Pinellas/Pasco Jewish community to celebrate Israel Independence Day April 18

The band Moshav will peform a free concert during the event at Largo Central Park. An Israeli-themed community party featuring music, food, children’s activities and a marketplace is on tap Sunday, April 18 to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

Sponsored by the JCC Suncoast, the festivities commemorating the 62nd year of the founding of the state of Israel will be at Largo Central Park from 1-5 p.m. Admission to the event is free and open to everyone in the Pinellas and Pasco counties Jewish community.

The grand finale of the day will be a free concert by Moshav, a Los-Angeles-based group composed primarily of three brothers who took the band’s name from Moshav Meor Modi’im, a musical village in Israel where they were raised. The group’s music has been described as a mix of reggae, rock, folk and Middle Eastern. Moshav last performed here at the “Israel at 60: Prayers for Peace” event in 2008.

In addition to Moshav, others will perform including the CBS singers of Congregation Beth Shalom, Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled of Temple B’nai Israel and Barbara Mazer Gross, a cantorial soloist at Temple Beth-El.

The afternoon activities also will include a Mitzvah Market, where Israeli crafts and Judaica items will be sold. Local synagogues and Jewish organizations will have booths, and vendors from Israel have been invited to exhibit their wares. The proceeds of the market will be divided between the JCC Suncoast and the vendors.

Kosher Israeli-style food will be available.

Activities for children, including bounce houses, will be available as well.

Largo Central Park is located at 105 Central Park Drive in Largo on the southeast corner of East Bay/ West Bay Drive and Seminole Boulevard/Missouri Avenue.

Media sponsor for the event is the Jewish Press of Pinellas County.

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For more information, call the JCC Suncoast North Center (formerly the Golda Meir/Kent Jewish Center) at (727) 736- 1494, or the JCC Suncoast South Center (formerly the JCC of Pinellas County) at (727) 321-6100.