Shalom Y’all Jewish Food Festival held its 37th annual event at Monterey Square Sunday

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Monterey Square in Savannah was filled with food from the Shalom Y’all Jewish Food Festival on Sunday. Vendors said they sold out sooner than expected as people packed the area.

Congregation Mickve Israel hosts the annual event. The congregation is the oldest synagogue in the South and the third oldest in the U.S. Organizers say the festival is a celebration of Jewish cuisine and culture, bringing the taste to the Hostess City.

Vendors prepare for crowds

Vendors at the 37th annual festival came prepared after thousands turned out for last year’s event in downtown Savannah.

The chicken shawarma vendor said they brought 120 pounds of chicken this year, up from 80 pounds last year, and sold out just as fast.

Dishes and music

Festival attendees Jessie Jantz and Chris Shelver-Goodrich shared their favorite dishes.

“I got the chicken shawarma it was really good,” Jantz said.

“Any time I can have matzo ball soup I am so excited,” Shelver-Goodrich said.

Jared Sclar, a Shalom Y’all volunteer, said he looks forward to dishes he can’t usually get in Savannah every year.

“Every year I look forward to the tongue sandwich because I am from Brooklyn New York and we have delis up there that have that, there are no delis down here that have that yet,” Sclar said.

The festival also included a lineup of local musicians.

“Not only do we get the classical like, traditional music but we get Jewish singers and composers,” Shelver-Goodrich said. “We’ve heard multiple Neil Diamond songs today, we’ve heard sound of music because the composer of that was Jewish.”

People of all faiths attend

The festival celebrated Jewish heritage and culture, and people of all faiths attended.

“A lot of people aren’t really too familiar with Jewish culture so it’s really cool to see all sorts of people come by and enjoy our food and be able to learn a bit more about what we all do,” Sclar said.

Shelver-Goodrich said learning about the culture and tradition at the festival is a one-of-a-kind experience.

“They don’t just want you to enjoy it, they want you to see it, they want you to see how much time and love they put into their, into the food of their culture,” Shelver-Goodrich said.

The festival also had dedicated spaces for children and veterans.

Attendees and volunteers said the crowd grew compared with last year’s event.