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Well before Congregation B'nai Tikvah in North Brunswick introduced the Rejoice Jewish Music and Culture Festival, Cantor Bruce Rockman infused a love of music into the Conservative synagogue's culture.

After he joined the congregation nine years ago, Rockman formed a band called Sons of Tikvah whose original mission was to educate the community on basic songs, ones that teens would hear at United Synagogue Youth (USY) events.

At the second annual Rejoice event Sept. 13 at Woodlot Park in South Brunswick, Rockman's band was one of six acts in a day that brought together seven synagogues, 15 other Jewish community groups, 25 vendors, and between three and four thousand attendees.

"The music I wanted to play was music that evoked memories, inspired people to become more involved," Rockman said to explain why he formed Sons of Tikvah.

Aaron Rosloff, a founding member of B'nai Tikvah and an organizer for Rejoice, said he got the idea from a comparable Jewish music festival in Syracuse, N.Y. he attended a few years ago while visiting friends and family.

With training from a founder of that festival, as well as the assistance of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Rosloff and Danny Greenberg (then president of B'nai Tikvah) made Rejoice a reality.

"The main goal is to enhance the image of congregation B'nai Tikvah and the Jewish community in general," Rosloff said.

Dorothy Cohen, a volunteer for B'nai Tikvah's youth committee who manned the synagogue's booth at Rejoice, said that it was "natural for us to have the festival and feature Sons of Tikvah."

Other musical performances during the day included Mr. Ray, the Klez Dispensers, Makhelat Hamerkaz, Mama Doni Band, and Tsu Fil Dovids. Rockman called Sons of Tikvah, with 10-12 members on most occasions, a group of "regular guys" who work to improve their musical skills and galvanize their connection to Judaism.

"We have been a shofar for the community," Rockman said.

As of 1 p.m., just two hours into the seven-hour festival, Rabbi Mendy Carlebach said that Chabad of North and South Brunswick had already helped about 100 men don tefillin. Chabad held a free raffle for two original drawings of shofars created by community member Andrea Greenberg, and distributed Jewish calendars as well as bottled water.

"On such a day we want to nurture one's soul and one's body," Carlebach said.

Rabbi Levi Azimov, of Chabad of South Brunswick, noted the significance of Jewish unity before Rosh Hashanah as this year of "hakhel" comes to a close. Hakhel was the biblical practice of all Jewish men, women, and children gathering to hear the reading of the Torah by the king of Israel once every seven years.

"Jewish gathering is a beautiful thing," Azimov said.

Lisa Appel of Philadelphia-based Miss Lisa, Inc. wore a jester costume adorned with Hebrew letters while performing acrobatic tricks for youngsters. Appel uses circus arts and fitness to teach Judaism at children's parties, holiday programs, and a wide range of other events.

"I was a school teacher for a long time, so I let the kids kind of guide my activities," Appel said. "The circus arts are just a ploy to get them excited."

Amanda Newell, a South Brunswick resident, used Rejoice as an opportunity to market her handmade hair accessories business, called Panda Bows. She handcrafts all her items in what started as a hobby because no accessories were able to stay in her daughter's thin, fine hair, making her a "Momtrepenuer."

"Handcrafting is becoming a lost art," Newell said. "People seem to appreciate that I take the time and the effort to make them all myself."

Craig Sherman, an executive vice president at Beth El in East Windsor who worked the synagogue's booth, said that the congregation gets members from Middlesex County despite its Mercer County location, making Rejoice an important outreach opportunity.

"We just feel that it's pretty good exposure for us to be out here with the other Jewish organizations," Sherman said.

Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, of New Brunswick, used the festival to spread the word about its 150th anniversary, which kicks off with a celebration at the front steps of the synagogue building Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. Anshe Emeth was the first synagogue in Middlesex County, the fourth in New Jersey, and the only one of the state's first seven congregation's that is still located in the city of its founding, said Deborah Cohn, the synagogue's president.

"It means that we've been at the center of Jewish life for 150 years, and we keep looking forward," Cohn said of the milestone.

Henry Erlich of Hightstown, who got to hear his son-in-law Bruce Rockman perform by attending Rejoice, said of the festival that "I'm very glad they're doing it, it's long overdue."

Geri Stover of South Brunswick isn't Jewish, but came to find her Jewish friends and support the community. More events like Rejoice are needed to bring people together locally, Stover said.

"I think it's a positive experience," she said.