Jewish Community Center festival offers a taste of ‘what Jewishness is all about.’

The folks at the South Bay Jewish Community Center spend a lot of time helping Jews understand what their religion and culture are all about. It offers classes in American Jewish history and current issues facing Jews.

“Our job is to promote the continuation of Judaism,” says center Director Amy Fox-Lovejoy.

But on Sunday, the center is inviting the whole South Bay to learn about Jewish life at its ninth annual “South Bay Jewish Festival” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Torrance Recreation Center.

“We want to expose the community a little bit to what Jewishness is all about--the language, the food, arts and craft, singing and dancing,” Fox-Lovejoy said.

Admission is free to the family-oriented celebration, which has a theme of world peace.

“We thought it would be a fitting theme for a festival such as this,” said Chairwoman Judy Stahl. “We try to make people understand each other better.”

Balloons, banners and Israeli flags will festoon the center. Booths will offer jewelry and clothing from Israel, weavings and artworks incorporating Hebrew letters and religious figures.

One craftsman will offer music boxes that play Jewish music, while another will have little cotton-ball spiders with yarmulkes, the skullcaps worn by Jewish men.

People in the mood for food will be able to choose from kosher hot dogs, lox and bagels, falafel and a variety of baked goods, including strudel and macaroons.

There also will be two old-fashioned barrels of Bubbies kosher pickles. “In the earlier part of the century, this is how pickles were sold,” Stahl said. “They’re really good, like my grandmother used to make.”

Clowns will be on hand to entertain children, and everyone can try their skill in game booths, throwing balls through a hoop or knocking pins over with a ball for stuffed animals prizes.

The popular Trivial Pursuit game will be given a Jewish twist at one booth. Children will be asked questions focusing on Jewish holidays, customs, people and history. Among the questions: “How many days is Hanukkah celebrated?” and “Who was the first prime minister of Israel?”

Anyone may join in Israeli and Greek dancing. For those who would rather listen than dance, there will be singing by children from Chabad of the South Bay and square dancing--not everything about the day is Jewish--by the Honeycombers.

A number of temples and Jewish organizations also will offer information about their activities as part of the festival.

About 100 volunteers join in putting on the festival, which draws up to 3,000 visitors and is the Jewish center’s major fund-raiser each year.

Fox-Lovejoy said that for South Bay Jews who turn out, the day is a “reminder of what their heritage is.”

Stahl calls it “a fun, festive sort of day” that provides an outreach to the larger community. “It lets them know what’s going on in the Jewish community.”

What: South Bay Jewish Festival.

When: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Torrance Recreation Center, 3341 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance.

Admission: Free.

Information: 540-8416.