• Security bag check (maximum 5×7″ allowed)
• Early entry for Levite JCC members and event sponsors starts at 10:30 a.m.
• New house-made desserts, including apple cake, hamantashen, and rugelach — which also will be for sale before the event in our lobby April 23-24. See full menu details.

Indoor/Outdoor seating:

• Open-air seating for those who want to soak up the festival atmosphere.
• Climate-controlled indoor seating for a comfortable break from the heat.

Free youth activities:

• The J Camp Experience (age 6+): Burn off big-kid energy while gearing up for summer camp. Our J Camp staff will supervise a dedicated bounce house, traditional camp games, and activities (all parents must sign participants in before joining the fun; save yourself a minute and do it before your arrival).
• For Our Youngest Guests (age 5 & under), we’ll have designated bounce houses plus face painting, balloon animals, and visits with adoptable dogs and puppies from the Humane Society — all for free! 
• For all kids and kids-at-heart: Our Jewish partner organizations will facilitate cultural craft activities, including Hebrew bracelet making and hamsa painting.

We’ve switched things up a bit by adding a number of baked goods (which also will be available in our lobby April 23-24.

See the full menu…

All day

The hamotsi | blessing will be recited every hour on the hour

• Balloon artist
• Bounce houses for kids age 5 and under
• Face painting
• Hamsa painting 
• Henna — hosted by Knesseth Israel
• Hebrew bracelet making — hosted by Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Federation
• Decorate cards for CJFS clients — hosted by CJFS and Jewish Fertility Foundation
• Humane Society dog adoptions
• Interactive Israeli Shuk display

GYMNASIUM

All day

• Bounce house for kids ages 6+

Noon 

• Gaga ball

1 p.m.

• Perler bead crafts

2 p.m.

• Camp games 

AUDITORIUM

Noon

• Pickle eating contest (limited participation; sign up at the event)

• Ambassadors
• Bounce-house supervisors
• Cashiers
• Drinks & dessert station attendants
• Food prep team
• Food service support
• Shuk (marketplace) attendant
• Kitchen help
• Parking lot support
• Plate-making team
• VIP attendant

Ambassadors

Location: Outside Main Lobby Entrance

Role Overview: You are the tour guides of the festival menu. Your goal is to simplify the ordering process and manage guest expectations before they reach the cashier.

Key Responsibilities:

• Order Assistance: Use the provided clipboards/forms to record quantities of items for each guest.
• Menu Navigation: Answer questions about food items and direct guests with completed forms to the far-right lobby doors for payment.
  • Note: We are unable to guarantee the absence of cross-contamination or specific allergens in our festival menu items.
• Pro-Tips for Guests:
  • Remind guests that dessert and drink stations can process their own orders later, so they don’t need to wait in the main line for “seconds” of these items.
  • Inform Hot Dog purchasers that their food will be supplied by JJ’s Sandwich Shop, located behind the courtyard.

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Bounce House Supervisor

Location: Legacy Courtyard 

Role Overview: Keep the fun safe and organized for our youngest festival-goers! You’ll manage the flow of the courtyard bounce house.

Safety & Engagement Rules:

• Age Limit: This bounce house is strictly for ages 5 and under. (Kindly direct older children to the J Camp Experience in the wood gym).
• Capacity: Ensure no more than 5 children are in the bounce house at any given time.
• Flow Management: Monitor timing and regulate turn-taking to ensure every child gets a fair chance to play.

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Cashier

Location: Main Lobby (Entrance) 

Role Overview: You are the primary point of sale for the festival. By accurately processing payments and directing the flow of traffic, you ensure guests get through the lobby and into the celebration as smoothly as possible.

Key Responsibilities:

• Payment Processing: Use the Square system to process payments based on the order forms guests bring to your station.
• Accuracy: Verify quantities and items on the form before finalizing the transaction to ensure the kitchen receives the correct data.
• Traffic Flow: After payment is complete, clearly direct guests through the hallway doors to the left of the front desk and into the auditorium to pick up their food.
• Customer Service: Handle cash and card transactions with a friendly, welcoming attitude as guests move from the check-in area to the dining hall.

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Drinks & Dessert Station Attendants

Location: Designated Drink/Dessert Stations in Auditorium

Role Overview: You are the “Express Lane” of the festival! Your job is to fulfill pre-paid orders and handle quick add-on sales to keep our guests refreshed without them having to return to the main cashier line.

Key Responsibilities:

• Order Fulfillment: Review guest order forms to verify which items have already been paid for and provide the corresponding drinks or desserts.
• Point of Sale: Process new payments (cash/card) for guests who decide they want additional refreshments on the spot.
• Inventory Management: Keep a close eye on drink levels and restock items onto ice regularly to ensure everything stays ice-cold for our guests.
• Exchange: Efficiently swap out items if a guest changes their mind or has an issue with a specific selection.

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Food Prep Team

Location: LJCC Kosher Kitchen and Gallery 

Role Overview: Help our culinary team ensure every guest gets a fresh, delicious meal. This is a fast-paced role perfect for those who like to stay busy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist with warming food to serving temperatures.
• Assemble signature sandwiches with care.
• Portion side items, such as slaw, into individual serving cups.
• Maintain a clean and organized workspace in the kitchen and gallery areas.

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Food Service Support

Location: Food pick-up line – Auditorium

Overview: You are the final link between the kitchen and our guests. This role is all about speed, accuracy, and ensuring every guest walks away with a perfectly packed meal.

Key Responsibilities:

• Order Fulfillment: Receive completed, paid order forms from guests and accurately gather the meal and side items listed.
• Gallery Coordination: Grab hot and cold items from the gallery stations to assemble the full order.
• Packaging: Bag items securely as needed, ensuring all components of the meal are included before handing them over.
• Guest Direction: Maintain a friendly flow by directing guests to the utensil and napkin stations once their order is complete.

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Israeli Shuk (Marketplace) Attendant

Location: Shuk Display Area 

Role Overview: You are the host of our interactive marketplace. Your goal is to create a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where guests can explore, taste, and learn about the diverse flavors on display.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guest Engagement: Proactively invite guests to visit the Shuk and encourage them to take samples of the various items.
• Product Knowledge: Be prepared to answer basic questions about the items on display (such as different spices, snacks, or regional specialties).
• Sampling & Display: Ensure that samples are presented neatly.
• Inventory Management: Monitor the display closely and fill in supplies and samples as needed to ensure the Shuk looks bountiful and inviting throughout the event.

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Kitchen Help

Location: LJCC Kosher Kitchen

 Role Overview: You are the primary connection between the Chef and the serving line. Your role ensures that the Food Service Support team never runs out of items and that all food transitions safely and quickly from the kitchen to the gallery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Chef’s Assistant: Work directly with the Chef to pull ingredients and prepared items from the refrigerators as they are needed for service.
• Heating & Prep: Assist in warming food items to proper serving temperatures before they are moved to the gallery.
• Inventory Monitoring: Regularly check the supply levels in the Gallery to anticipate when items are running low.
• Delivery & Fulfillment: Transport freshly prepared food from the kitchen to the Gallery stations to ensure seamless service for our guests.

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Parking Lot Support

Location: Main Parking Lot (Security Checkpoint) 

Role Overview: You are the first friendly face our guests see. Working alongside our security team, you’ll help transition guests from the security check into the festival atmosphere, ensuring they are properly marked and know exactly where to go.

Key Responsibilities:

• Security Liaison: Work closely with the bag check team. Once a guest’s bag has been cleared, provide them with a festival sticker to wear visibly on their shirt.
• Wayfinding: Clearly direct guests toward the main entrance and the food ordering line to keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.
• Information Hub: Act as a roving ambassador by answering general event-related questions (e.g., “Where are the restrooms?” or “Where is the bounce house?”).
• Crowd Flow: Help prevent bottlenecks at the security checkpoint by encouraging guests to move toward the lobby once they have their sticker.

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Plate-Making Team

Location: Gallery  

Role Overview: Precision and efficiency are key in this role. You are responsible for plating menu items, ensuring every portion meets our standards and is ready for guests to pick up.

Key Responsibilities:

• Portioning: Carefully portion out various menu items into their designated containers, ensuring consistent quality and quantity for every guest.
• Accuracy: Follow specific instructions for each menu item regarding container type, lid usage, etc.
• Station Maintenance: Keep your workspace clean and organized. Responsibly dispose of empty bulk containers and packaging in the trash to keep the line clear.
• Inventory Management: Monitor your supply levels and communicate with the Kitchen Support team to restock food and containers before you run out.

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VIP Attendant

Location: Senior Lounge 

Role Overview: You are the host of our exclusive VIP area. Your primary goal is to provide a high-level experience for our sponsors, ensuring they feel appreciated and that their dining environment remains clean, organized, and well-stocked.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guest Relations: Warmly greet every guest as they enter the lounge. Take the opportunity to specifically thank them for their generous sponsorship and support of the LJCC.
• Buffet Management: Monitor food levels and fill in the buffet as items run low.
  • Coordinate with the Gallery Team to retrieve replacement trays or fresh supplies.
  • Keep the buffet looking appetizing by tidying serving utensils and cleaning up any spilled food.
• Lounge Maintenance: Proactively bus tables by removing empty plates, cups, and trash to keep the seating area inviting for arriving guests.
• Atmosphere: Maintain a calm and welcoming environment, acting as a direct point of contact for any special needs our sponsors may have.

VIP & Volunteer Check-In

Location: Main Lobby (Membership Desk) 

Role Overview: As a first point of contact for the volunteers and sponsors who help make the event possible, you set the tone for the festival by ensuring our hard-working volunteers and generous VIP guests are welcomed warmly and processed quickly.

Volunteer Check-In Tasks:

• Check off names on the shift schedule upon arrival.
• Provide each volunteer with a name tag.
• Distribute assigned t-shirts (or pull from the “extras” supply if needed).
• Direct volunteers to their specific station locations.

VIP Check-In Tasks:

• Identify the sponsor name associated with the VIP guest.
• Track and cross off the number of entries being used.
• Provide each guest with a VIP arm band.
• Direct guests to the Senior Lounge for their exclusive experience.

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The Jewish Food & Culture Fest wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team of more than 100 annual volunteers. Join the fun in the kosher kitchen in the weeks before or help run a station on the day of the event — or both!

This year’s Jewish Food and Culture Fest will bring some sweet (and savory) upgrades to a menu that’s always drawn a crowd.

This year’s event has been designed to keep kids engaged, entertained… and maybe just a little bit exhausted by the end of the day.

PHOTO ALBUM: Indoor Food Fest is smashing success