Already for 10 years, Community Festival of Jewish Book (OFEK) is held in different countries of Kazakhstan. OFEK is an introduction to the wisdom of the people. Thanks to the festival the community serves as the source of Jewish Tradition.

  On August 25, in Taraz the eight festival OFEK-2009 took place. The festival was opened by a literary-musical performance and presented the cultural heredity of the Jewish people to all people of our multi-ethnical city. This is our contribution to the culture of Kazakhstan, and it was noted by representatives of the Smaller Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan.

  Materials from the Jewish library made the basis of the exposition. They reflect multi faced spirituality of our community including books about Judaism, history of the Jewish people, traditions and holidays, Encyclopedia of Jewish Culture, and fiction. Our periodical publications were also presented: Davar and Shalom newspapers. We exhibited some books, which were presented to us by the Sokhnut Agency.

  At this year festival for the first time, Taraz Library named after Auezov organized a large exhibition of Jewish writers works. The festival participants had a presentation of a Collected Volume of Poetry of Famous and New Authors. This is its third edition named "It is not for us to Forecast" - almost 70 authors in one book!

  The Festival book kaleidoscope was presented by Jewish library in cooperation with Auezov city library. Ida Bukina presented works of Boris Slutskiy, Valentina Rastorgueva, Elena Zinchenko, and Alla Esikeyeva presented writes Moris Simashko, Andre Morua, and Lazar Karelin. After the presentation of Moris Simashko books, all guests received his book "Road to the Sacred Land" as a gift. Everybody listened with a great interest to the poem of Vitaliy Dunayev "A Radio Program" recited by our unchanged reciter Vera Grinberg.

  The festival was going on for over two and a half hours. Dances performed by the dancing group Tamir supervised by Masha Koroleva added even more flavor to the holiday. The children’s program was presented by Alla Koroleva with the performance "An Amazing Dream before the Festival".

  Elena Dmitrieyeva opened a musical part of the Festival with a story about Choir of Turetskiy. This famous choir, which travelled all over the world, was transformed from a men’s choir of the Moscow Choir Synagogue. Jewish repertoire is still given a special role in the program. As the choir leader Mikhail Turetskiy said: "I am proud that I could open to our listeners a remarkable centuries-long musical heredity of the Jewish people by making this music understandable and interesting to people of different ethnical origins."

  Every child-participant of the festival received a prize and a merit certificate, all school children received presents for the new academic year. Hesed Director Elena Dmitriyeva presented the Director of Auezov Library Alla Esikeeva with a two volume book "Jews and Kazakhstan" written by A. Mashkevich. The Festival ended with the dance "Havva Nagila" performed by our dancing group.

  "OFEK-2009" was a great success and will be remembered not only by its participants but also by its numerous guests who visited this holiday of the Jewish book. .

Ida Bukina