First Jewish Book Community Festival was started in September of 1997. That has been a new project, directed on keeping cultural heritage of Jewish nation. That time 31 CIS city took part in OFEK. And now OFEK covers 15 cities and 10 inhabited places of Kazakhstan.

   A new meeting of Almaty citizens with Book Festival was held in the children's library named after Begalin. The meeting was organized by "Mitsva" Association and children's library workers. A big Rosh-Ha-Shannah holiday for schoolchildren helped young Kazakhstani generation to get acquainted to the Jewish culture and customs.

   An exhibition of children's drawings, handmade articles of ceramics, dough and colored paper, organized by members of "Osher" Children's Creative center was arranged at the library foyer. Almaty pupils had been looking at figures of animals, watercolor drawings and amazing design of Shabbat candlesticks with great interest.

   The exposition called "Books by Jewish authors" was arranged at the second floor of reading hall and became the main point of the holiday. The evening was conducted by Sophiya Raeva, children's library director; Aleksandra Zykina, a leader of "Rimon" Jewish community center and Evgeniya Karyakina, the Jewish Library director. With amazing warmth the women did describe every book and tell about every author. Major represented works has been gladdening young reader for many many years. "Konduit and Shvambraniya" by Lev Kassil, "Two captains" by Valentin Kaverin, poems by Agniya Barto and Samuil Marshak were put on the shelves together with "Ester's scroll", Torah in pictures and Midrash.

   "First I'm a reader and then a librarian", Sophiya Raeva, a director of the library named after Begalin, told, turning to the guests. "That's why, when we were talking about Jewish Book, it seemed to me that noone could wish better holiday than this one. It's just a unique exhibition! It unites generations, nations, and countries. These books are read both by our small visitors and their parents and grandparents with great pleasure."

   After the discussion of Jewish literature, festival participants enjoyed the performance of "Anakhnu Kan" children's creative group of JCC "Rimon". Children danced several gaily Jewish dances, sang songs, recited poems in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian.

   According to Rosh-Ha-Shannah customs, the holiday was finished with tasty treats, given to children.

Galina Goldberg