Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków
The Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow (Polish Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej in Krakow, English Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, Yiddish: יירשער קולטור - פעסטיוואל אין קראָקע ) is an annual cultural event every year since 1988 in late June / early July, the former Jewish district of Kazimierz takes place. It is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world.
Objective
The main aim of the festival is the population in addition to Jewish culture closer to the history of Jews in Poland and the faith of Judaism, which played an important role during the Holocaust in Poland. The main idea of the festival: " dialogue as a path to mutual respect and understanding. " In addition to most US-based Jewish musicians partly non-Jewish artists are invited. Mostly non-Jewish, however, is the audience from the predominantly Catholic Poland and for the most part, the organizers of the Association of Jewish Culture Festival ( Stowarzyszenie Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej ) and over fifty volunteers.
History
Krakow was considered a " typical Jewish town ", which in 1935 still had a share of one third Jewish. Kazimierz, very much neglected before the fall of communism and with countless dilapidated homes to 1940 was the head -quarters of the Krakow Jews. Today, however, the Jewish community in Krakow is one of only about 140 members. The average age is 74 In this environment, the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow Janusz Makusch was launched in 1988 because his fascination with Jewish culture grew more and more. The main topics were the time nor the Yiddish film and the Polish Jewry dedicated to scientific presentations. At that time it was held in a small theater, in which scarcely a hundred people fit.
Meanwhile, Kazimierz is restored to a large extent, several former synagogues were renovated. The events take place today due to the increased interest in more than ten different locations within the district instead of concentrating on the music occupies the central place of the festival. The 67 -year-old head of the Jewish community Jakubowicz says: " The cultural festival has the district gave us new life. " So the 19th edition of the festival recorded in 2009 already almost 30,000 participants, of which about 20,000 spectators the final concert Shalom na Szerokiej visited.
Program
As part of the nine -day festival last were more than 200 events around the subject instead of Jewish culture. The focus concerts with Jewish folk music, especially klezmer music and its variants. However, representatives of the Radical Jewish Culture ( traditional Jewish music with jazz or punk elements ), the classical and the Hasidic music present themselves to the public. Besides giving exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, field trips and workshops opportunity to get to know other aspects of Jewish culture than the music. During the festival, non-Jews are invited to observe Jewish prayers in the synagogues or even attend. The two most important and most visited events include the opening concert on the first Sunday and the final concert Shalom na Szerokiej ( German: Shalom on Broad Street ) on the last Saturday of the festival on Ulica Szeroka ( Breite Straße '), the main street of the (former) Jewish district of Kazimierz.
Financing
The project is financed to 50 percent from Polish sources, as well as by officials with the support of the Chancellery of the Polish Prime Minister, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the City of Krakow, Lesser Poland Voivodeship and the Israeli Embassy in Poland. The other half comes from foreign foundations and sponsors. Through the auspices of various Polish media, the main events of the festival reach a broad public. The small Jewish community in Krakow is actively involved despite their limited options by providing their synagogues, free of charge.