26 | AUGUST 26 • 2021 

Food Fest Fun

faces&places

The Hazon Michigan Jewish 
Food Festival, Hazon’s 
largest event and Michigan’s 
largest Jewish event 
annually, did a pivot for the 
second year in a row. 
 Last year, they reinvented 
the Food Festival during 
a challenging time and 
created something new 
called Food Festival in 
a Box, which was highly 
successful. 
This year, Wren Hack, 
director of Hazon, and 
Marla Schloss, director of 
the annual festival, were 
concerned about safety so 
they decided to forgo the 
big traditional event at the 
Eastern Market and do a 

drive-thru event.
On Sunday, Aug. 15, 
Hazon Detroit welcomed 
more than 180 cars to the 
drive-thru Hazon Michigan 
Jewish Food Festival. As 
cars approached, the first 
welcoming signs were big 
sunflowers repurposed from 
pool noodles — bringing a 
lot of color to the gates at 
Marygrove Conservancy in 
Detroit. 
There were 40 vendors 
there to greet those who 
drove by. Each car was given 
food, samples and important 
information to help them 
learn about local growers 
and sustainability. 

Jennifer Teper of Farmington Hills.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SHUL

LEFT: Marla Schloss, director of the Michigan Jewish Food Festival. 
RIGHT: Monte at the Topers Pickle Station.

More than 180 cars drove through the event.

Sherri Gerber Sommers and Savannah Sommers of Farmington Hills.

Repurposed sunflowers made from old pool noodles greeted 
guests. 

