Just a reminder –the annual European Days of Jewish Culture festival kicks off on Sunday!
Hundreds of events will take place in more than two dozen countries, from September through November, and in some cases beyond….exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, performances, book events, food tastings, lectures, and more….
The overall theme this year is Family.
Most events can be accessed via the drop down menus on the general web site.
But some countries — like Italy (where the
EDJC kicks off Sept. 15), the UK, Austria, France, and Switzerland — have their own web sites with much more information and links to programs and events. You can access these national web sites from the general EDJC web page link.
A pan-European festival of tourism and education centered on Jewish built heritage, the EDJC has become Europe’s most successful cross-border Jewish cultural initiative.
Aimed mainly at local people, it seeks to educate about the role of Jewish heritage, culture, and history in local, regional, and Europe-wide context, among other things in order to demystify the Jewish world and promote understanding.
The official launch this years will take place in Erfurt, Germany — whose medieval Jewish complex — the Old Synagogue, the Mikveh, and the so-called Stone House — were included last year on UNESCO’s roster of World Heritage. In addition to honoring Erfurt’s UNESCO designation, the opening ceremony will also celebrate the inclusion of the Medieval Ashkenaz Route in the European Routes of Jewish Heritage, certified by the Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. The Medieval Ashkenaz Route aims to connect several cities in central Germany highlighting the medieval Jewish heritage.
In addition to the medieval Jewish heritage, Erfurt has two more recent synagogues — including one used by the active Jewish community; a Jewish cemetery dating from 1871 and still in use; and the site of the destroyed Old Cemetery. Several dozen preserved gravestones from the medieval Jewish cemetery are displayed in the Old Synagogue museum.
The EDJC was founded in 1999 as the European Day ( to Days) of Jewish Culture. It is coordinated by the AEPJ which offers training, resources and support to any organisation, institution or individual who wishes to organise an activity that allows Jewish culture to be shared with the whole of society. For a number of years, it has benefitted from collaboration with the National Library of Israel, which has developed exhibition and other materials.
JHE Director Ruth Ellen Gruber took part in the meeting that established the EDJC. For the Day’s 20th anniversary, she wrote an essay looking back on its two decades of development. Click here to read her essay: Reflecting on the European Day of Jewish Culture, 20 Years On
Click to access the AEPJ general page for the EDJC