BIROBIDJAN, Russia –
The Eighth International Festival of Jewish Culture is promising to become a carnival of music, dance, and performing arts. It started Wednesday and will continue till Sunday night, to be completed by a major gala concert involving all participants and a grandiose fire work.
The Moscow’s Shalom Theater was given the honor of opening this Festival. Its popular play ‘My Kosher Lady’ had previously been showed in USA, Czechia, and South Russia.
This year’s Festival, just like the previous ones, which had been taking place annually since 1988, has plenty of things and persons to captivate one’s mind and heart. These are the concert of Svetlana Portnyakovskaya – the world’s famous opera singer from the USA; a popular satirist Roman Kartsev – a frequent and well-admired guest of Birobidjan residents; and Yan Levinzon, who arrived from Tel Aviv to once more conquer the hearts of the audience.
The geography of Birobidjan’s Festival is vast: Moscow and Kishinev, Vladivostok and Blagoveschensk, Irkutsk and the Chinese brother city of Birobidjan.
Aside from these cheerful shows and concerts, there has been scheduled a meeting with Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Autonomous Republic Rabbi Mordechay Shayner. As the rabbi explained, Shabbat, a festive meal, and Shabbat songs are inalienable part of Jewish culture.
A festive ceremony to see Shabbat in will take place in the Community Center of the ‘Freud’ Jewish Religious Community.
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