The West Chester Chili Cookoff always seems to kick up the flavor and fun in the downtown historic district when three blocks of Gay Street are blocked off for the event. Last year, it drew more than 60 competitors and 5,000 fans.
But this year, the IQ just may also be kicked up a notch with the inclusion of Albert Einstein Academy’s “Genius Chili.”
Einstein, northern New Castle County’s premier K-6 Jewish day school, is participating as a way to give back to the community and to build awareness of school in the West Chester area, where the Jewish population is growing, as evidenced by congregations like Kesher Israel's burgeoning 400 families, said Michal Cherrin, Head of the school.
Einstein’s Kosher recipe will be cooked in a Kosher kitchen thanks to the generosity of the Brandywine Hundred’s Jewish Community Center as well as Kenney's Shop Rite of Wilmington, she said. As for what else makes Genius Chili special, Cherrin would only say that Einstein parent Glenn Boyet’s recipe, picked by the students and staff, has a good kick to it, but the actual ingredient mix remains a secret.
Health department and Kosher kitchen rules preclude students from helping with the chili preparation. So instead, they have been spending lunch times leading up to the event working on decorations for the booth, as prizes will be awarded for Best Booth.
Getting out into the community will help show what an excellent option Einstein is for parents seeking an education for their children rooted in Jewish values and tradition, Cherrin said. The school, located in the Bernard and Ruth Siegel Jewish Community Center in Brandywine Hundred, has traditionally mainly served Wilmington area families. But it is also convenient for families living in nearby West Chester, Unionville and Garnet Valley, she said, as Pennsylvania transports students to schools of their parents’ choice at no extra cost to them.
The Cookoff is an event of the Rotary Club of West Chester. Proceeds from sponsorships, participant and wristband sales will support the rotary’s community and international projects. For more information, visit www.westchesterrotary.us.
Admission is $10 dollars per adult, or three adults for $25. Children under 10 are free with adult purchase. For more information, visit www.westchesterchilicookoff.com/index.htm.
