Celebrate Israel’s 62nd birthday, April 18 in Largo Central Park

The cover of Moshav’s latest album “Misplaced.” The JCC Suncoast is revving up for its first day of special activities to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, this year Israel’s 62nd birthday.

Festivities will take place on Sunday, April 18, from 1-5 p.m. at Largo Central Park. Jewish community members throughout the Tampa Bay area are being urged to participate. Admission is free.

Dean Hershkowitz, a board member of the JCC Suncoast board member and event chair, said he is excited about the plans for this year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

“This is a great way we can appeal to the entire community and be inclusive,” he said.

Largo Central Park was chosen because it is readily accessible mid-county and large enough to encompass the “mitzvah market”, “kid’s korner” and other planned activities for young and old alike.

A performance by the Moshav band will highlight the celebration. The band has twice performed in the area, most recently at the 2008 Pinellas Israel Independence Day celebration.

“We wanted a lively Jewish band and Moshav has a good sound,” Hershkowitz said. “Everyone enjoyed them the last time they came.”

Moshav’s music is difficult for to define. Their music is described as having a little reggae, Caribbean, rock, folk, Jewish soul and some flavors of the Mideast — influenced by the band members’ personal experiences.

The Moshav band’s primary musicians were born and raised in Israel on Moshav Meor Modi’im, a community similiar to a kibbutz.

Their moshav, located in the hills between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, was founded by the late, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, known for recordings of traditional prayers he set to his original melodies. While in Israel, the young men had the opportunity to sing with Rabbi Carlebach at what is sometimes referred to as “the music moshav.”

The band’s first performances were at Jerusalem’s Mike’s Place and at Hebrew University. Eventually, American students traveling in Israel heard them play and befriended the members of the band. Taken not only with their music, but the band members’ charismatic stage presence, the American students went back to the States and raised the money to bring Moshav to the U.S. for a short college tour in 1998. By 2000, the band had moved to Los Angeles.

Moshav will be part of the Pinellas celebration’s grand finale.

The band will not be the only musical entertainment. Local singers will be on hand as well, including the CBS Singers from Congregation Beth Shalom, Clearwater; Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled of Temple B’nai Israel, Clearwater, and Barbara Mazer Gross, a cantorial soloist from Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg.

For those who are hungry or want to do a little shopping, opportunities for both will be plentiful. The Mitzvah Market, a bazaar-style shopping mecca, will include tables from local synagogues, community Jewish organizations and merchants from Israel. Among the wares for sale will be items from synagogue gift shops, all sorts of Judaica and handmade Israeli crafts.

The “kid’s korner” will include bounce houses, “power jump” trampoline, Velcro wall, PJ Library storytime, conducted by the Jewish Federation of Pinellas and Pasco Counties, and JNF-sponsored arts and crafts.

Kosher Israeli-style food will be available.

Hershkowitz expects this year’s event will be the start of a community tradition for the JCC Suncoast.

When a meeting was held among all Pinellas Jewish organizations, he said. “Everyone agreed that it would be good for the JCC Suncoast to have a community-wide celebration for Yom Ha’atzmaut annually.”

* * *

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

For more information, call the JCC Suncoast North Center at (727) 736-1494, or the JCC Suncoast South Center at (727) 321-6100.