Festival Culture of Peace

Between 2^nd and 22^nd of May 2008 Amudei Shalom and the Tzavta Theatre staged the 6^th annual festival Culture of Peace in several locations throughout Israel. Some 4,000 people turned out to celebrate with us the vision of a peaceful and shared Mediterranean culture.

Main act this year was the famous French singer Sapho and her band. Sapho, herself of Moroccan-Jewish descent concentrated on songs by Leo Ferrer but also gave some insight in her extensive experience with her North-African roots, singing tunes by Umm-Kultumm. Sapho gave three performances in front of enthusiastic crowds: Two in Tzavta-Theatre and one in Nazareth.

Of course, we had the usual “Kabbalat Shabbat”, the reception of Shabbat with the famous writers Hayim Guri and Ram Oren, as well as with Prof. Oz Almog from Tel Aviv University and other distinguished guests. Together they discussed the state of Israeli society, and newest developments of politics and culture under the light of peace and coexistence.

The Young Jewish-Arab Theatre, also part of the Amudei Shalom project, staged their play “Memory Lane” as a part of the festival. The got celebrated frenetically by the audience.

Of course, we had also our famous and notorious belly-dancing shows, the Diwan Project, a Rock-Opera and last but not least the Nazareth Orchestra performing in Tel Aviv and Nazareth, the event in Nazareth being opened by the minister for Sports and Culture and Israel’s first Arab cabinet-member Mr. Raleb Majadle. Altogether there were more than two dozen performances in Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Houra.

Meanwhile the staff of Amudei Shalom and Tzavta is already busy preparing the 7^th festival in 2009. Special focus for next year: 30 years of peace between Israel and Egypt.