Eighth time in Kokshetau passes Community Festival of Jewish Book (CFJB), and already of eighth time we have reflected, how it to carry out more interesting and qualitatively. Earlier we carried out CFJB in the House of Friendship and in Regional library, once even made joint with Petropavlovsk Hesed "Ephraim". Everything looked like not bad, but something did not suffice …

This year we combined CFJB-2008 with exhibitions, which kindly were presented to us by Almaty Hesed "Polina" - photo-exhibition "My Israel" and exhibition "Returned heritage" - decoration of the Jewish manuscripts. All this passed in a versatile school - grammar school "Tandau" #5.

Our Jewish Cultural Centre "Hatikva", Hesed Nathan and grammar school #5 are connected with long-term friendship. On this CFJB the school gave us all hall of the third floor. With its decoration to us very much helped the deputy director on educational work Janiya Ismagambetova, responsible secretary of School Assembly Aliya Ahetova and active workers - schoolchildren. All of them showed simply tremendous activity in decoration of an exposition of pictures. On racks we exposed about 180 copies of the books.

"In middle of November the solemn opening was held. We have permitted to the schoolchildren of a grammar school on breaks to take the books and to read. It was interesting to observe, as children came on breaks on the third floor (especially younger classes), took the book and read aloud. And then asked: "And in what library it is possible to take the same books?" Having heard, that they are only in Hesed, at once asked, whether it is possible to come to us.

The visitors of our CFJB learnt a lot of new about Israel, about its writers and poets. To surprise there was no limit, when the people found out, that their many favorite authors - are Jews on a nationality. Entertaining, the carrying away stories about these people and their creativity told the librarian Nina Popkova and members of a community Natalie Chembrovitch, Lydia Chernyavskaya. Forty minute review of novelties of our library submitted by our ancient friend and volunteer Valentina Tumentseva passed in uttermost silence. The public, having detained breath, with open mouths heeded her. Seeing, what interest to an exhibition shows children, we have prolonged its display. During work of our exhibitions and CFJB with the Jewish culture got acquainted about 900 men.

To the moment of the end of exhibitions our visitors' book literally bursted from testimonial words and admiration of the visitors:

"We are very grateful to the Jewish Centre for the interesting stories.
We have found out much about the Jewish people and we hope that it will help us to develop our outlook. Great thanks to you! "

The pupils of 10 "G" class Manshuk Shauli, Ayganym Rahmatullina, and Marina Albakova etc.

Anatoly Itkin