RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The 16th Annual Richmond Jewish Food Festival has been postponed, according to organizers.
Rabbi Asher, of Keneseth Beth Israel synagogue in Richmond, confirmed that the festival — which would have been held in January 2024 at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center — has been postponed.
Organizers said they made the decision shortly after Oct. 7, when the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza. Rabbi Asher said he hopes the festival will be able to be held in the spring or summer of 2024.
“Security has grown in recent years for the event, and this year would have been even more. And that is definitely a concern,” he said.
Rabbu Asher also said this event is Keneseth Beth Israel’s biggest fundraiser, and that the synagogue is in need of more funding because of rising security costs for the building.
“Because of antisemitism, our costs for safety and security have risen tremendously,” he said. “And we have to spend about $2,000 a month just trying to practice our faith.”
The announcement of the festival’s cancelation comes shortly after the Richmond Police Department responded to Congregation Or Ami — a synagogue in the city’s Southside — for a bomb threat on Monday, Dec. 18.
The Richmond Police Department’s Bomb Team responded shortly after to the synagogue and no threat was found. Police said the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation into the threat.
