History of the Jewish Summer Festival from 1998 until today

Visitors can get to know the traditions and holidays of this thousands-of-years-old culture and can see performances of many world renowned artists.
The Jewish Tourism and Cultural Center organized the first festival in 1998 in the framework of the Budapest Jewish Community, choosing the Dohány Street Synagogue, Europe’s biggest and most spectacular synagogue as its center.
Not only is this synagogue one of Budapest’s most amazing sights, but is also a long-lasting symbol of Hungarian Jewry. Even prior to the festival concerts were held in this synagogue, and yet it was the Jewish Summer Festival that turned this magnificent building into a true concert hall. In 2006 we opened the Rumbach Sebestyén Street Synagogue to the public of the festival, built by the 20th century’s famed Viennese architect, Otto Wagner.
Jewish culture is represented during the festival through performances, concerts, exhibitions, youth and outdoor events, artisan and book markets and in all aspects of art.
Klezmer music, one the basic pillars of the event-series, was highly represented ever since the first Festival was organized.
We invited the best Klezmer bands of Austria, France, The Netherlands and naturally Hungary to an International Klezmer Festival.
The star of the new festival’s opening act was the world-famous Israeli cantor Dudu Fisher, whose amazing performance was even broadcasted by Hungarian national television.
We ended the literature, gastronomy and theater program’s event-series with a by now traditional cantor concert, bringing a massive success that surprised the organizers too with is innovative ideas and class.
The 1st Jewish Summer Festival has cashed in on its investments in all accounts. In addition to the amazing reviews from the public it meant an enormous professional achievement, thus creating a new tourist attraction, both for local and international visitors.
One of the most important results of the 2nd festival was that the number of visitors doubled and as the host of the events Budapest was no longer alone: four other cities in Hungary joined the event series with new programs.
Giora Feidman, the king of Klezmer held a full-house concert in the Dohány Street Synagogue, appearing also in the concerts of Budapest Klezmer Band and the Liszt Ferenc Kamarazenekar (Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra).
Performers started to arrive from the US as well. The Herbert Mark Newman Theatre introduced its production of the „Promised land”.
Performances of the Israeli Kombina Balett entitled Kri’at Shma and the Győri Balett’s Purim eve were a huge success and in the past 10 years have circled the globe.
The Örökmozgó Filmmúzeum (Örökmozgó Film Museum) played award-winning Israeli feature films and documentaries for a whole week.
In the following few years the Jewish Summer Festival became one of Hungary’s most influential cultural aspects, with its strong features and messages towards different segments of society.
For the year 2000, the anniversary of Karl Goldmark, we presented the composer’s Die Königin von Saba (The Queen of Sheba) opera. Ehud Olmert, the then-mayor of Jerusalem was also present. This was the first occasion the Hungarian National Opera House joined as one of the locations of the festival, where among others the two world-famous cantors, Israel Rand and Jakov Motzen went on stage. Amongst the most notable success stories are those of the Fiddler on the Roof musical production by the Hevesi Sándor Theatre of Zalaegerszeg with guest appearance by the Israeli Yiddish Theatre.
To make the Jewish Summer Festival known on an international scale was very important to the organizers, and in order to make that happen, excellent cultural and diplomatic relations needed to be used. We felt it important that the festival’s productions were „good enough to export” and that they may represent Hungarian Jewish culture in a way that is fit in different national days in other countries, just as was the case during the Hungarian days of London, the Magic Hungary event series.

The Secretary General of the Jewish World Congress was our guest in 2002. Serge Cwajgenbaum, praised the high standards of art and the level of organization. Amongst many others, guest-stars of the 5th Jewish Summer Festival were Yorma Uotinen from Finland and Yuval Pick from Israel, introducing a modern ballet with Andrea Ladányi and Csaba Horváth to the visitors.
Handel’s oratorio, Israel in Egypt was performed by the Hungarian National Opera House’s chamber orchestra, conducted by the young Daniel Grossman from Germany.
The 6th Jewish Summer Festival was an outstanding example of our festival’s selection being more prominent with each passing year, with artists such as Igor Oistrakh, Éva Marton, Rivka Golani and Ilona Tokody accepting our invitation and performing to the public.

In 2004 the American Klezmer musician, Yale Strom was the guest of the Budapest Klezmer Band, and this was the first time the Israeli Ankor Jerusalem Children Choir accepted our invitation.
At the 100th commemorative anniversary of the death of Theodor Herzl, visionary of the Jewish State, we held an exhibition in his memory in the Jewish Museum.
Maia Morgenstern, world renowned Romanian actress starred the Marienbad production in Yiddish, visited by the guests of the 8th festival, and as such we gave what small contribution we could to the renaissance of the Yiddish theatre.
In 2005 the Jewish Book Days welcomed one of the most notable creators of modern Israeli literature, A. B. Jehosua, whose newest work was introduced by Ágnes Heller and György Konrád.
The 10th jubilee event series was considered as a milestone in many respects. With a new image and ticket-selling method we held a onetime 2-week celebration.
The world famous violinist Pinchas Zukerman and his chamber orchestra, the 100-member Gypsy Band, László Fassang organist (winner of the 2004 Chartre International Organ Competition), Gergely Bogányi – our youngest ever Kossuth-award winning pianist, Shlomo Artzi – Israel’s most famous contemporary singer and Itzhak Meir Helgot, the “Pavarotti of cantors” honored the 10th Jewish Summer Festival.
In addition, the Jewish Cultural Festival of Cracow was also amongst our guests, with the photo-exhibition of Katarzyna Dorota, the paintings of the Shalom Gallery, a Klezmer concert and different films, thus widening our selection to an even richer range.
All together 67 events in 18 locations were open to the public between August 30 and September 8 of 2008.
Next to the musical strata of the festival several prestigious performers of the fine arts have also appeared. One of the most famous of them all is Andrzei Wajda’s, renowned director’s graphical exhibition in the Polish Institute.
The 11th Festival was advertised as the „Festival of Talent”, with an emphasis on the younger generation of artists, more and more of whom received the opportunity to perform.
A new color was brought to the event by a star-group of Israeli musical life, the world-famous virtuoso Adler Trio harmonica band, which captivated Budapest’s crowd with their unbelievable performance.
In connection to the Renaissance year the Festival took on its part as well. The Italian Culture Institute hosted the famous Lucidarium old-music band, to those of the most refined taste.
Every year we do our best to innovate in addition to the more traditional festival programs.
In 2009, for example, we held the first street carnival in the recently refurbished Gozsdu courtyard, the heart of the Jewish quarter, which carried the perfect ambiance to the entertaining facilities and the book fair, considered an integral part of the festival’s event series.
Many concerts appear in our selection, which grant us with a glimpse into the world of Sephardic music. Our goal was to make it possible to bring in the Jewish influence of the Balkans, Spain, India, Bulgaria and Turkey.
The Jewish Museum held the Robert Capa photo exhibition, and the Budapest Gallery hosted the works of Israeli painter Hanna Fluk.
The Uránia National Film Theatre presented a flamenco eve, staging the story of King David and Bat Sheba, performed by the Israeli Flamenco Dance Company.
Amongst our guests we welcomed the Sam Spiegel Film and Television Academy, with the KINO movie theatre introducing the short films prepared by the students of the academy.
The 12th Jewish Summer Festival ended with a most wondrous performance by Gavriel Lipkind, Israeli cellist, in the great hall of the Museum of Fine Arts.