Kind of a big dill! Jewish Culture Month will bring ‘balm to our souls’
Launch of festival highlights celebrates impact of Jews on British culture
The inaugural Jewish Culture Month was launched on Sunday at the Freud Museum in Hampstead in front of 150 guests including Communities Secretary Steve Reed MP, broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, the new director general of the BBC Matt Brittin, representatives from participating cultural institutions and a giant pickle.
Organised by the Board of Deputies and curated by Liat Rosenthal, the Board’s Director of Culture, Education and Communities, the festival aims to “change the narrative of what it means to be a Jew in the UK,” said Board of Deputies Chief Executive Michael Wegier. More than 100 events are planned across the country, including food, music, comedy, workshops and historical walking tours.
Guests at the launch were invited to explore Freud’s study and view works by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. An analyst and artist also welcomed visitors onto a couch to share their dreams, with guests receiving artistic interpretations of their dreamscapes to take home. Attendees had the opportunity to hear brief talks on themes related to Freud and Jewish culture.
Board of Deputies acting president Adrian Cohen said: “We’re calling for less oy and more joy. This is about opening doors, inviting people in, and celebrating culture, not as something fragile, but something living, confident, and shared.”
Liat Rosenthal said: “Jewish Culture Month shines a light on the remarkable organisations that are already sustaining and shaping Jewish cultural life across the UK – JW3, UK Jewish Film, Jewish Literay Foundation, Manchester Jewish Museum, amongst many others.”
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for housing, communities and local government spoke movingly about the historical contributions of the Jewish community to Britain, including its impact on politics, literature, business, science, education, and the arts. “Jewish experience cannot just be about defending against fear, it also has to be an expression of hope and joy and freedom,” he said.
National institutions spotlighting their Jewish collections and stories include the British Museum, British Library, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of the Home, Science Museum, The Whitworth, Manchester Museum, Museum of Liverpool, The Story Museum and the BBC.
Vanessa Feltz said: “This revivifying month of Jewish culture will bring balm to our souls and smiles to our faces and much needed stimulation to our beleaguered brains.”
Jewish Culture Month runs nationwide until 16 June. jewishculturemonth.org.uk
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