Singer's Warsaw Jewish cultural festival to open on 22 August
PR dla Zagranicy
Jo Harper
13.08.2015 13:05
Concert, performances, workshops, literary meetings and film shows are some of the events planned for "Singer's Warsaw" - the Festival of Jewish Culture.
A part of Warsaw's old Jewish district as it looks today. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The festival will take place from 22 to 30 August in the capital around Grzybowski Square.
“I especially love it, although I am from Łódź. But for years Warsaw has been my city. A city that before the war was abuzz with Jewish life, when one-third spoke Yiddish. And the aim of our festival is that during these eight days the city will again speak in Yiddish," festival director Gołda Tencer said.
“Every year on Grzybowski Square we host 50-60,000 people for the inaugural concert of cantors. It is amazing to me that something like Havdalah, which is a solemn farewell on Saturday, will take place right there,” Tencer added.
The festival will officially open with a concert in Nożyk synagogue, during which the 30-strong Binyamin Choir (Makhelat Biyamin) and will be awarded the prize "Guardians of Memory.”
Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish-born Jewish-American author, many of whose novels are set in Poland, and in particular Warsaw's old Jewish district around Krochmalna Street, where Singer's father was a rabbi. In 1978 Singer received the Nobel literary prize. (jh/rk)