The mitzvah of Hachnassat Orchim – welcoming guests – is discussed in the book of Genesis (Bereshit) in the portion of Vayera, which, along with its recounting of how Abraham and Sarah welcomed guests to their open-sided tent with great warmth and hospitality, was read on the Shabbat of Nov. 4.

The timing could not have been more perfect. At least not for those at Bi-Cultural Day School who that weekend welcomed a slew of prospective new families to the community, showcasing for them all that Jewish Stamford has to offer.

The highlight of the weekend was a community-wide Fall Festival held on the Bi-Cultural campus and attended by close to 200 people – both from within and without the community. While Bi-Cultural coordinated the event, many local Jewish organizations and enterprises took part.

“The Fall Festival was designed to showcase the best of the Stamford Jewish community to our prospective families in a special way,” said Denise Rafailov, Bi-Cultural’s director of admissions, who organized the event. “It was incredible to be able to bring together more than 20 different Stamford Jewish institutions and organizations, each representing different parts of our community, and having everyone come together on the Bi-Cultural Day School campus for the first time.”

The festival featured something for everyone – from a hay-bale obstacle course to bird feeder making to face-painting to kosher food samplings provided by the restaurants 613, Navaratna, and the JCC Cafe, as well as Beldotties Bakery, Trader Joe’s, with discount cards provided by the kosher sushi restaurant Soosh; and a host of children’s activities led by Chabad of Stamford’s Gan Yeladim, the JCC’s Sara Walker Nursery School, PJ Library/UJF, The Friendship Circle, and Jewish Family Service.

Also on hand to show their support and “introduce” themselves to visitors to the community were Stamford synagogues, including; Congregation Agudas Shalom, Young Israel of Stamford, Chabad, Temple Beth El, and Temple Sinai. Other participating organizations included: Stamford JCC, Jewish High School of CT, Stamford Board of Realtors, and Gym with Jerry after-school sports program.

CAP: Omer Barkay takes a close look at the fun all around him at the Fall Festival hosted recently by Bi-Cultural Day School in Stamford.