After 3 years of being on pause (or limited capacity), Mazelpalooza came back bigger than ever. Nearly 350 Jewish young adults celebrated together at The Duce on Saturday, December 24, 2022, the first full Mazelpalooza since 2019. The event coinciding with the 7th night of Hanukkah attracted both engaged and previously unengaged individuals from across the Valley. The event is presented annually by NowGen, a division of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix and is the largest gathering of Jewish young adults in Arizona.

Attendees enjoyed a night full of special entertainment including fire acts, an aerialist, roaming saxophonist, and live DJ. The evening was capped by the lighting of a 9ft tall menorah in the center of the venue courtesy of Rabbi Shlomy Levertov of JPhoenix. Food was provided by the new kosher food truck in town with proceeds going towards Arizona Kosher Food Pantry.

Especially after the last few years, attendees were excited to see so many Jews coming together for a celebration of Jewish pride. One attendee shared it was sort of like a family reunion where they connected with many people they haven’t seen in a while. Another attendee that moved here recently, expressed excitement about the opportunity to make new friends.

“This was the best Mazelpalooza yet” shared one attendee.

Another shared that they are “looking forward to getting more involved in NowGen!”

Check out some of the photos from the events courtesy of Bullseye Video & Photo, and find more photos from the event on Facebook and Instagram.

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