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13.Jewish Summer Festival

August 26 - September 6, 2010

The Jewish Summer Festival has reached its 13th year

In 2010 the Jewish Summer Festival will arrive to a symbolic anniversary, as according to Jewish tradition our festival will now come of age.
This is the age where boys are accepted into the adult community, this independence within the religion is also made evident when the boy is publicly called to the Torah. The occasion is marked by the Bar Mitzvah festivities and family feasts. In modern prayers this is a ceremonial occasion, when parents, relatives and friends lift the spirit of the occasion by granting the Bar Mitzvah gifts.
On August 29 the 13th Jewish Summer Festival will debut in the Dohány Street Synagogue with the Bar Mitzvah Fest, where in addition to the Israeli cantor Shai Abramson we will welcome cantors László Fekete and György Sándor, who will be joined by the Judrom Klezmer Gipsy Band and Ferenc Balogh as returning guests.
We hope the occasion will grant thousands of people the opportunity to get to know one of our most beautiful traditions.

We do our best to offer something new to our visitors each year, hence this time a Nought Day concert will open the festival. The Dohány Street Synagogue will be the venue of the Boban Markoics Orkestar, one of the most popular world-music bands, for the first time, intertwining Balkan, Jewish and Gipsy music on August 26. Marko Markovic child prodigy is one of the most well-known brass players on the continent, hearing him play with his father is considered as a special treat to all connoisseurs. It is widely expected to be a sold-out event of an era. As such, our one-week extravaganza will be held for 10 days.

The second point on our schedule for Nought Day is Péter Nádas’s Gathering (Találkozás) show at the Budapest Chamber Theatre, where Ildikó Bánsági will share one of the most touching love stories of all with her on-stage partner, Péternek Bozsó. Director is the Israeli Ilan Eldad, a well-known theatre man in Hungary too.


On August 28, the Urania National Film Theatre will host an evening considered extraordinary in many ways, with Boldizsár László, the former front man of the Cotton Club Singers, to the gourmands of music. With his old band-mates Orsoly Kozma and Gabriella Szűcs this will surely be an authentic swing eve by the cotton clubbers, as they perform the songs of 13 different Jewish composers of the 20th century, including Cole Porter, Glenn Miller, John Kander and Fred Ebb.
On our official opening day of August 29 we offer a knee-slapping funny comedy at the Karinthy Theatre to those who prefer a lighter evening out, directed by Gyula Bodrogi and performed by the famed Ágnes Voith, Cecília Esztergályos, Róbert Koltai and György Kézdy.

László Dés life-achievement concerts in the Urania National Film Theatre and the Dohány Street Synagogue

The Urania National Film Theatre will hold the first life-achievement concert series. László Dés, by far one of the most popular Hungarian performers and composers has accomplished so much in his art that only snippets of his work can be presented in such a short period of time. His creations will come to life on stage performed by Fernec Snétberger, Tamás Somló, Dorottya Udvaros, Ibolya Oláh, Ági Szalóki and Angéla Póka. One of the unique evenings of the series will be the Word and Music concert, where the elite of Hungarian literature, Lajos Parti Nagy, Péter Esterházy, György Spiró and Pál Závada will read from their works, with improvisational music by László Dés, András Dés and József Barcza.

The guest star during the „That’s the song” concert as part of the László Dés concert series will be Ferenc Snétberger on September 1, with Iboly Oláh and Ágnes Szalóki joining in on a number of songs on this very special occasion.
The cherry of this musical master-event series will be the musical Somewhere in Europe held on September 4 in the Dohány Street Synagogue.

In addition to the Dés concerts the Urania National Film Theatre will also grant the stage to another extraordinary event, the Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht eve performed by Eszter Csákányi. The concert, widely acknowledged as a musical and theatrical masterpiece, will host Ferenc Darvas on the piano and László Ernyei on the harmonics.
Judit Hernádi, one of the stars of our events will have her own evening entitled “More than a concert”, working together with the Good Afternoon band, will perform gorgeous love songs, blues and hit tunes. Her guests include Gergely Pálinkás heading the band and Gábor Heilig.

Hungary, Dazzling and Bejewelled

The 100-member Gypsy band will hold this extraordinary concert, playing the hits, operettas and movie themes of Jewish composers on August 30. The show is entitled „Hungary, Dazzling and Bejewelled!”. This tune, taken from the operetta Bride from Hamburg was made world-renown by Béla Bartók, as in the concerto the ode to the motherland is the main motif.

Those who sing this pure nationalistic song with such vigour today are clearly not aware of the fact that the composer Zsigmond Vincze and Ernő Kulinyi who wrote the lyrics were both Jewish. Hungarian Jews, but to them, just Jews. This time, the 100 member gypsy band will play the whole and nothing but the truth. Solo acts for this very special event will be performed by Zsolt Homonnay and Lilla Polyák.

Mariann Falusi and Péter Kálmán will perform Gershwin and Bernstein on August 31 at the Dohány Street Synagogue. The Military male-choir will appear as a special guest, with the assistance of the Péter Sárik Trio and the Mókus string quartet of Edina Szirtes.

The Budapest Ragtime Band will perform the Chaplin and the music show on September 2, combining the world-famous music of Charlie Chaplin and the more traditional ragtime hits, with guest appearance by stage actor László Szacsvay.

Matisyahu, the Hassidic king of reggae debuts in Hungary

One of the more unique acts amongst our foreign guest stars is the orthodox rapper and reggae singer Matisyahu, who already has millions of fans across the globe, coming to Budapest and Europe for the first time on September 5, giving a concert at the Syma Hall.
Presumably, he is the first ultra-orthodox star of the rock world. The young star conveys his Biblical message in a black suit and white shirt in a pounding reggae rhythm.
Yuth, his third album that hit the stores last March reached No. 4 on the American lists and Matisyahu became one of the biggest stars of MTV. He was also nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for best reggae performer. One of the pillars of Matisyahu’s concerts is Hassidic dance, which stands unique by the separation of men and women during dance while performed and even requires a curtain between the sexes to avoid even the slightest bit of sexual tension.
According to Matisyahu dance represents and fortifies the love for God and the whole of His creation. He believes Rastafarian culture and Judaism have many things in common, as even Bob Marley quoted the Bible on numerous occasions.
The pop music elite have accepted him without difficulties. He spent Passover at Madonna’s; the Beastie Boys have already made a remix of one of his hits.

Amongst the foreign stars, the internationally famed Beer Sheba Theatre’s production will honour our festival for the first time, with their show of Edith Piaf. Yolit Tubi Israeli actress received the award for best actress of 2009 for her portrayal of Piaf.

André Hajdú chamber eve, a special opera performance, Gavriel Lipkind, Barbara Fuchs, Orsolya Korcsolán and Szilvia Kárászy in the Rumbach Street Synagogue

Our high-standard chamber music events will be highlighted by the Israeli Tafillalt Ensemble, playing the works of the internationally renowned Hungarian composer André Hajdú and his „The Floating Tower” cycle.
Three young, innovative Israeli composers/performers explore the roots of Hebrew prayer and song in their ancient and modern expressions in an attempt to adapt it on the one hand, to the changing patterns of life over time and on the other, to the expression of each individual. They navigate in the multicultural soundscape of 21st century Israel and present a unique interpretation of various traditional and modern Jewish materials (sacred Hebrew poetry from
North Africa and the Middle East, Hassidic Niggunim, modern secular Hebrew poetry and more) and original musical and literary compositions. Established in 2000, the members of the Tafillalt ensemble gathered during their study with Israeli composer/educator Prof. André Hajdu in Jerusalem.
This group collectively produced (on behalf of the Israel Festival) the now internationally acclaimed show Kulmus ha-nefesh (Writing from within) in 2004 based on ancient Habad Nigunim and in 2007 The Floating Tower, music-theatre piece based on texts from the Mishna. The original musical language of Tafillalt is based on deep listening and learning of traditional music and texts, improvisation and modern compositional techniques.

The closing accord for our last year’s concert was the young Israeli cellist Gavriel Lipkind, who this year performs with the National Philharmonics of Grazioso Chamber Orchestra, including the debut of Ezio Bosso’s Moses. Bruch, Schumann and Tchaikovsky’s works are also part of their show.

Szilvia Kárászy will hold the „Kabbalah and the arts” show in the Rumbach Street Synagogue, talking, singing and playing about the connection of Kabbalah and the arts with her guests.

“Kabbalah is the closest science to humanity. Its teachings tell us why humans exist, why were we born, live, the meaning of life, where do we come from and where do we go after we finish the road that lies ahead of us in this life.”

Topics of the performance:
Kabbalah painting
Colour effects and the Universe
Kabbalah in literature
Healing sound
The connection between numbers and music in Kabbalah


Judit Polgár pianist will go on stage with Swiss singer Barbara, performing the creations of Viktor Ullmann, Mahler and Alban Berg on September 1 on a very special evening.
The young soprano is recognized both here and around the globe. She is a returning guest in Germany’s biggest opera houses and has also won the biggest award granted by the city of Salzburg for her rendition of Richard Strauss’s Zerbinetta in Ariadne at the famous Salzburg Festival. The name of her piano accompanist might ring a few bells, as Judit Polgár is the daughter of our renowned bass player László Polgár, graduated as the student of Irwin Gage and Hartmut Höll in 2005, and who was invited to the Jewish Summer Festival for the first time to enrich the palette of talented artists.
The artists of the Hungarian National Opera House will perform „Papageno and company” on September 5 at 5 p.m. for the lovers of this genre, with Mozart, Verdi, Saint-Saens, Puccini and Bizet in their repertoire. Soloists are Beatrix Fodor, András Hábetler, László Szvétek and Bernadett Wiedemann. Kálmán Szennai performs on the piano.

In addition to chamber music, dance and literature will also lift our spirits in this magnificent architectural creation of Otto Wagner, the Rumbach Street Synagogue.

On August 31, the György Kézdy literary eve will have poems by Ottó Orbán, Ervin Lázár, Frigyes Karinthy and Zoltán Zelk, and on September 5 two young choreographers, Noémi Kulcsár and Zoltán Fodor will debut with their show Shulchan Aruch, Set Table, telling a story in dance about Bar Mitzvah and Wedding, two significant parts in Jewish culture.

Plastic arts and films

Art exhibition will be held at the Ráday Gallery, the Budapest Gallery, the Slovak Institute and the Rumbach Street Synagogue.

The Ráday Gallery recently moved to a new location and awaits visitors under Bartók Béla út 25. for its new opening on August 26. Artist László Révész’s works are on display, from his “Kifestőkönyv nem csak kicsiknek” (paint book not only for children) to “Én is éltem Eritreában” (I also lived in Eritrea) until the end of September in the gallery.
The Budapest Gallery, as a veteran of our festival, will exhibit the works of photographer György Gáti, in an exhibition entitled Feeling – Images of an anthroposhpere from August 29 for three weeks. Gáti presents a personal photographic creational way of thinking, affecting our six senses through images between and beyond.
The Slovak Institute will present the history of the Jewish cemetery of Bratislava from August 30, entitled the metamorphosis of Chatam Sofer in images.
The Rumbach Synagogue will host the paintings of the young pianist Szilvia Kárászy, inspired by the Kabbalah, from August 30 for three weeks.



The arts of the big screen will be represented by the Jerusalem-based director, director Omri Givon’s 7 minutes in Heaven, debuting in Hungary on August 26 at 8:30 p.m. at the Urania National Film Theatre.
The emotional piece’s heroine, Galia, suffers from burns and partial amnesia due to a terrorist attack, while her friend lies in a coma. When the man dies a year later the woman relives the tragedy. The drama won best movie award at the Haifa and the „A” category Warsaw International Film Festivals.

Gozsdu courtyard

Last year we started the tradition of a book and artisanal fair at the newly renovated Gozsdu courtyard, continuing this year at this, one of Budapest’s most beautiful downtown areas, assisted by the festival’s strong marketing and advertising campaign. The fair will be held between August 26 and 30.

The country side

Though on a smaller scale, our festival expands outside of Budapest this year as well, as a prologue we will appear on August 22 in Tiszafüred on the day of Jewish Culture and Gastronomy. Star appearances will be made by the Budapest Klezmer Band, celebrating their 20th anniversary in Debrecen on September 5 as a true representative of the Jewish Summer Festival. Pécs, as the Cultural Capital of Europe will host the young violinist Orsolya Korcsolán, who will appear with her musical partner in the Pécs Synagogue on August 30.

Tickets:

Due to last year’s success the main ticket-vendor for this year’s festival is Interticket, meaning tickets will be available in hundreds of ticket offices and naturally online as well. Nonetheless, progress must be made on all accounts and as such Jegymester will also take a grand part in the sales online.
This year ticket purchases via SMS are also tested, hence tickets for the Matisyahu concert on September 5 will also be available via text messaging.
It must be noted that the Festival’s ticket office will open on July 1, but not under the usual address in Síp street 12., but in the Jewinform office at the Dohány Street Synagogue, offering not only tickets but also information regarding the program.
For further information please visit the Jewish Summer Festival’s website: www.zsidonyarifesztival.hu.
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Marketing:

We attempt to reach our target audience with a strong advertising and marketing campaign this year too, trying to attract as many culturally open people as we possibly can. The image of the festival has basically remained unchanged, our image has the same young and dynamic design as ever, with only minor changes targeted at the requirements of the 21st century.
The advertising campaign included all classical methods (TV, printed press, radio, billboard, internet), as our commercials intensify since the beginning of June: city light ads have started to appear on June 15, followed by a set on July 1. It is worth mentioning that we also plan to have a billboard campaign in the big cities of our neighbouring and surrounding countries (Vienna, Bratislava, Krakow).

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We would also like to express our gratitude to those media-sponsors who assist both Jewish Culture and us.