Poland: Krakow Jewish Culture Festival honored

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Mazel tov to the Krakow Jewish Cultural Festival, which has been granted the “Festivals for Europe, Europe for Festivals” label by the European Festivals Association!

Some 715 festivals from 39 countries received the 2017-2018 EFFE Label as ‘remarkable festivals’ in Europe.

The Jury stated that it wanted “to give the greatest diversity of festivals the opportunity to move forward as part of this European festival community. ”

During its deliberations, the Jury was impressed by the immense quality, diversity and exposure of festivals – and their commitment to access and inclusion. It also underlined the consistent artistic choices made by festival makers in programming artists of the past, the present and those emerging for the future. Innovative or regenerative approaches and transformative processes were remarked on as important features of the festivals in EFFE. 

The Krakow Jewish Culture Festival was founded in 1988 and since then has become a major event on the summer calendar in Krakow.

Probably the biggest and best-known Jewish culture festival in Europe, it takes place each year at the end of June – beginning of July, drawing thousands of people from Poland and around the world to its concerts, workshops, lectures, guided tours, performances, and other events. Participants include local people as well as major international artists.

This year it takes place June 24-July 2.

Most Festival events are held in the city’s former Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, the largest and best-preserved old Jewish quarter in Europe. The area includes seven synagogues, two Jewish cemeteries, historic streets, squares, and other infrastructure — as well as an active JCC, the headquarters of the established Jewish religious community, three Jewish-themed museums, Jewish bookstores, the Jagiellonian University’s Jewish studies center, and a variety of Jewish-themed cafes, galleries, and shops.

Web site of the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival