Before World War II, Jews made up about a third of Lublin's population.
"Over the last five years, the festival has become synonymous with remembrance and a space that connects generations," the local Center for Culture said.
The opening concert, Jewish Violin — Between Worlds, features Ukrainian-Jewish violinist Vadim Brodski performing works by Henryk Wieniawski, Mieczysław Weinberg and Aleksander Tansman, alongside traditional Jewish prayers and songs.
The performance aims to honor to the Righteous Among the Nations—non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust—including Marianna Krasnodębska, who sheltered Jewish families during the war.
Other musical highlights include Jewish Trans Oriental, a fusion of Sephardic music with Ladino lyrics, dervish-inspired rhythms and modern electronic sounds.
The Pendofsky Jazz Ensemble, joined by American vocalist Daphna Levy, will play jazz arrangements of George Gershwin hits and traditional Jewish songs, in a concert hosted by music critic Adam Baruch.
A Shabbat gathering, Shalom, will take place at the historic Jeszywas Chachmej Lublin building, featuring communal singing, storytelling on Sabbath traditions, prayer and a festive dinner.
The same venue will host a session of Daf Yomi—the daily Talmud study cycle—led by Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich.
The tradition was initiated in 1923 by Rabbi Meir Szapiro, founder and rector of the Lublin rabbinical school.
Festivalgoers can also take guided tours of Jeszywas Chachmej and other Jewish heritage landmarks such as the Jewish cemetery and the former Majdanek German concentration camp.
A photo exhibition titled Hasidim, by Joanna Sidorowicz, captures scenes of pilgrimages, religious rituals and encounters with Hasidic communities in Poland.
Workshops offer hands-on experiences such as crafting parchment mezuzot, making amulets and designing Birkat ha-Bayit (Blessing of the Home) decorations.
Jews first settled in Lublin in the 14th century, and by the late 1500s, the city had become a major center of Jewish learning. It hosted a Talmudic academy and was the seat of the influential Council of Four Lands.
In 1930, Rabbi Szapiro opened the elite Jeszywas Chachmej Lublin, teaching in Hebrew; nearly 200 students studied there in 1933.
The building survived the war and now houses a synagogue, the Lublin branch of the Warsaw Jewish Community, and a hotel.
Before the war, some 43,000 Jews lived in Lublin. In 1942, most were deported to the Bełżec death camp, and the city's Jewish quarter was razed by the Nazis.
The Lubliner Festival runs through Sunday.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Agnieszka Bielawska.