A game show style actifest, where we journey together towards saving, marked by meaningful moments of action, celebration, and ritual along the way.

A celebration and honoring of Reb Arthur Waskow, as he transitions into his new role as Prophetic Envoy.

Interactive and immersive, this will be a creative experiment in collective saving and the catharsis that lies within/beyond it.

October 22nd, 2024 is Hoshanah Rabbah (the last day of Sukkot) and the 91st birthday (on the Jewish calendar) of The Shalom Center's legendary Founder and Director, Rabbi Arthur Waskow. 

On that evening, we will be exactly two weeks out from America’s national elections, on the eve of the Jewish calendar anniversary of October 7th, and The Shalom Center will be marking the start of our new era, as Rabbi Waskow becomes the organization's Prophetic Envoy and Rabbi Nate DeGroot becomes Director.

Hoshanah Rabbah is the last day of Sukkot. It is the culmination of our prayers for rain. It is a supplication to be saved from our worst case scenarios, and rewarded instead with springtime abundance. It's the start of the rainy season, the last moments before the gate finally, really closes.

It's a moment of transition from one thing to the next, laden with the grief of endings, the hope of possibility, and the fear of the unknown.

One gate closing while another one opens.

I. We save ourselves.

Forget waiting for something or someone else to save us, we know that sometimes we need to take our saving into our own hands. We are not free to desist.

Between now and the election - and at the actifest itself - The Shalom Center will be mobilizing our broad network to meaningfully Get Out The Vote (GOTV) in Pennsylvania as part of our Festival of (Voting) Booths campaign!

We'll also be invited to listen in on a recorded conversation between Reb Arthur and Gloria Steinem, legendary activist and Shalom Center Advisor. They will be discussing what it means to take action into our own hands , where we've been as a society, where we are now, and what's needed going forward.

II. YHVH saves us.

On Hoshanah Rabbah, we pray for YHVH to save us. We sit in tabernacles with the Interbreathing of All Life - what Rabbi Waskow calls YHVH -  blowing through, around, and within us.

At this actifest, on the occasion of Arthur’s 91st and his transition from Director to Prophetic Envoy, we will honor Rabbi Waskow’s legacy through Sukkot ritual and in-spired words from various speakers, including an award for Reb Waskow, an address from Rabbi Waskow, and the passing of the torch to The Shalom Center's next era.

III. Saving?

Ecclesiastes / Kohelet - whose writing Jews read on Sukkot - seems to sense that perhaps "saving" isn’t always the most useful framework. As stardust blowing in the breeze, Kohelet reasons, “the only goodness for us earthlings is to eat, drink, and offer our souls goodness that stretches worlds (Ecc 2:24).

The evening will culminate with food, drink, and cathartic dancing into Kohelet's void, freed like shaken leaves from willow branches beaten.

It's not clear whether we've been saved or not, but we're dancing either way.

Register here for in-person attendance.

Register here for Zoom attendance.

This actifest is being led by a phenomenal and committed team of local Philadelphians. Two amazingly skilled ritualists, Simha Toledano and Dot Rose, are facilitating and emceeing the event. A wildly talented house band, made up of Dan Blacksberg, Zoe Guigueno, Ilya Shneyveys, and David Licht, will be providing musical accompaniment and entertainment throughout the evening. And the event is being produced by the eminently capable Adam Kerbel.

We are so lucky to have such incredible local advisors, as well. We are grateful to Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer and Lance Laver for their support.

We also have an amazing Shalom Center Planning Team, which includes board members Madeline Canfield and Adam Sher.

Interested in volunteering to help make this event as amazing as possible?

There are a many ways you might be of service. Email Nate DeGroot at ndegroot@theshalomcenter.org to discuss what's needed and how you might contribute.

We will have vegetarian options that are dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.

Do you have any accessibility needs of which we should be aware? If so, please share directly in the registration form, or be in touch with Nate DeGroot at ndegroot@theshalomcenter.org.

The event will be ADA accessible. There will be live music and stage lighting.