Jewish Weekend in Chernivtsi Highlights Shared Traditions

PKU held its fifth Jewish Weekend on March 15-16 in the western city of Chernivtsi, bringing together scholars, artists and cultural experts to spotlight the deep connections between Ukrainian and Jewish cultures. Supported by the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, the event offered participants in-depth insight into Jewish diaspora history, Jewish theater in Chernivtsi and notable literary contributions.

The program also drew comparisons between Ukrainian and Jewish foods, traditions and cultural aspects of holidays including the High Holy Days, Ukrainian Malanka and Ukrainian Easter. It concluded with emphatic readings of Ivanna Stef'yuk's works titled “Local History,” focusing on the triumph of life during times of loss and the tragedy of the Shoah.

Previous Jewish Weekends have taken place in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi, underscoring PKU’s ongoing mission to spotlight and celebrate the country’s Jewish ties and entwined traditions.