The 17th Jewish Culture Festival – Singer’s Warsaw completed

Another edition of the festival is behind us. For the first time, the Festival reached for a new formula adopting it to a new lifestyle. A truly diverse artistic offer was more accessible than ever – online and offline participation was available.

Concerts, live performances also the traditional meetings with writers and artists, events promoting the latest books, film screenings, educational walks around Warsaw, debates, and workshops were more intimate than in previous years.

In 2020, the Festival’s main venue moved from Grzybowski Square to Praga Koneser Center. Concerts and stage shows took place in the Nożyk Synagogue, on the Summer Stage of the Jewish Theatre, in Kwadrat Theatre, Arsus Cultural Center, Wawer Cultural Center and Warsaw’s clubbing stages – Hard Rock Cafe and Pardon, to tu and the meetings in the Austrian Cultural Forum and the National Film Archive.

During the past edition, our stages hosted Kayah & Transoriental Orchestra, Kroke, Włodek Pawlik Trio, Vadim Brodski, Warszawskie Combo Taneczne, Monika Chrząstowska & Sentido, Mikołaj Trzaska, Jerzy Małek Trio, Szymon Łukowski Trio, Jachna/Kądziela/Gwadera Group and many others. Despite the epidemiological restrictions, we also welcomed guests from abroad: cantor Yoni Rose and Karsten Troyke & Sharon Brauner duet from Germany, Francesco Bruno Quartet from Italy, Pressburger Klezmer Band from Slovakia, Vienna Tango Sextett from Austria and Liudas Mockunas from Lithuania.

We had the opportunity to see the stage show presented by our guests from Denmark “Job – A Simple Man” and the most interesting shows of the Jewish Theatre in Warsaw, including “Gołda’s Terrace” and “PeKiN”. 

Some of the most important festival events include the interviews conducted by Remigiusz Grzela with Professor Irene Veisaite, Daniel Passent and Mirosław Tryczyk as well as the interviews hosted by Katarzyna Montgomery with our guests, and sessions with Jewish literature interpreted by Danuta Stenka and Zbigniew Zamachowski.

There were also traditional events, such as the Shabbat Shalom evening at Grzybowski Square and open days organized by the Third Age University and the Yiddish Cultural Center.

It wasn’t an easy year but there were plenty of things happening and this festival is officially recognized as very successful. We are also happy that our guests who visited us from all over the world liked so much following our online festival events. 

Soon, we will be posting on our website an extensive collection of photographs documenting the most recent festival, there will also be an opportunity to see selected festival events online again.