see what others had to say about the JCC Maccabi ArtsFest experience...
"ArtsFest was the Garden of Eden for me. It was such an enlightening, delightful, and peaceful experience! You simply can not imagine." - Heather, Musical Theater (Baltimore, 2006)
"My daughter loved every aspect of it. She was made to feel totally comfortable from the moment she arrived. Her host family was AMAZING!!!" - Donna, Mom (Fairfax, 2008)
"The night of the performance, I felt so alive and excited. Seeing the final production of all of our work was very satisfying and the thought of it really makes me want to come back next year." - Dan, Rock Musician (Fairfax, 2008)
"A marvelous endeavor! Good for the individuals, the local community and the (national and international) Jewish Community. ArtsFest is to be commended for creating and sustaining such an excellent, high-minded, and satisfying program for our creative youth" - Tamara, Artist-in-Residence (Deal Park, 2007)
"Its a great concept - totally needed for the many teens who aren't in to sports. I loved the range of specialties, from cooking, to improv, to music, etc. My son could have joined several of them easily. The opportunity to perform on Thursday night was key to our decision to send our son, whose had music lessons for two years, but had never played with a band before. There's nothing to connect teens to Judaism like a great time doing fun things" - Barry, Dad (Minneapolis 2008)
"As I walked off the stage, a rush of sadness cmae over me. I wanted to perform again and again. I didn't want ArtsFest to end and I didn't want to depart from my new friends. It wasn't a competition, just a bunch of kids coming to meet people, learn and have fun. I already miss ArtsFest and can't wait until next year." - Hannah, Dancer (Boca Raton, 2007)
"I just had a great time with all of my new friends that I made over the week that we were there. We made each other laugh and cry; I can't say that one specific moment was my favorite. The entire experience will honestly be one of my favorite memories." - Danielle, Vocalist (Baltimore, 2006)
"The whole idea of being with so many Jewish kids was new to me. I learned a lot about myself, and learned from everyone else, too. Seeing people so close in age to me has inspired me to be better at what I do" - Ben, Actor (Deal Park, 2007)
"My favorite part was watching the kids as their prints were delivered and they saw how beautiful their work was, and what a high level of achievement they had attained." - Lloyd, Artist-in-Residence (Minneapolis, 2008)
"There's nothing like the feeling of being surrounded by that much love, passion for Judaism, and support of the arts." - Meghan, Photography (Minneapolis, 2008)
"It was wonderful! Professional, creative, exciting, and I got emotional watching my daughter perform and being a part of something so special". - Alan, Dad (Boca Raton, 2006)
"Being able to work work with so many people from all over North America who share the same interest in art as I do was amazing. I have never been able to share that as well back home as I did at ArtsFest." - Shira, Musical Theatre (Fairfax, 2008)
"The teens have great, open, artistic minds... lots of collaborations...wonderful kids...wonderful staff, seamlessly tied together Judaism and art...incredible week!" - Geoffrey, Artist-in-Residence and Artistic Director (Fairfax, 2008)
