Lee — The third annual Jewish Community Day will be held at High Lawn Farm on Sunday, May 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. The farm is located at 535 Summer St., and the event is organized by the Jewish Federation of The Berkshires. The event will include free ice cream, along with activities with baby animals on the farm, eco-crafts, mitzvah activities, and community tables.
According to the Jewish Federation of The Berkshires Executive Director Dara Kaufman, the event was started as a way to bring people together. “We wanted to create an event that would be prominent in the community and be accessible for all people, not just for those who are Jewish,” Kaufman said. “We want people to have a chance to connect,to engage and see all of the vibrancy of the Jewish community in the Berkshires. Our heritage and traditions are all built around community. During the pandemic, people were very isolated and it was very challenging. People need to be together again to support one another, celebrate our traditions proudly and our heritage.”
Kaufman emphasized that the event is for everybody, no matter what their religious faith is. “It’s for everyone, regardless of your affiliation, or level of observance,” she said. “This event is a way for people to come together in a supportive and inclusive way.”
Kaufman described Highland Farm as a “quintessential and beautiful Berkshire venue.”
As for the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, Kaufman said that the Pittsfield-based organization has been around for at least 83 years. “The organization has existed under different names in the past, but I feel that the organization is part of the fundamental fabric of Jewish life that goes back centuries,” she said. “We are here to take care of those in need in our community. To us, we help the community to mobilize itself, express its values, and [make] both our community and the world a better place. A core value of the organization is acting with compassion and loving kindness towards each other, and our neighbors.”
The event is free and open for all ages. To register, go to the event’s website. For more information about the Jewish Federation of The Berkshires, visit its website.
