The Tempel Synagogue has been the principal venue for the Jewish Culture Festival’s concerts since almost the very first edition. It is in this magnificent synagogue that the musical heart of the Festival beats every evening. Since 2019, however, the Festival’s daytime heart has been beating in the Festival Tent, which Festival founder Janusz Makuch described as follows:
Our shared Festival Tent of Encounters – a center for events, lectures, workshops, concerts, and meetings.
Why a tent? We were inspired by the story of the “biblical” tents, beginning with the one Moses pitched in the wilderness, where he spoke face to face with God.
From the dawn of human history, the tent has been inseparably linked to human existence. When, under Moses’ leadership, the Jews – then forming the future nation of Israel – set out across the desert toward their Promised Land, they lived in tents for forty years. To this day, so that the memory of that journey may endure, Jews celebrate one of the three pilgrimage festivals, Sukkot, by praying and sharing meals in temporary shelters known as sukkot, which are, in essence, a continuation of those ancient tents.
Each day during the seven-day festival of Sukkot, the tent is visited by special guests – the ushpizin. These are biblical figures, tzaddikim (the righteous), the Seven Faithful Shepherds: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. (…)
We pitch our Tent of Encounters because we want to welcome all of you into it, regardless of where you come from, what faith guides you, or what your native language may be. We open our Tent to everyone who, while being a fruit of the Earth, is also part of our shared Polish–Jewish universe.
The Festival Tent is the educational hub of every Festival edition. It is here that workshops, lectures, author talks, and panel discussions take place. The Tent also serves as the starting point for Festival tours and walks, while in the evening it transforms into a relaxed gathering space filled with good music and film screenings.
It is also a place for your own encounters and conversations – the very heart of Festival life beats here.
Take a look at what will be happening in the Festival Tent this year
In the Tent, we also open Cheder 2.0 every year. While waiting for Festival events to begin, you can enjoy a cup of traditional Middle Eastern coffee brewed in a finjan, or try a more contemporary fusion of coffee with tonic water or orange juice. You will also find Cheder’s homemade cakes and Middle Eastern snacks, and on Saturday be sure to join us for a Shabbat breakfast with live music and dancing.
Cheder is the Festival club – a place where you can meet one another, our artists, our volunteers, and all of us who create this Festival for you.