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It is the sixth year that the Coomunity Festival of the Jewish
Book is held in Kazakhstan. This year 12 cities of the country took part
in it. For the communities of small localities mobile exhibitions and
literary soirees were arranged, and concerts were prepared by the JCC
staff. The festival has become one of the most effective means of Jewish
culture dissemination throughout Kazakhstan.
 The
final event of OFEK 2003 was the "Lanes" concert program presented
in Almaty on October 19. It was created and performed by the Karaganda
music and artistic group "Ot Azoy" ("That's the way!").
Thanks to them both popular and little known Yiddish songs sounded anew.
 Besides
for the "Ot Azoy" vocalists - Irina Kozhanovskaya, Ira
Revenko, Ulya Archipova, and Ivan Nebesny, the participants of the concert
were an instrumental quartet, a laureate of international competitions
"Fairyland" dance group, and a soloist of Karaganda philharmonic
Emilia Kichikyan. The leader of the "Shemesh" JCC drama studio
Natalya Sohrannaya acted as a compere. It was difficult to define the
genre of their program. The Yiddish melodies, jokes, and merry dances
made it a real music performance. A brilliant, striking, and really professional
concert left nobody indifferent.
 "The
final event of OFEK is always a big holiday," said the President
of "Mitsva" Association Alexandr Baron. "It is remembered
better than others. That is why we use this chance to present something
new. And this "news" becomes a basis for the further creation,
a ticket for the next OFEK".
 The
Festival of the Jewish Book is like a general and simultaneous prayer.
The book helps the nations to understand each other, and makes the community
more united. OFEK shows the unity of the Jewish people to the world. The
festival 2003 is over, and preparations for OFEK 2004 are beginning!
Galina Goldberg
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