Saratoga Chabad says 'shalom' in Congress Park
By VANESSA WEBER For The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Despite the small boy on his shoulders, the young girl in his arms and two other small chil­dren Hutching his shirt, Rabbi Abba Rubin of the downtown Saratoga Springs Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue managed to pause and chat with vendors, musicians and those who came to Congress Park for the fourth- annual Shalom Festival Sunday,

 The Shalom Festival was sponsored Shalom Festival sponsored by the Saratoga Chabad chapter, a global, nonsectarian Jewish community dedicated to tolerance.

The festivities included free soy ice cream tasting, kosher hot dogs, hamburgers and falafel,

Free samples of vegan s'morts, and peaches from Saratoga Apple. Other activities included the Israeli band Jewnity, face painting and a Shofar Factory ,where festival goers crafted their own Rosh Hashana rams horn.

Some the festival goers included a Jewish girl's retreat camp, three professional clowns, and the day's highlight, artist Morris Katz, who, after painting for more than 60 years, is consid­ered to be the world's fastest artist By early afternoon, Katz had already completed roughly a dozen paintings, some of which has been sold

"Chabad is my inspiration." said Katz in a thick Yiddish accent, who continuously drew the largest crowds as he threw paint onto his canvas without pausing. •”I go to Chabad all over the world, to Europe, to Tunisia, to Asia Wherever I'm invited to paint, HI go, even if the Catholic Church invited me I'm a painter of the people"

According to Rubin, the Shalom Festivals are meant to embody the same philosophy as the Chabad sect, u Hebrew term meaning wisdom, understanding and knowledge. The festival is open to everyone, be said, Jews and non-Jews alike.

Attending the Saratoga festival for the first time was Sari Medick, a member of the Saratoga. Chabad and resident of Clifton Park, who ran the "Creations with Care Team"  Crayola crafts stand Medick said the festival, like Chabad, is a place for her to relax and indulge in her Jewish heritage.

“Most of the Chabad events usually have such a great attendance from the Jewish communi­ty because they're so friendly." she said, chabad  is very accepting of my familv and 1 appreciate it. That's the best thing could ever ask for."'

For local stay-at-home mom Corinna Heggen, the festival was an opportunity to leave the house and have fun with her husband and 7-month-old child - ''What's nice is that this is a whole-day event. There's so much going on and it's such a* nice day to be out," Heggen said,

"God has made beautiful weather," Rubin agreed, "So far, this has turned out to be another success."