Euroasian Jewish News
A Week of Jewish History and Culture Opened in Chernovtsy.
21.08.2008
A Week of Jewish History and Culture of Bukovina started in Chernovtsy. The events of the Week, timed to the 600 anniversary of the town, were organized with the support of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC).
The second international conference Yiddish language and culture became the culmination of the Week. More than 40 professors from England, the USA, Russia, Israel, Denmark, Poland, Belarus', Austria, Moldova, and other countries participated in it.
The conference was opened in the state university. The Governor of the Chernovtsy region V.Kulish and the Mayor of Chernovtsy M.Fedorchuk addressed the gathering. They stressed that the Week of Jewish culture, which is held in the year of the 600 anniversary if the city, is a major contribution to the city's celebrations. The said it is a full-scale reminder of a long co-existence of various cultural and linguistic contacts in Bukovina who gave the world many great artists and writers.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) President Alexander Machkevitch greeted the participants underlying the historical significance of the event and mentioning that the first similar conference was also held in Chernovtsy 100 years ago. The EAJC General Council Chairman Joseph Zisels was the main facilitator of the Week. The EAJC Secretary General Mikhail Chlenov participated in all the events and forums of the Week of Jewish History and Culture in Bukovina.
The Week of Jewish History and Culture coincided with another date - the 20th anniversary of independent Jewish movement in the Ukraine.
As part of the Week an exhibition "Jewish Book in Bukovina" was opened. The program of the Week included the opening of a museum of Jewish culture and history of Bukovina where a unique document is exposed - a Hebrew prayer for Franz I composed in 1792. This unique object was acquired at an auction in Israel and will be given as a present to the museum.
Besides, an exhibition of the Jewish painters who worked before World War II and an exhibition of Jewish postcards were opened, a concert of klezmer music, solo concerts and recitals of Jewish musicians and poets who come from Bukovina were held.
EAJC Public Relations and Media Department
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