BRUSSELS (EJP)--- “Art and Judaism” will be the subject matter of the 11th edition of the European Day of Jewish Culture, an annual event taking place on September 5 in more than 25 European countries.
Every year, a special subject matter is chosen, around which activities and events are being organized.
According to the organizers, this year's topic offers an especially wide field of subjects to explore:
- Different kinds of art: paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, literature, music, films, theatre
- Different artists: painters, sculptors, writers, actors, composers and performers, directors
- Different periods: ancient, medieval, modern, contemporary
- Others: patrons of art, collections
- Art applied in religious ceremony or in everyday life
The organizers from all participating countries will be able to come up with different kinds of activities to attract and surprise the visitors, who will be given an extraordinary opportunity to discover the artistic wealth of Jewish culture and heritage.
This event represents the biggest and most extensive Jewish culture festival in Europe.
Participating countries are: Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Since its inception in 2001, the European Day of Jewish Culture has reached out not only to the Jewish community but to the general public, helping to foster tolerance and understanding where there might be racism and prejudice.
It serves as an introduction to Judaism, demonstrating the far-ranging contribution Jews have made to society through their heritage, teaching the history of the individual sites and the roles of Jews in their localities and encouraging the preservation of Jewish sites.
It was launched in 1996 by the B'nai B'rith in Strasbourg, in the French Alsace, in response to numerous requests from tourists wishing to see the Jewish heritage sites.
In 2000, a partnership was formed between B'nai B'rith Europe, the European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC) and the Red de Juderias, a Jewish tourism route linking 15 Spanish cities, to launch European Day of Jewish Culture.
For detailed programmes of the different countries go to: www.jewisheritage.org