Director Nils Busch-Petersen and his team are now presenting the Louis Lewandowski Festival for the 14th time. Every year, always around Hanukkah time, this festival pays tribute to the great Jewish-German composer Louis Lewandowski, who became famous above all for revitalizing and opening up the Jewish liturgy. Since its inception, this festival has been a crowd-puller and an integral part of Berlin’s cultural calendar.

This year’s motto “Unknown Voices of Israel – Music of Ancient Tribes of Oriental Jews” is a special sign one year after the barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas, because the melodies, keys and choice of instruments of the Oriental Jews are very much influenced by the musical culture of the Arab countries of origin.

It brings together impressive artists such as Jeanette Rotstein Yehudaiyan, the Atanu Ensemble, the Yamma Teiman Ensemble and Cantor Yair Zabari. These musicians offer a rich musical range from Yemenite to Persian influences that are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. Festival-goers will enjoy a cultural and spiritual experience through concerts and programs that promote musical diversity and intercultural dialogue.

As the Jewish Community of Berlin, we also see this festival as an expression of solidarity for Israel and the Jewish community worldwide.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved, who have once again succeeded in putting together an extremely interesting, varied and artistically impressive program.
I wish the organizers, the artists and the hopefully very numerous guests every success and I very much hope that peace will soon be restored in Israel.

At Israel Chai!