Unity Vertex – Reviving the LipinskyFamily Jewish Arts Festival: From Defunct to Thriving

DESCRIPTION

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast.

When

January 2017

Who

Jason Davis, John Anderson, Mirco Cattabriga, Aaron Jones, Amanda Johnson, Steve McQueen

In 2024, after San Diego Repertory Theatre folded, one of the key programs under its banner—The Lipinsky Family Jewish Arts Festival (Jfest)—faced an uncertain future. As a Jewish person by choice, this festival had always held deep personal significance for me, offering a connection to Jewish arts and the community that resonated with my own journey. Alongside Artistic Director Todd Salovey, I decided that the festival needed to continue, and we set out to bring it back as an independent entity. It felt like a huge risk, but we were committed to seeing it through.

Reviving the Lipinsky Family Jewish Arts Festival: Case Study Video

The Challenge: Building a Whole New Jfest

When we started, the reality hit hard: it was like building from scratch. Todd and I were essentially all we had, and we had lost everything San Diego Rep once provided. There was no finance department, no production team, no board, no contracts in place—no theatre, even. We were starting from zero. Shortly after, we were fortunate to add Becca Myers to the team, an incredibly smart, ambitious, and experienced young producer. Even with Becca on board, we remained a very small team with a huge task ahead of us.

Our next challenge was figuring out how to fund and support the festival. We knew that to survive, we had to secure new sources of funding and re-engage the donors who had previously supported Jfest under the San Diego Rep umbrella. Fortunately, we had a strong brand, built over 25 years, and we both had deep connections in the arts and Jewish community. That gave us a foundation to build on.

Without the safety net of San Diego Rep, there was real uncertainty about whether we could maintain ticket sales and audience engagement post-pandemic. I was working at San Diego Opera at the same time and saw firsthand how buying behaviors had shifted—patrons were waiting longer to purchase tickets, which added anxiety to the planning process. Data from Tosca indicated single ticket buying was still down at about 86% of what we’d expect pre-pandemic, so there was plenty of uncertainty on the horizon.

The Solution: Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising

We knew we needed a home for Jfest and infrastructure to support it. After exploring several options, we found the right partner in the Lawrence Family JCC. The JCC provided us with a solid foundation—a 500-seat theatre, production equipment like lighting and sound, and fiscal stability. Most importantly, they had a finance department that could handle the complexities of tracking expenses, paying vendors and artists, and extending us a line of credit to get started. Their reputation as a community cornerstone also lent us a sense of legitimacy.

Fundraising turned out to be a pleasant surprise. As an independent entity, we were able to make a more direct and powerful case to donors. They knew their money would go directly to supporting Jewish art through Jfest, not to the general operations of San Diego Rep. That clarity really resonated with the community, and we broke previous fundraising records. I personally reached out to some of San Diego’s wealthiest philanthropists, and almost all were successful, exceeding expectations. I still laugh about one donor interaction—after spending hours crafting a detailed proposal, the donor’s assistant responded within an hour with approval for the gift. It was clear the donor trusted us implicitly, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we should have asked for more.

Ticket Goals and Audience Growth

Setting ambitious ticket goals in a post-pandemic world was risky. We had data from San Diego Rep to give us a sense of what to expect, but the change of venue to the JCC brought uncertainties. In the theatre world the JCC, known primarily for its children’s theatre group, JCompany, wasn’t typically associated with professional productions, and we weren’t sure if that would affect perceptions of Jfest.

Our marketing budget was limited, so we focused on what we knew would work. We invested in a robust Meta campaign, direct mail using our lists from San Diego Rep, and advertisements in local Jewish publications. We also brought on a PR professional to amplify our message. But the real strength came from our 25 years of connections—local synagogues and Jewish organizations were more than happy to promote the festival and spread the word.

Year Two: Big Ambitions, Bigger Results

In the second year, I transitioned to focus solely on marketing, while Todd continued as Artistic Director. I was proud of my role as Managing Director in the first year, but with my full-time job at San Diego Opera, I had to ask myself, “How can I best serve the festival?” With my expertise in arts marketing, I knew that was where I could make the biggest impact.

One of the boldest moves we made that year was bringing in Mandy Patinkin as a headliner. It was a calculated risk. Based on Mandy’s ticket sales in other markets, we knew selling out wasn’t guaranteed, and even at full capacity, the margins would be tight. But we also knew our strongest asset was our deep connection to the local Jewish community, and we felt confident that we could fill half the house. The real question was whether the wider community would come out to fill the rest. Despite my nerves, we took the leap of faith, and it paid off.

Marketing for Mandy’s concert was a multi-pronged effort. We leaned heavily on our connections within the Jewish community, and local organizations and synagogues were more than willing to spread the word. Our existing mailing lists helped us target likely attendees, and Ticketmaster’s robust targeting tools got us in front of Broadway audiences and fans of Mandy’s movies and TV shows. Mandy even gave us a shout-out on TikTok, which made a huge impact.

The Result: A Thriving Festival

Today, The Lipinsky Family Jewish Arts Festival is thriving. We exceeded our ticket goals, raised more money than ever before, and established the festival as a prominent and sustainable entity in the San Diego arts scene. The future looks bright for Jfest. We’re looking to bring in even more high-caliber artists and are considering expanding the festival’s reach beyond San Diego.
The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center: 
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