24th Jewish Culture Festival is the biggest event happening in Kracow right now. It was organised for the first time in 1988 and now is one of the largest festivals of this kind in the world. Every year it includes more than a hundred music and artistic events, as well as lectures, panels and exhibitions. It’s main goal is popularisation of the Jewish culture and a tribute to almost a thousand years presence of Jewish society in Poland.
This year’s posters feature four different slogans that represent main points and subject areas of the festival. They are Mizrah and Ashkenazi that both ilustrate unique diversity. As even until recent years Jewish culture was considered to be a concept originating in Europe (Ashkenazi), recently a new phenomenal kind was born on the boundaries of Arabic and Muslim customs (Mizrah).
Two other slogans cover different and more narrow concepts which are Kibbutz – specific social phenomenon and Dybbuk. Kibbutz refers to a particular way of approaching common goals including work and leisure, manifesting in the arts, architecture and even culinary arts. Finally, Dybbuk recalls the “dramatic legend” written a century ago by An-ski. It is a symbol of the force encouraging us to discover deep within ourselves and an irrepressible impulse driving us forward.
The highlight of every year’s edition is final concert on Szeroki Square (called jSzalom na Szerokiej), which every time attracts more and more people: tourists, Jews, Krakow citizens as well as random onlookers. This year it is going to start at 6:00 pm tommorow and last for around six hours. The entrance is for free, which is just another positive sight. If you happen to be in Krakow remember that this festival is definitely worth seeing, as it is one of a kind event.
