European Day(s) of Jewish Culture

Source: ICCJ 24 Aug 2021 - European Day(s) of Jewish Culture — coming up soon!

"The contribution of European Jewry to a more pluralistic and inclusive Europe, that the theme for this year’s edition will be: DIALOGUE"

However, as usual in several countries events and activities are being planned before and after this date.

In Italy, for example, the Day is scheduled more than a month later, after the Jewish holidays, on October 10, with Padova the lead venue for a rich program of events all over the country.

Established in 1999, the EDJC each year encompasses hundreds of events in more than two dozen countries, from Spain to Sweden, from the United Kingdom to Ukraine. Synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, ritual baths, Jewish museums, and other sites of Jewish heritage are opened to the public, accompanied by seminars, exhibits, lectures, book fairs, art installations, concerts, guided tours and other events.

Last year, because of the pandemic, it was a hybrid, with much online content. This year, too, will see online offerings. See, for example, the program for the EDJC in Austria’s Burgenland — last year it was exclusively online, but this year there will be on-site as well as online content in 11 towns.

Each year the Day is focused around a central theme — they have ranged from music, to food, to languages, to storytelling, to diasporas, to the role of women, and many more.

This year the EDJC will take place under the umbrella of the NOA project (Networks Overcoming Antisemitism), which promotes the creation of positive narratives around Jewish culture in Europe.

It is under this umbrella, and with the intention of disseminating and promoting positive narratives that highlight the contribution of European Jewry to a more pluralistic and inclusive Europe, that the theme for this year’s edition will be: DIALOGUE