From September 2 to 7, Gdańsk will be the venue for the 14th Jewish Culture Festival ZBLIŻENIA. Over six days, there will be concerts, theatrical performances, lectures, workshops, and historical walks. All festival events are free, but some require prior registration.
The festival will unite various aspects of Jewish culture — from music and literature to history, languages, and contemporary art. The organizers promise not only to introduce visitors to well-known themes but also to tell stories about lesser-known individuals, phenomena, and pages of Polish-Jewish history.
Full program
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 18:00 | Festival Opening | Nowa synagoga, ul. Partyzantów 7 |
| 18:00–19:00 | “Smutne synagogi” — opening of Rita Mernik’s exhibition | Nowa synagoga | |
| 19:30 | “MAKAMY. Turkish paths in Sephardic music” — concert by KLEZMO.RIOT and Aspa Anogiati | Nowa synagoga | |
| September 3 | 17:00–18:30 | “Kiszutim/ornaments” — artistic workshop for children (closed) | Nowa synagoga |
| 17:00–18:30 | “Ani we ata — me and you” — Hebrew workshop (registration) | Nowa synagoga | |
| 19:00 | “In another place, at another time” — premiere of the play by Teatr Zielony Wiatrak (registration) | Nowa synagoga | |
| September 5 | 11:00–13:00 | “Wrzeszcz: hidden among the stones” — historical walk (registration) | Wrzeszcz |
| 14:00–16:00 | “Wrzeszcz: hidden among the stones” — historical walk (registration) | Wrzeszcz | |
| 11:00–13:00 | “Migwan — diversity” — linocut workshop (registration) | Gdańska Szkoła Artystyczna | |
| 13:30–15:00 | “Psychoanalytic fates. Bychowski and Szalita” — meeting with Prof. Ewa Kobylińska-Dehe | Biblioteka Manhattan | |
| 15:30–16:30 | “Love, migration, modernity” — Jewish marriage announcements in Yiddish from 1908–1930 | Biblioteka Manhattan | |
| 17:00–18:00 | “Words of a dying language” — contemporary poetry in Ladino | Biblioteka Manhattan | |
| 18:30–20:00 | “From Lublin to New York” — meeting about Kadia Molodowsky | Biblioteka Manhattan | |
| 20:30 | “Di Maszin” — concert by Maria Ka | Nowa synagoga | |
| September 6 | 11:00–13:00 | “Downtown: not just the Great Synagogue” — historical walk (registration) | Gdańsk Center |
| 14:00–16:00 |
You can view the full program and register for events at the link
Where and When
ZBLIŻENIA — Jewish Culture Festival will take place in Gdańsk from September 2 to 7, 2026.
Main venues:
- New Synagogue, ul. Partyzantów 7;
- Gdańsk Artistic School, al. Grunwaldzka 82;
- Manhattan Library, al. Grunwaldzka 82.
Entry to all events is free. For individual performances, walks, workshops, and meetings, prior registration is required, and the number of places is limited.
The organizers reserve the right to change the festival program
