My First Jewlicious Festival: Initial Reflections

Although I'm sure there's a lot to say about it, but I wanted to tap out some initial thoughts on my experience at Jewlicious Festival 6.0. By far, the most enjoyable part of the weekend was getting to meet and talk with some of the cool presenters and staff (including. Some were from Israel, some were from the east coast, and some were from Georgia, like Patrick Aleph (pictured to the left). Plus, it was great getting to hang out with fellow bloggers, such as Patrick, as well as Esther Kustanowitz (who did an outstanding job as a panel moderator) and Heshy Fried. I also enjoyed the sessions, some of which I staffed, which were fruitful, as there were many people from the Southern California area, but many from afar, as well as the presenters, which produced some great discussions that wouldn't've necessarily have occurred with college students in these parts.
One thing at which I was surprised was how many participants opted out of attending some of the day sessions on Saturday. With so many interesting people at the festival and sessions taking place, I wondered why participants were not taking advantage of this opportunity. However, I realized that some students were local and had other things going on in their lives; plus, some of the participants stayed up hanging with each other into the wee hours and slept in. With havdallah, though, many people came back and added their energy, which kept increasing with the concert, which was good. (Pictured, at right, is dinner on Saturday night.)