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Sukkot World Festival reaching diverse nations

The Israeli city of Netanya hosted the first-ever Sukkot World Festival on 16-18 October, at the Shlulit Park in Netanya, in salute to the diverse traditions of Jewish communities across the globe.

Coordinated by the municipality with the Ministry for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs and Beit Hatfutsot’s, Museum of the Jewish People, the festival introduced thousands of visitors to different ways of celebrating the fall harvest holiday, when the Jewish people eat their meals in outdoor huts (sukkot) like the ancient Jews lived in following their exodus from Egypt.

Representatives of 21 countries accepted the invitation to build model sukkot at Winter Lake Park in the Israeli coastal city. Participating countries were; Argentina, Belarus, Canada, England, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Holland, Italy, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, Peru, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the US.

Each booth was designed in the style traditional to local Jewish communities, and featured other aspects particular to the country. For instance, the Canadian sukkah offered a demonstration of musical instruments made out of shells, paint buckets, pots and pans in order to show how Canada is one of the world’s leaders in recycling. Visitors also had a chance to sample dishes from the various countries on the festival’s Avenue of Flavors.

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Israeli book artist creates wonders

For Israeli artist Ido Agassi, creating works of art using materials generally used for books is a journey.

Agassi, showcased his book art as part of a special exhibition marking the millennial anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana. This was held at the Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

The exhibition programmes main theme is to raise awareness of the meaning and value of the ancient woodcrafts, sustaining the 1000 year-old wisdom of the Tripitaka in today’s world.

Agassi is representing Israel in the international exhibition that invited 60 artists from 60 countries to display how books have evolved into an art form.

Artists have been active in printing and book production for centuries, but the artist’s book is primarily a late 20th century form.

Agassi displayed the David and Goliath book at the exhibition. “One side is written in Hebrew, the other side in Korean, with gold lettering of the Old Testament verse Samuel 17:49,” Agassi said.

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Ignoring Romania’s complicity is not an option

More than 70 years after World War II, one would think that few secrets remain from what might be the most heavily researched and examined period ever in world history. Each year, however, historians uncover new elements to the scope of horror that defined this era and in particular the Holocaust.

One such example must be the complicity of the Romanian government in the murder of more than 400,000 Jews, the vast majority of them in the villages and forests of the Ukraine. Among Hitler’s allies, the Romanians are all too often forgotten.

In 1939, at the outbreak of WWII, Romania adopted an official policy of neutrality. However the increasing instability in Europe and growing anti-Semitism lead a Fascist political force known as the Iron Guard to rise to power. The regime’s policy platform was staunchly anti-communist and ultranationalistic. Members were known for their virulent anti- Semitism. During this period, the growing weakness of Romania’s main territorial guarantors France and Britain became increasingly obvious. The Iron Guard already favoured an alliance with Nazi Germany and hoped their alliance would ensure similar territorial guarantees from the Germans.

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