by tskzThe time of celebration of the Jewish High Holy Days is now behind us! Members of individual branches of the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland jointly celebrated the most joyful festivals in the Jewish holiday calendar i.e., Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. The agenda of the events hosted in specific locations was filled with various types of activities i.e., concerts, lectures and workshops.
WARSAW
ROSH HASHANAH: On 17 September, on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, members and friends of TSKŻ Warsaw gathered together at Babel Club. The festive afternoon was made even more exceptional, thanks to Sławomir Holland, who presented a stage monodrama titled “Nothing New Under the Sun”. The show featured a selection of texts by Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński, Marian Herman, Jerzy Jurandot and Julian Tuwim, etc. New Year’s greetings were delivered by Ms Ewa Prończuk, Head of TSKŻ Branch. There was also the traditional refreshments and small Christmas gifts.
SUKKOT: On the occasion of Sukkot, on 7th October, a tour from Nieborów to Łowicz was organised for the members of TSKŻ Warsaw. First of all, the tour participants visited the palace in Nieborów and the baroque garden surrounding the palace. While at this historic site, they learnt about the heroic attitude of Izabella Radziwill, who, during the Second World War, engaged her entire family in saving the Jewish community. At the Łowicz Museum, visitors learned about local history and art. The guests also learned about the history of the Jewish inhabitants, which was presented in the Museum’s memorial chamber. Krzysztof Kaliński, a historian and long-term City Mayor, told the story of the occupation fate of one third of the town’s inhabitants. Having visited the Jewish cemetery, thanks to the mayor’s generosity, the tour participants had the opportunity to see the interior of the Town Hall.
KATOWICE
ROSH HASHANAH: On 10th September, the new year’s celebrations of Rosh Hashanah 5784 took place at TSKŻ Branch in Katowice. The guests were welcomed by Paweł Grabiec, Chair of the Branch, who spoke of the meaning and purpose of the holiday. Apart from the members of TSKŻ Katowice, the event was also attended by Joanna Janecka, who represented the Voivodship Office, and Zofia Szota, Senior Curator of the Museum of History in Katowice. Delicious festive dishes were prepared by Helena Grzebień, Vice-Chair of the Branch. The festivities were accompanied by a performance by an Israeli artist, Ms Danuta Morel.
WAŁBRZYCH
ROSH HASHANAH: On Saturday, 16th September, the Wałbrzych Old Mine hosted the Jewish Culture and Cuisine Festival, organised as part of the Rosh Hashanah celebrations. In the smithy hall, a lecture on Jewish artists in the inter-war period was given by Tamara Włodarczyk. Juliusz Ursyn Niemcewicz also performed on stage with his show “Farewell Old Man, as the New Year Beckons”.
ŁÓDŹ
Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot: On 28th September, members of TSKŻ Łódź were invited to watch the performance by Henryk Rajfer, an actor at the Jewish Theatre in Warsaw, and Juliusz Ursyn Niemcewicz, a tenor singer from the Silesian Opera House. The event was organised as part of the Jewish High Holy Days i.e., Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. After the concert, all the guests gathered together at the table filled with festive meals.
WROCŁAW
ROSH HASHANAH: On 23th September, the Branch members and invited guests gathered together in the capital of Lower Silesia on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah 5784. The numerous guests with obvious fondness took an active part in the repertoire played by the invited artists Henrik Rajfer and Juliusz Ursyn Niemcewicz, who introduced an optimistic New Year’s atmosphere in a dance-like manner. As part of the festive dinner, local branch member, Ms Izabela Szpacenko, prepared traditional Jewish dishes. The festive meal brought everyone even more into the champagne mood.
SUKKOT: On 14th October, on the occasion of Sukkot, a concert was held featuring such artists as Maurycy Huf, a graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, and Marek Szymański, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp. After a musical prelude, the guests were treated to festive refreshments. During the meeting, all attendees listened to the Israeli anthem ‘Hatikva’ and observed a minute’s silence to honour the victims of Hamas.
CRACOW
SUKKOT: On 8th October, members of TSKŻ Cracow visited the Museum of Ethnography in Krakow. The museum’s custodian, Magdalena Zych, talked about the history of numerous Jewish artefacts from the museum’s collection. After the tour of the museum, the participants moved to the Branch premises and, in a joyful atmosphere, enjoyed their festive meal.
SZCZECIN
SUKKOT: On 30th September, TSKŻ Szczecin hosted a festive dinner on the occasion of the Feast of Booths. The meeting took place in a wonderful, genuinely family-like atmosphere.
GLIWICE
ROSH HASHANAH and SUKKOT: On 16th September, members of Gliwice Branch gathered together to celebrate the two most important festivals in Judaism. On that day, there was a New Year’s concert performed by Joanna Kściuczyk-Jędrusik, a soloist of the Silesian Opera in Bytom. A sweet entry into the New Year was facilitated by challah, apples, fish and the most delicious tzimmes.
DZIERŻONIÓW
ROSH HASHANAH: On 15th September, members of TSKŻ Dzierżoniów had an opportunity to watch an excellent performance of Klezmerado Band, which is a long-term promoter of traditional Jewish music originating from the 19th and 20th centuries. The event was co-hosted by the Cultural Centre of Dzierżoniów.
LEGNICA
On 22 September, members of the Legnica branch celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot together. The traditional refreshments were honoured with a performance by an irreplaceable duo – Henryk Rajfer and Juliusz Ursyn Niemcewicz. The artists put everyone in a champagne mood.
The events held on the occasion of the Jewish High Holy Days have been supported by the grant of the Ministry of Interior and Administration.
