Back after a year’s absence, Portland’s Jewish Summer Festival returns with a new location and a new format but with the same long-held goal.

“The whole idea is that we’re celebrating life. We’re celebrating Jewish life, Jewish culture,” Sheina Posner with Chabad Young Professionals, who is organizing the festival, said. “We’re celebrating joy. It’s not about fighting something. It’s celebrating what we have.”

The festival, in its fourth year, is set for 5-7 pm on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The format will change from the “movie night” of year’s past to feature a performance by The Green Brothers Band.

“I want to expose Portland to Jewish music, more than we have here,” Posner said. “They have the vibe we’re looking for.”

The festival will also move from its longtime home at The Fields Park in Portland’s Pearl District to Jameson Square Park five blocks south. The Fields Park is currently closed for construction of Pacific Power’s Willamette River Crossing Project.

The first goal is to celebrate Jewish identity publicly. While security personnel will be present through the event for the safety of all involved, Posner said that some of the questions her husband, Rabbi Meir Posner, gets about wearing his kippah and other outward symbols of Jewish identity in public are at the root of what motivates the festival.

“He hasn’t experienced anything negative by him walking around as a Jew, but there’s a lot of fear from people,” Sheina Posner said. “This is an opportunity to say, ‘Let’s be together outside as Jews, to be who we are in a joyous way.’”

Another important goal is to welcome non-Jews to interact with Jewish culture and Jewish people. Posner said that previous iterations of the festival have welcomed 400 or so attendees each, with roughly half being non-Jews.

“When I asked people, ‘Do you have any colleagues that are Jewish, any friends,’ a lot of people say ‘Oh, no, I don’t know anybody Jewish.’ Which is probably not true; they just don’t know that they’re Jewish,” Posner said. “This brings awareness and, especially with the climate, it’s very important to have Jewish positive experiences for Jews and non-Jews.”

The festival is free – to learn more and RSVP, visit portlandjewishfestival.com.