Congregation Adath Israel of Newtown is pleased to announce its Joy of the Torah Fall Festival with an afternoon of Sephardic culture featuring Sarah Aroeste and Chef Susan Barocas, the co-founders of Savor. This event is partially sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut through a grant provided to the Nezvesky School for religious education at Adath Israel.

The event will take place at Adath Israel, 115 Huntingtown Road, on Sunday, October 8, from 2 to 4 pm. The event is open to all who are interested in attending and learning about Sephardic culture.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 10-17, and available by visiting adath.ticketleap.com/joy-of-the-torah-fall-festival/ or visiting congadathisrael.org and scanning the QR code on the lower left-hand corner of the home page.

Attendees will learn about Sephardic history through stories, sing traditional songs with Aroeste in Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews, and watch a cooking demonstration with hands-on food preparation, also with Aroeste.

Afterwards, guests will eat.

In addition, there will be a silent auction and raffle featuring a variety of products and services such as theater tickets, sporting events, gift baskets and area attractions.

Aroeste is an international Ladino singer-songwriter, author and activist committed to bringing awareness of Sephardic music and culture to audiences around the globe. With eight Ladino albums to her name, and two Sephardic children’s books, Aroeste is credited for helping to revitalize a tradition for young and old.

Barocas is an award-winning writer, chef, cooking instructor and speaker with a passion for Jewish food, especially Sephardic cuisine, culture, and history inspired by her own family heritage. She also writes and teaches about healthy, no-waste cooking.

The founding director of the innovative Jewish Food Experience, Barocas served as the guest chef for three of President Obama’s White House Seders.

Additional information about Savor can be found at savorexperience.com.