Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston 2022 Swag

About this campaign

Why support the Festival?

Thank you for your interest in supporting our Festival! Your financial support is invaluable in helping to maintain, strengthen, and enrich the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston.

The Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston is a year-round, 100% volunteer-led, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For over 40 years, the Festival has held a beloved place in the calendar of local Jewish cultural events. It celebrates our heritage and brings our community together for one glorious afternoon to share the spirit and joy that is Israeli dance. The Festival continues to be both a leading barometer of new trends in Jewish music and dance, as well as a reflection of the broad and magnificent diversity of Jewish culture from around the world. Through Israeli dance one can experience everything from the traditions of Eastern Europe to the contemporary influence of Latin America — all part of the rhythm of our people.

The goal of the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston is to ensure the future of Israeli folk dancing in the Boston area by providing resources and presenting an annual show through which new generations of dancers can learn from their fellow dancers in an exciting and cooperative environment. Israeli dance is so much more than just dancing. Israeli dance is a platform to bond dancers to Israel through their feet. It is a way for dancers to learn Hebrew, connect to other dancers (Jews and non-Jews alike), and to learn about the rich history of the state of Israel. The show contains everything from classic horas to Yemenite dances to Spanish-inspired dances to Moroccan pieces. While preparing for their performance, the dancers learn about the intricate backgrounds of these cultures and how they enrich Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

Israeli dance is also an opportunity for inter-generational learning. In some groups, young children perform with their parents, providing parents a platform to teach their children about the State of Israel, as well as about the values of practice, rehearsal, and the love of movement. In other groups, adult children perform with their adult parents. The audience also spans the entire community, from young to old, Americans to Israelis, and Jews to non-Jews. Finally, the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston provides dancers with the opportunity to share a positive facet of Israel with an enthusiastic audience.

Many people work countless hours to coordinate and stage this huge annual production, and hundreds of performers from the Boston area and around the world choreograph, rehearse, and come together for this one-of-a-kind performance. Members of the organizing committee attend to the publicity, lighting and audio production, and a myriad of logistical details. Though the cost of producing the Festival has increased over the years, we are committed to keeping ticket prices modest in order to maximize the community’s ability to enjoy this event.