Tour the Jewish calendar during Sunday in the Park with Bagels

Have you ever wondered just what all of the many Jewish holidays are about?

Big Tent Judaism-Chicago and nine area organizations will answer this question at Sunday in the Park with Bagels, a free, family-friendly event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at Deerpath Park, 299 Onwentsia Road in Vernon Hills.

Geared toward families with young children, participants will be taken on a tour of the Jewish calendar through food and activities, including face painting, clay pot decorating, and crafts.

Children and parents will learn about Jewish holidays in a creative and fun way, and visitors can experience various Jewish holidays through food samples and hands-on activities at booths set up south of the main parking lot at the park.

Some of the holidays highlighted include Hanukkah, Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year), and Passover, which will be hosted by Pushing the Envelope Farm.

Volunteers from Congregation Beth Judea, Congregation Or Shalom, InterfaithFamily Chicago, Jewish Community Center of Chicago, Jewish Child & Family Services, Jewish United Fund, and Reform Jewish Chicago will host the holiday booths.

A community farm and education center rooted in Jewish tradition, Pushing the Envelope will offer a hands-on charoset-making experience (apple and nut salad eaten at Passover) using a bicycle-powered blender. Other booths will have activities such as face painting, clay pot decorating with a seed packet giveaway, and other crafts. Family-friendly puppeteer Marilyn Price will perform at 11 a.m.

Alyssa Latala, Big Tent Judaism coordinator for Chicago, has been preparing for this event for several months.

"I'm so excited to bring Sunday in the Park with Bagels to the Chicago area. It is a fun, hands-on, approachable way for families with young children to experience a taste of Jewish culture. Between the food, the music, and the crafts, there's something for everybody," Latala said.

Sunday in the Park with Bagels was developed by, and is offered in partnership with, Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute. Big Tent Judaism is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization that reaches out to unaffiliated and intermarried families, and helps the Jewish community better welcome them in.

For details, contact Latala at ALatala@JOI.org or (224) 323-3472.