A commitment to care.

To the Families of New Orleans

Our decision to join the professionals at Lake Lawn Metairie allows us to continue our mission to provide families the highest caliber of care in the most beautiful of surroundings. Lake Lawn Metairie proudly serves all congregations and all local cemeteries. Whether planning in advance or at the time of need, we’re dedicated to serving families with professionalism, compassion and attention to detail that is second to none.

Sincerely,

Stephen Sontheimer & Billy Henry

The National Federation of Temple Youth Southern will have its Spring Kallah March 31 to April 2 at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, for grades 8 to 12 The 1960s-themed weekend will include teens from across the region. Registration is open and early bird tuition is $195 through Feb. 24.

Dates have been announced for the Girl Power group at Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans. The group, for ages 9 to 13, helps girls improve self-esteem and stress management, with building confidence and social skills. The group will meet on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m., from March 1 to April 26, skipping April 12 due to Passover. Registration is $40 for all eight sessions.

The Cathy and Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series continues at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center Uptown on March 9, with “Where Life Begins,” at 2 and 7 p.m. The film is about an ultra-Orthodox family in France that travels to Italy every summer for an etrog harvest. The rabbi’s daughter, soon to have an arranged marriage, is attracted to the farm’s non-practicing Catholic owner, leading both on a path of self-discovery. Admission is free, reservations are requested. Movie snacks will be served.

JNEXT, a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans designed for community members in their 40s and 50s, invites the community to the next session in their series, Financial Wellness in 2023. “Financial Wellness and Life Insurance,” will take place on March 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Goldring-Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie. The year-long series is sponsored by the Schoenbaum Family Foundation, and light refreshments will be available.

Tulane Hillel is holding its semi-annual Shop for Good Art Market on March 9 from 4 to 7 p.m., for student entrepreneurs and artists to sell their wares, and each vendor donates 30 percent to a non-profit. For the first time, this event is open to the greater New Orleans Jewish community. Admission is free, but donations are suggested.

Chabad of Louisiana and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience will hold Bake Your Own Hamantaschen pre-Purim family workshop, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. at the museum. Reservations are $15 per family.

Beth Israel in Metairie will take part in the national Shabbat Across America on March 3, with an explanatory service followed by a community dinner. Dinner reservations are $18 per person, $36 per family for members, $25 and $50 respectively for non-members.

Chabad Uptown will have a pre-Purim men’s wine tasting with certified wine professional Hank Fanberg, and Purim insights from Rabbi Yossi Cohen. The event is Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are $15, sponsorships are $54 and $180.

The Southern Jewish Historical Society will hold its annual conference in Houston on Oct. 20 to 22, and the call for papers has a deadline of March 15.

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It’s the time of year when Girl Scout cookies are everywhere — and it is a Southern Jewish thing. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life will have an online Virtual Vacation session on Feb. 28 detailing that history. Three of the first four Girl Scout troop leaders were Jewish, and the first Girl Scout cookies were produced in Savannah, at Gottlieb’s kosher bakery. The episode will feature stories from the early days of Girl Scouts in Savannah, and Southern Jewish women who have been involved in Girl Scouts for the past 50 years.

Slater Torah Academy’s Jewish Preschool of the Arts in Metairie is hosting Baby Loves Shabbat, with PJ Library, Fridays at 9 a.m. starting Feb. 24. The weekly group is for infants and toddlers, ages 0 to 3.

GatesFest announces musical lineup

Marc Broussard, Cowboy Mouth and the Preservation Hall All-Stars have been announced as headliners for the third GatesFest Music and Arts Festival, which will be held on April 2 at Gates of Prayer in Metairie.

Presented by the congregation in cooperation with Wells Fargo and Humana, the festival will feature food from top local restaurants, an Artist Village of over 20 local and regional artists, a Family Fest Area and a full day of music. Gates will open at noon and the festival will continue until 7:30 p.m.

Also featured will be the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Funk Monkey featuring Arsene DeLay, and Cap Carter, an Australian singer and songwriter making his U.S. debut.

In addition to musical performances, GatesFest will feature roaming brass bands and second lines between stage performances, and food and drinks from local favorites Creole Tomateaux, Wolf’s Burgers, and more.

The Family Fest Area, presented by the Jewish Community Day School and J-FLEx, will feature activities for the entire family, including snacks, arts and crafts, children’s music, magicians and storytellers.

This year, the festival introduces Krewe of Gatesfest and Composer VIP packages, providing guests with private 10x10 tents in prime viewing areas that include personal coolers loaded with snacks and beverages, as well as upgraded restrooms, priority parking, and a fully catered VIP Party with an intimate performance from one of the featured GatesFest artists the night before.

General admission tickets are $25. Children under 12 are free. Tickets are available at gatesfest.org.

Proceeds from the event support Congregation Gates of Prayer and the Gates Preschool.

Cha Wa headlines Jazz Fest Shabbat

Cha Wa, which has twice been nominated for a Grammy, will headline this year’s Jazz Fest Shabbat at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans.

Since 1991, the congregation has held a special musical Shabbat, usually on the first weekend of Jazz Fest. This year’s service will be on April 28.

Cha Wa is a slang phrase used by the Mardi Gras Indians, meaning “we’re comin’ for ya.” The group takes the Mardi Gras Indian sound, which captivated bandleader and drummer Joe Gelini when he was in high school. At the Berklee College of Music, he learned from New Orleans drummer Idris Muhammad and realized that so many drum rhythms were based on the Mardi Gras Indians.

He moved to New Orleans to immerse himself in the sound, and started performing with Monk Boudreaux.

In 2021, the group released its third album, “My People,” which was nominated for a Grammy, as was the previous album, 2018’s “Spyboy.” It was Cha Wa’s first album with Single Lock, a label based in New Orleans and Muscle Shoals that concentrates on creative Southern music.

A patron’s event precedes the service, including a festive dinner, exclusive performance by Cha Wa, and premium reserved seating for the service. Patron levels start at $180 and go to $4,000.