Picture hundreds of 20-to-30-year-olds singing, dancing, dining, smoking, hanging out shirtless, doing yoga, praying, and blowing bubbles together. Now, picture this being a crowd of Orthodox and Haredi men and women, here to enjoy the judgment-free zone, away from the rigid labels that divide them in their home environments.

This Thursday through Sunday, on camping grounds near New York’s border with Pennsylvania, Jews from across the spectrum of Haredi life – including religious and formerly religious people – are set to partake in the free-spirited vibes, alongside people from other Jewish backgrounds.

The Sababa Music Festival was started in 2017 by friends Mendel Sherman and Alter Deitsch who wanted to bring young Jewish people together. The Sababa festival – named for the Hebrew word for “cool” – began in Pennsylvania, but has since taken place in the Catskills, not far from the bustling bungalow colonies where many Haredi Jews who live in New York City escape every summer. 

Chani Koegel, who grew up Chabad-Lubavitch and now identifies as Modern Orthodox, says going to the festival each year has connected her with new friends.

“There are people who I’ve probably passed on the street and not given a second glance because I think they’re so different from me, and then I would meet them in this very open and understanding environment where everyone’s there to be themselves, and it lets you be more more open-minded as to who you find yourself connecting with,” she said.

Attendees bring tents and RVs to the festival, eat catered Glatt Kosher meals, and have access to flushable toilets and hot showers, according to the festival website’s FAQ page. For Shabbat, Sababa hosts a candle lighting ceremony, religious services, and a Havdalah ceremony. 

“While this is a Shabbos friendly event, not all guests will be observing,” the FAQ page says. “Please be respectful of each other by not smoking in communal areas/activities on Shabbos or videoing/photos at any of the events/activities over Shabbos. And for those keeping Shabbos, please don't impose your observance on others. This is a weekend that we are all coming together in unity, so let's respect each other.”

Goldie Gross, 25, who grew up Chabad-Lubavitch, is a Sababa regular. “The conversations I have there are super interesting. It’s a place where I see people I don’t usually see,” she said.

“There are people who are totally frum who come,” Gross said. “I mean, look – you’re not going to be a super mainstream Satmar family if you’re coming – but there are young people, divorced people who come, sometimes even with kids, fully religious.” There’s even a discount code for members of the Na Nach, a subgroup of the Breslover Hasidic sect known for extravagant demonstrations of Jewish joy.

Yaakov Zimmerman, who grew up yeshivish but now identifies as Modern Orthodox, is a volunteer security guard at Sababa. Three years ago, Zimmerman said, the organizers reached out to former Israeli soldiers, including him, to provide security at the event. Since then, the event’s security guards have mostly been veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces.

“We’re not there to enjoy ourselves, but we try to enjoy it as much as we can,” Zimmerman said. “There are a lot of security situations that come up, whether it’s protecting girls from boys, or drug overdoses.” 

Zimmerman said that drug use at the festival varies from people who don’t use drugs at all, to people smoking marijuana, to people using harder drugs. Some people drink alcohol, but not everyone — people from Friends of Bill, a group associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, come to enjoy the occasion too.

Yudi Wexler, 23, who grew up yeshivish, learned about Sababa from a friend. This year, for the third time, he’ll attend the festival and work in the kitchen, warming up catered meals. 

Wexler described an environment that accommodates all types of Jews. “You see people smoking all day on Shabbat, or doing their own thing, or playing music on their own,” he said. “The agenda is built around being open to people who want to keep Shabbat and kosher.”

At the festival, male and female musicians perform in front of a mixed crowd. This year’s headliners are G-Nome Project, a Jerusalem-based group that describes its music as “electro-funk,” and Shimi Levy, an NYC-based DJ who goes by Levyticus. Musicians Chaya Glaser and Rivky Susskind, as well as comedian Leah Forster, will also perform, among others.

For at least one couple, Sababa was grounds not only for music but also for romance. Koegel went in 2017, the inaugural year, with a group of friends. That weekend, as she and her friends were drinking “bad tequila,” they noticed another group that she said stood out due to its conspicuous blow-up couches. Within that group was Rafi Koegel, the man she would marry three years later.

“We were drawn to their circle because of the awesome setup they had. I met him for the first time that Shabbat morning,” Chani said. Years later, when she sensed that Rafi was about to propose, she made sure to wear a Sababa shirt for the occasion.

The Sababa Music Festival begins at 3pm on Thursday.
Eric Rohr is a photographer who has taken photos at Sababa. Find his work on his Instagram page or on his website.