Israelfest: 20s and 30s Celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut

Join the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, Aviv at B’nai Jeshurun and 20s + 30s friends, for a day of Israel celebration! We introduce a day of in-person and socially distant popups so get you fired up and energized to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. We’ll have music, dance, safely packaged Israeli snacks, art by Artists 4 Israel, tie-dye and more!

Get your body moving in the morning on the “Tel Aviv Tayelet”, for Zumba and Krav Maga, and then later in the afternoon for a street fair on “Nahalat Benyaim.” It will be an event you won’t want to miss! We are offering one-hour shifts with limited spots at each location, so sign up now!.

Not able to join us in person? Sign up to receive an Israelfest Swag bag full of Israeli goodies!

10:00AM: Zumba

Get your body moving with everyone’s favorite fitness dance class! We’ll dance to Zumba classics and our favorite Israeli hits. Every class feels like a party!  Unplug and experience a unique moment to move to rhythms from around the world with each other. 

Raphael Francois has been a ZIN™ Member since May 2009 and loves teaching Zumba Fitness classes. He is currently licensed to teach Zumba, Zumba Gold®, Zumba® Kids & Kids Jr., and has been featured in Newsday, as well as on TLCs: Long Island Medium. 

11:30AM: Krav Maga

The history of Krav Maga goes hand in hand with independence and empowerment. Krav Maga was created as a response to pogroms in Eastern Europe, to help liberate Jewish communities and give them the strength to stand and defend their loved ones and themselves. This interactive seminar will focus on empowering participants with practical self-defense tactics and de-escalation strategies aimed at training people to utilize their natural instincts to defend themselves in a myriad of real-life situations. We celebrate Independence Day by giving people the tools to liberate themselves, so that all may walk in Peace.

Raz Chen is an Expert level II Instructor at Krav Maga Experts in New York City, with multiple certifications from the Sports Academy in Israel, and Wingate Institute. A former special operations infantry combatant and  Senior military Krav Maga instructor, Raz has taught over 10,000 soldiers, including top special forces and counter-terrorism units, K9, and US Marines. He currently teaches classes and seminars for army, police, and civilians in topics like counter-terrorism, rape prevention, Krav Maga instructor certification, Krav Maga combat and fitness, and his own created class, Element, focusing on balance, movement, and body awareness.

2:00-4:30PM: Street Fair

Join us for a creative street fair similar to Nahlahat Benyamin! There will be music, art, and more special themed Israel opportunities!

Spots are limited to health and safety limits.