September Beckons Sababa 2024: A Full Family Pavilion Extravaganza at The J
The J in collaboration with the St. Louis Jewish Federation welcome all St. Louis families to Sababa, St. Louis’ biennial premier Jewish Arts & Culture Festival on Sunday, September 29 at the Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur. Alongside musical performances from across the world, excellent kosher food, and artists in every medium, Sababa offers parents and children an exciting Jewish experience at the Family Pavilion. The Family Pavilion will offer activities and performances designed to engage and educate audiences from 6 months old to 90 years young.
Musical Headliners
Gili Yalo
Gili Yalo is one of the most intriguing musicians in the music scene in Israel. Gili combines Ethiopian roots with Soul, Funk, Psychedelic and Jazz music. Gili Yalo incorporates sounds from traditional Ethiopian music into a contemporary music production. The result is an exceptional, rich, vivid melody accompanied by Gili’s unique voice with lyrics in both English and Amharic. www.giliyalo.com/
Joe Buchanan
Texas-born and southern raised, Joe Buchanan makes country music that is steeped in Torah and the trials of the human spirit. A blend of Southern soul and country charm, his music is grounded in the belief that there is always more room at the table. www.joebuchananmusic.com/epk
Charlie Kramer, Lucy Greenbaum & Greta Rosenstock
Charlie, Lucy, and Greta are all local artists and/or song leaders for St. Louis Jewish Organizations. Their combined performance will be a "one day only" exclusive show for Sababa 2024. Lucy and Greta encourage Jewish families attending Sunday School to join the festivities after class. Their fun, interactive and upbeat music performance is for families with kids under 6! Featuring music by some of your favorite Jewish and secular artists, it’s sure to be engaging for the whole family!
Klezundheit!
Klezundheit!, the only klezmer big band in Missouri, will be performing a high energy and very danceable klezmer set for Sababa. Founded by bandleader Bob Herman in 1998, the band has been featured performers at concerts and festivals in the Lou and in Paraguay and Brazil. You can also hear Klezundheit! at CRC’s Simchat Torah celebrations and venues around town. stljewishlight.org/jewish-community-directory/klezundheit/
Food
The food for the day will be prepared by the family-owned and kosher Zelda’s Catering, located in Chicago, Illinois. Zelda’s Catering chefs work only from proprietary recipes developed right in their own kitchens, including their house made sauces, marinades, and dressings -- even down to their own salad croutons! They prepare all their meals fresh from scratch daily. The menu for Sababa 2024 will be meat and pareve.
Family Pavilion Activities
Serengeti Steve
Designed to both thrill and educate audiences of all ages, join Serengeti Steve and his exotic animals for this fun and humorous show. Get up close and personal with alligators, anacondas, scorpions, tarantulas, and more!
Jewish Yoga with Michael Tzinberg
Michael Tzinberg uses Yoga poses, breathing, and meditation as well as interactive storytelling to create fun Jewish Yoga classes. Michael has been teaching Yoga at Temple Israel’s Religious School and Preschool for ten years.
Circus Harmony
Circus Harmony’s performance troupe presents an exciting circus show featuring acrobatic, equilibristic, and juggling acts of thrilling skill! The troupe is currently composed of young people from throughout the St. Louis area. These acclaimed and accomplished young people appear year-round in their home ring at City Museum as well as at events throughout St. Louis and beyond. After the performance, stick around to put your own skills to the test with the Circus performers!
3DSoftPlay
For ages 6 months - 3 years old, this soft play area will be the perfect place for your little ones to get their wiggles out at this year's festival.
Scavenger Hunt
Get ready for an exciting adventure around the festival with our Scavenger Hunt! Grab your map, put on your explorer hat, and let’s go on a journey to find hidden icons scattered all around.
The J and the St. Louis Jewish Federation are thrilled to bring the families of St. Louis together on Sunday, September 29 from 10:30am – 4pm for this free festival of Jewish art and culture! Learn more about Sababa at sababastl.com.
ABOUT THE J
The J is an interactive, multi-generational gathering place that offers a variety of programs and services to both the St. Louis Jewish community and the community at large. The Jewish Community Center provides educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building, and recreational programming and offers two state-of-the-art fitness facilities designed to promote physical and spiritual growth. Everyone is welcome at the J.