The. returns to Florence for the twelfth consecutive year Balagan Café summer season.
The theme chosen to accompany the series of meetings – which will culminate with the European Day of Jewish Culture on Sunday 15 September – And: “Where peace begins”.
From June 20th to September 5th, a new appointment with i Thursday in the garden of the Synagogue for the special summer cultural event organized by Jewish Community of Florence and by the Jewish Tuscany Network Committee in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Florence, with the support of Tuscany region.
The initiative is carried out thanks to the contribution of CR Florence Foundation, within the artistic and cultural call, as well as included in theFlorentine summer of the Municipality of Florence, and co-financed byEuropean Union – European Social Fund, within the Metropolitan Cities Operational Programme.
“In eleven years of activity – explains Enrico Fink artistic director of the event – the Balagàn Café has built something more than a successful cultural festival: thanks to programs born around curiosity and interest towards the Jewish world but always declined along the lines of dialogue and mutual knowledge, it has offered a perspective capable of illuminating spaces still immersed in the darkness of misunderstanding and prejudice. Today we are living in a dramatic moment, which we cannot ignore. The war shook consciences and generated an unprecedented discussion in our city, in our communities. Never before have we needed new perspectives that overcome barriers, that contribute to the creation of innovative perspectives, paths of recognition of the other, of his reasons, of his rights, of his suffering. Paths that can undermine sterile and now gangrenous oppositions. Balagàn will do its part, bringing concrete examples of coexistence and dialogue to our city: we will have the opportunity to meet personalities who have long been committed to concretely building peace paths”.
Balagan Cafe
All Balagan Café meetings
The commitment of Balagan Café to generate dialogue and mutual understanding is divided into a series of conversations, all between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, with figures of absolute importance. He will be a guest Father Bernardo Gianni (Thursday 27 June), promoter of the silent march for peace of last October 23rd, a point of reference for a Florence committed to the path of pleasure and dialogue.
He will intervene from Israel Edna Angelica Calò Livne, Israeli activist nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, with a meeting and an interactive performance with the public, while a conversation with Marisa Nicchi and other adherents to “Women Together for Peace” (July 11).
Then there will be conversations with the philosopher Davide Assael (July 18), with the historian Claudio Vercelli (July 25). Other meetings include the one with the famous Italian-Israeli writer and pacifist Manuela Dviri (1 August) and the psychologist and expert in the fight against anti-Semitism David Meghnagi (August 29).
Balagan Café concerts
Obviously there will be music who will complete the meetings with film screenings and workshops. As a very eloquent example, a prominent event: the Balagàn will bring to Florence, for the final evening of September 5, the famous musician Nah, a voice recognized in the world not only for his artistic merits and his extraordinary popularity, but for his commitment to peace and in particular to dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
Many others, of course, are events of the highest international scope. On July 11th he will be in concert there Palestinian singer Miriam Toukan with a group of Israeli musicians and with a concert dedicated to the meeting between Lebanese and Israeli Arab culture: “When Bialik and Fayrouz meet”.
On June 20th, at the opening, an extraordinary band from Belgrade will perform in Florence “Shira utfila” directed by Stefan Sablica multi-ethnic and multi-confessional band whose music is inspired by the richness of Jewish, Turkish/Ottoman, Arab and Balkan traditions.
On June 27th it will be the turn of one of the world’s leading experts on “ney”, the main wind instrument of the Middle Eastern tradition: will come from Türkiye, Aziz Senol Filiz which will be in concert with the Tuscan Ettore Bonafé and other musicians of absolute importance, in a project of encounter between music and culture entitled “Jazz Anatolia”.
But there will also be space for a tribute to an Italian musician strongly linked to the Jewish world and to Israel as well Herbert Pagani, and for Enrico Fink which will take the audience on a musical journey through the history of the Jews of Italy.
As per tradition, the initiative accompanies the evenings Knowledge&Flavors, this year dedicated to Jean-Michel Carassochef and inspirer of a thousand recipes which in recent years have accompanied and given flavor to Thursday evenings in the shadow of the dome of the Synagogue.
Furthermore, there will be no shortage of guided visits to the Synagogue and the Jewish Museum every Thursday at 7.30 pm at a cost of 10 euros (reservations required on 055 2989879, or in person at the Synagogue ticket office in via Farini, 6) and aperitif in the Synagogue garden with tasting of delicious dishes from the Jewish worldrecommended offer 15 euros (reservation required via email [email protected], limited places).
