Eastern Europe Sephardic Festival Offers "Unity & Hope" to Thousands
April 24, 2002
(Sofia, Bulgaria) – At a time of increasing international tension that finds European Jews seeking sources of strength and support, the Esperansa Sephardic Festival, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, provided them with an especially apt resource: each other.
Esperansa 2002 – the 3rd edition of this Biannual Sephardic Cultural event – took place over four days in May. The event was billed as a joyous exploration and celebration of Sephardic culture and delivered a wealth of Sephardic song, dance, theater and cuisine.
The festival concluded with a symbolic event that captures the desire of European Jews to tap into their cultural heritage. Six couples, ranging in age from 45 to 55, re-married each other in the kind of Jewish ceremony – complete with chuppa and traditional trappings – that was forbidden under communist regimes.
"These six Bulgarian couples want the young members of the community to see the kind of traditional ceremony they’ve never had a chance to see," said Mr. Diener. "And, just as importantly, the young people have expressed a desire to see these kinds of services, to get back in touch with their roots."
"Until 10 years ago, the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe were totally isolated from one another," explained JDC Desk Director for Eastern and Central Europe Jodi Guralnick. "Jews in formerly communist countries were cut off from each other, and there were very few opportunities for them to unite."
Jorge Diener, JDC Country Director for Bulgaria, said that many in these communities are looking for a way to tap into their rich cultural tradition. "The people in these isolated countries have a strong desire to get back to their roots, after living for so long under regimes that prevented them from expressing who they are culturally," said Mr. Diener. "This event gives them an opportunity to get back to those roots in a very visible way."
The JDC’s European Country Directors came together with the idea of starting a festival that would celebrate Sephardic Jews’ shared heritage, and provide a longer-lasting sense of unity and self-sufficiency. They organized the first Esperansa with Shalom, an organization of Bulgarian Jews.
The numbers alone speak to the success of the event. When it was first held in 1998, Esperansa attracted 150 people; this year, the JDC expects nearly twice that to attend the entire festival, with more than 800 slated to partake in the event’s final day. Participants are expected from Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, as well as Israel and the U.S.
The four-day program is packed with events and activities, from lectures, musical performances and stage plays to impromptu poetry readings and cooking classes. Participants also enjoyed a guided tour of Sofia and a number of outdoor activities.
But the real payoff of the event, according to Ms. Guralnick, is the sense of unity that Esperansa fosters. "The Jewish communities in Eastern Europe are actually fairly small," said Ms. Guralnick. "This event has helped to drive a sense of Jewish renewal among the communities that participate. That’s something that the people take with them after the event is over and share with those back home. It’s incredibly empowering."
Mr. Diener echoed these sentiments. "Esparansa means ‘hope’ in Ladino," he said. "The whole idea behind the festival is to instill that sense of hope in the people, to remind them of who they are."
As the main organizer of the event, the JDC sees the increased sense of identity as crucial to its own goals of community development and the creation of infrastructures for social services in the areas it serves.
"What we’re ultimately hoping to achieve is an Eastern European Jewish community that is totally self-sufficient," said Ms. Guralnick. "This event lays the groundwork for that, because we can’t achieve self-sufficiency without first making East European Jews aware that they are not alone, that they are part of something bigger."
Ms. Guralnick stressed that this is an especially critical time in the formation of that common identity. "This year, there is a feeling of isolationism among European Jews," she said. "Pushing towards a sense of solidarity and commonality helps to relieve that isolationism and reminds Jews that they are part of a large and robust community."
Ms. Guralnick points out, though, that even in these politically tenuous times, Esperansa 2002 was entirely celebratory in its feel.
Citing the example from a past festival of a 93-year-old woman appearing in a Ladino-language play with 70-year-old performers whom she had taught Ladino to decades earlier, Ms. Guralnick emphasized that Esperansa exposes participants to experiences they would never have otherwise.
"Esperansa provides a link through the ages," she said. "It lays our shared heritage out in real-world terms, and makes it come alive. When you see a pick-up band with members from five different countries playing songs that they all know by heart, everyone feels like they are part of something great, something lasting, and something strong."
