, sometimes unmistakable — that people wanted to be there, and to be part of something shared.

A particularly moving part of the day was the tribute to the victims of the Bondi attack. A dedicated stall, inspired by some of their favourite meals, offered a simple and heartfelt way to honour their memory, with proceeds supporting the Bondi Beach Terror Attack Emergency Relief Fund.

It reminded us of something deeply embedded in Jewish life: that we hold memory and mourning together, even as we continue to gather, to celebrate, and to live.

Because in our community, food has always been more than nourishment.
It carries story. It carries continuity. It carries resilience.

The festival also brought together an extraordinary mix of chefs, creators and community organisations — each contributing to the richness of the day, and to the strength of Jewish life in Sydney more broadly.

At Shalom Collective, creating experiences like this sits at the heart of what we do — building contemporary Jewish life that is vibrant, inclusive, and grounded in real community connection.

If this year’s festival reminded us of anything, it’s this: when we create space to come together — openly, safely, and with intention — people meet that moment.

It’s in these moments that connections deepen, a sense of belonging grows.
And community is strengthened.

With thanks…

Thank you to the Monday Morning Cooking Club, Chef Ido Zarmi, Chef Michael Rantissi and Billy Saez, our Shabbat table hosts Tami Sussman, Andre and Carly Jaku and Alex Ryvchin, CHS, and our volunteers — whose time, energy and care made the day possible.

We also thank the NSW Police and CSG for their professionalism and support in ensuring a safe and secure environment for all.

We also thank Shoshana Eisner of Operation Golda for curating the tribute to the victims of the Bondi attack, with funds raised supporting the Bondi Beach Terror Attack Emergency Relief Fund.

Our Funding Partner is the JCA.

Supported by Multicultural NSW and the JCA LotBen Fund – in loving memory of Lotka and Bernard Ferster.