Synagogue in Chmielnik, 2006. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber
By Ruth Ellen Gruber
By now, the Festival of Jewish Culture in Krakow, which marks its 20th edition this year (June 26-July 4), is wellknown around the world. But Poland is host to many other Jewish culture festivals of one sort or another, which frequently take place in towns and villages where Jews no longer live. This month, for example, there are at least three: in Bialystok, Sejny and Chmielnik.
The
Zahor: Color and Sound Jewish culture festival takes place June 13-15 in Bialystok. It features lectures, concerts and films.
Another edition of the annual
Musicians' Raft series of workshops/concerts/events on Yiddish culture, held in Sejny, near the Lithuanian border, June 13-19 and organized by the
Borderland Foundation, a wonderful foundation dedicated to presenting and preserving minority cultures in Poland and elsewhere.
Young music bands from Central Europe, Israel, Turkey, Denmark, New York and Great Britain will to participate in the project: Steve Swell (NY), Mikołaj Trzaska (Gdańsk), Mark Sanders (London), Olie Brice (London), Raphael Rogiński (Warszawa), Paul Brody (Berlin), Gökçe Kilincer (London), Tahir Palali (London), Peter Ole Jørgensen (Kopenhagen) and Klezmer Band from Sejny. The meeting of experienced musicians, who refer to tradition, and young artists, who prefer the new sounds, will be really interesting. Rummy music experiments are expected! The seminars about the yiddish culture in Central-Eastern Europe are the integral part of the project. The seminars are set to lead by well-known scholars and attended by 15 students who would like to learn more about Jewish history.
June 18-20, the 8th annual "Meetings with Jewish Culture" takes place in the small villages of Szydlow and Chmielnik, in south-central Poland. No Jews live in either village, but both boast huge historic former synagogues.
VIII MEETINGS WITH JEWISH CULTURE
SZYDŁOW – CHMIELNIK
18-20 JUNE 2010
Friday, 18 june 2010 – Szydlow
17:00 (5 p.m.) - Theatrical spectacle: “Chasidy Stories” by Jewish Theatre.
18:00 (6 p.m.) - Theatrical spectacle in execution of young people from Szydlow’s school.
19:00 (7 p.m.) - Open the exhibition called "I see faces, hear steps" made by Malgorzata Gladyszewska and the painting-sculpturing of the Plastic Arts Association in Kielce.
19:20 (7:20 p.m.) - The "Qartet Klezmer Trio" team from Krakow concert on the market.
20:35 (8:35 p.m.) – finish show.
19 – 20 JUNE 2010 – CHMIELNIK
Saturday, 19 june 2010 - the House of Culture in Chmielnik
17:00 (5 p.m.) – open the photo exhibition by Ryszard Biskup and drawing & graphic arts by Cezary Zdrojewski.
17:35 (5:35 p.m.) – premiere the videoclip of “Chmielnikers” band.
17:40 (5:40 p.m.) - dancing show inspired by the Jewish music made by children from the Elementary School in Chmielnik.
18:00 (6 p.m.) - Theatrical performance called "On the world borderland" made by Poem Theatre "In Radziwill" from Szydlowiec.
18:40 (6:40 p.m.) - Theatrical performance called "Jonash – The Prophet" made by Theatre Team "Bonteo" from Krakow.
19:15 (7:15 p.m.) - dancing show inspired by the Jewish music made by children from the Basic School in Chmielnik.
20:00 (8 p.m.) – “Jidisze Perl” – Jewish religious songs by Nina Stiller. Piano – Artur Jerzy Zielinski.
21:00 (p.m.) - finish show.
Sunday, 20 june 2010.
12:00 (12 noon) - The solemn holy mass in the Church in Chmielnik.
In the Synagogue in Chmielnik:
13:30 (1:30 p.m.) - Open the exhibition called "Jews from Chmielnik story" made by Leszek Wawrzyk.
13:45 (1:45 p.m.) – Performance called “This cities wasn’t there…” – singer Ewa Warta Smietana, recite Jerzy Trela.
15:00 – “Around Chopin music” – piano Krystyna Man-Szczepanczyk.
At the time: 13:00 - 20:00 at the Synagogue on the Sienkiewicza and Wspolna street will be the introductions of handicraft, Jewish food, plastic performances as well as the demonstrations of Jewish art of boiling, illumined the performance of klezmer team called the "Klezmafour".
On the Market:
16:00 (4 p.m.) – Shows by the children and youth:
- dancing show inspired by the Jewish music made by children from the Elementary School in Chmielnik.
- “Szmoncesy” - theatrical performance by children from Elementary and Basic School in Chmielnik.
16:15 (4:15 p.m.) – Jewish dance practice part 1 – by Ewa Gajo.
16:45 (4:45 p.m.) – The final of the Second Youth Jewish Songs Contest in Chmielnik.
17:30 (5:30 p.m.) – Band “Chmielnikers” concert.
18:15 (6:15 p.m.) – Results of the Second Youth Jewish Songs Contest in Chmielnik.
18:30 (6:30 p.m.) - dancing show inspired by the Jewish music made by girls from the Basic School in Chmielnik.
18:45 (6:45 p.m.) – Jewish dance practice part 2 – by Ewa Gajo.
20:00 (8 p.m.) – Leonard Cohen’s songs “The deep of the heart” by Pawel Orkisz & Band.
21:30 (9:30 p.m.) – finish show.
