Mazal Tov festival to showcase Jewish culture in Košice

The fourth annual Jewish culture festival 'Mazal tov' (Hebrew for 'good luck') will take place in Košice on June 24 - 27, including music, literature and theatre. The organisers want to showcase not only traditional Jewish culture but also new inspirational arts, so more space will be given to young Israeli artists. A look at the work of writer Etgar Keret (on June 24) will provide a view of life in present-day Israel. Beáta Grünmanová will discuss the topic, while Peter Kočiš will read out the texts. Singer and songwriter Gitla (June 25) and the band Sumsum, which plays an original fusion of gypsy, klezmer and Middle-Eastern folk (June 26), will also take part. Klezmer, the musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews, will also feature at the festival. It will be provided by a band called Létající rabín (lit. Flying Rabbi) from Prostějov, the Czech Republic. For children and their parents there will be a puppet show put on by the Golem theatre and Prague studio Damúza, based on motifs of stories from old Prague's Jewish quarter (June 27). Polish movie Pokłosie (Aftermath) will be shown at the festival (June 24), and there will be a quiz on Jewish culture, art and traditions (June 26), plus Jewish food and wine tasting (June 26). "The Mazal Tov festival supports tolerance and understanding between the people of Košice through art. Participation in previous events shows that local people are interested in Jewish culture and sends a message to the world that we haven't forgotten our own history, in which Jews played a significant part", announced the organisers. The festival events will be held at Woont art studio at 3 Strojárenská Street and at Kulturpark at 2 Kukučínova Street. The festival schedule is available online at mazaltov.sk/mazal-tov-2015-aktualny-program-festivalu/