Israelpalooza marks 60th anniversary of Israel's creation

Junior Daniel Saidman spent three hours walking around Dunn Meadow Sunday afternoon wearing an Israeli flag like a cape and no one batted an eye.\nSaidman was talking to people and collecting money for Save a Child’s Heart, an organization that provides free heart transplants to children in third-world countries, as part of Hillel Center’s annual Israelpalooza. The event gives Bloomington residents and students a chance to experience Israeli culture Sunday afternoon.\nIsraelpalooza organizers recreated the Negev desert and the Israeli cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tzefat and Eilat in Dunn Meadow. The event was extra special this year as Hillel members celebrated the 60th anniversary of Israel becoming an independent state.\nOrganizers chose Save a Child’s Heart because while it is based in Israel, the charity crosses many borders to help as many children as it can, Saidman said.\n“We’ve had a plethora of very generous donors today,” said Saidman, a member of the Israelpalooza executive board. “I love children, and I love Israel.”\nSo far, Hillel has raised more than $1,000 for Save a Child’s Heart and hopes to raise much more, said Kim Kushner, Hillel’s program director and primary staff advisor for the event.\nThe event kicked off with a short speech by Dean of Students Dick McKaig.\n“Indiana University has so many activities going on because our students are so involved,” McKaig said, adding that the people of Hillel in particular “make it a more \nwelcoming community for our students.”\nIU Jewish a cappella group HooShir performed the Israeli national anthem, followed by the IU women’s a cappella group Ladies First singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Seasons of Love,” a song from the musical “Rent.” HooShir then returned with “Kiss the Girl,” from the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid.”\nBright blue “Hoosiers for Israel” shirts were a popular fashion choice for the event, as were red tees that read “Indiana” in Hebrew. Both are Hillel t-shirts and were on sale at the event. \nRabbi Micha Wiesenberg of Aish Hatorah, an international Hillel organization, manned a table called “Ask a Rabbi” where questions ranged from what’s kosher to what trips to Israel are available. \n“I don’t think any question is weird,” he said. “Anything that’s on people’s minds is a good question.” \nJunior Shawna Ryan brought her 3-year-old son Matt, who loved the inflatable obstacle course in the Negev desert and said his favorite part was the slide at the end.\n“He made me do it with him a minute ago,” Shawna Ryan said. “He loves festivals, so I was so excited there was finally something going on again.”\nKnap Yiddishkeit, one of the klezmer bands that performed, introduced its audience to klezmer rap, complete with a banjo and a trumpet. Though klezmer is the traditional Israeli musical style, band members said they are “about as Yiddish as green Jell-O.”\n“Can I get an ‘oy?’” tambourine player and vocalist Mike Miller asked the crowd. “How about an ‘oy gevalt?’”\nRuth Fertig, a 13-year-old Bloomington resident, came to Israelpalooza with her family. She said the culture was not a new experience for her, however. \n“We spent all of last year in Israel, so it’s really cool to see it all again,” she said. \nSophomore Jenna Rudy worked the “Bedouin” tent in the Negev desert and said the Bedouin are a hospitable, welcoming people, citing a trip she took last year.\n“A lot of people touring in Israel stay at least one night with the Bedouin,” she said. \nInna Kolesnikova of Hoosiers for Israel invited everyone to light the candles on the group’s birthday cake for Israel, while Kushner lead the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” in Hebrew. \n“I really like how the community came together to light Israel’s birthday candles,” Kolesnikova said.\nBloomington residents Crystal Sullivan and Ginger Alford said their decision to come to the event was spontaneous.\n“We were at a show ... in the Union and we saw a flier and said, ‘Yeah, that sounds like a fun thing to do on Sunday,’” Sullivan said while waiting in line to get her hand painted by a henna artist.\nFor many people, though, the event has been highly anticipated for months. \n“This is something we look forward to all year long,” Saidman said.\nKushner said the festival exceeded her expectations with the highest turnout she’s seen in the seven years of Israelpalooza events.\n“No matter what your background ... we hope that we can create a fun and educational event,” she said. “It’s not a political event. It’s really just about the culture, the music ... the art and beauty of Israel.”