שער לחיים יהודיים
The main theme of this year’s Festival is שָׁעַר – The Gate
Sha’ar / Gate is mentioned in the Tanakh about 374 times. In diverse contexts – whether historical or metaphorical, it always plays a crucial or even groundbreaking role in either mundane or mystical human life.
Long time ago, we laid a stone at the border of two worlds. Today, on its place, there is the Gate of the Jewish Culture Festival, built for thirty eight years by three generations of Poles, Jews and people of good will. Nothing will break this Gate: neither a disaster nor a human. You will not find it among material objects. This gate is inside each of us. It is שער החיים – the Gate of Life.
When crossing its threshold, you enter the space of Jewish culture, which – together with religion – was once a corner stone supporting Kazimierz – the one that no longer exists.
Our gate symbolizes the unity between people of diverse religions and nations
They come each year to Kazimierz, in order to take part in the celebration of the Jewish culture: the Jews, Christians, Muslims, citizens of Europe, Isreal, both America, Poland, Arabic countries, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus … Your presence at the gate of the Jewish Culture Festival creates a mystery of spiritual purification, releasing mutual respect, understanding and tenderness. In the dark times of hatred, this is redemption.
The Bible talks about mutual functions of a gate. Let me quote two of them: safety, when the gate is closed for the moment when the outer world poses a threat. And another meaning: free passage from one world to another when the gate is open.
The world (external one) today hates the Jews more than ever. Israel, the center of Jewish life and culture is perceived as evil incarnate. This crowd madness seems to have no end. A natural reflex would be to close the gate. We never do that.
The JCF – the gate of the Jewish Kazimierz has always been open and will always be – for those who – free from prejudice – want to meet within its space to celebrate life together. The Jewish life.
Everyone who enters the Gate is our guest. We treat them with the utmost respect, trusting that they will treat us with similar respect. At the Gate of Life – as in life itself – various things happen, some bordering on poetry and dreams, others bordering on painful reality. But forever and always within the bounds of freedom and respect for the dignity of others.
Entering the Gate and passing through it heralds a change in your life. It is entirely up to you what this change will be.
Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!
(Psalms 122; 2, 8)
עֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה־נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ׃
Janusz Makuch
