World Jewish News

Krakow's Jewish culture festival opens at week end.

Jewish culture is undergoing a revival in Poland with Jewish centres, restaurants, museums and music enjoying a resurgence.
The Jewish culture festival, which has been held in Krakow for over fifteen years, will take place from June 23 until July 1.
Thanks to the festival, the former Jewish district of Kazimierz has itself steadily regained its colours. It is now one of the most spellbinding areas in the city.
During the week-long festival, the district's synagogues, cafes, pubs and streets celebrate the richness of Jewish culture with concerts of sacred music and song.
Eminent cantors are invited from cities as far flung as Moscow, London and Tel-Aviv.
Violinists get the crowds tapping their feet to Klezmer melodies, and singers give life to infectious Yiddish tunes.
Amongst regular performers, hot names to look out for are Kroke, Brave Old World, The Krakow Klezmer Band and Ukrainian newcomers The Kharkov Klezmer Band.
On top of all this music, every year there is an interesting programme of book launches, lectures, tours of Jewish sites with international experts, and even introductions to the weird and wonderful world of Jewish cuisine - in short a unique insight into Poland's rich Jewish legacy.
During the Renaissance and Baroque eras, Jews talked of Cracow as a "Jewish Paradise", such was the extent of their freedoms and of the richness of cultural life in the city.
A key support player in the festival will be the Galicia Jewish Museum.
This recently opened enterprise deserves a special mention, not simply due to its programme of events for the festival, but also for its permanent exhibition about Poland's Jewish heritage.
Many museums of this kind focus solely on the Holocaust. This one attempts to bring a whole world to life through exhibitions, lectures, concerts of Jewish music old and new, and even forays into the work of emigre film directors.
Every year the festival culminates in a huge open air concert on the picturesque Szeroka Street, which represents the heart of the old Jewish district.

Источник: jewish.kiev.ua