Today I am going to continue to promote the Jewish culture, and I invite everyone to attend the events, which will be held in the capital and other cities of Ukraine in the near future.

First, today in Ukraine a new Israeli Film Week starts: in Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv, Vinnytsa and Kharkiv a series of films of the Israeli filmmakers will be screened from September 8 until September 22. The program will start with the debut director’s work of Natalie Portman: Story of love and darkness will be presented by actress Neta Riskin. Also, the audience will be able to see the works which have already been appreciated at such film festivals as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale, the Golden Globes, and the Jerusalem Film Festival. The Israeli films will be screened in the original with the English and Ukrainian subtitles. More information can be found on the event page. (https://www.facebook.com/events/1765383267073766/)

The second significant event of the week is XIX International Theatre Festival Wandering Stars, which is dedicated to the works of the classic of the Jewish literature, great Sholom Aleichem. The festival begins in Kyiv today, September 7 and will end September 12. During this festival of theatrical arts performances of troupes from Ukraine and Israel can be seen. Actors will show performances, based on the works of Sholem Aleichem, Mikhail Evshin, Neda Nezhdana, Hava-Yzel Valaamova, Grigoriy Gorin and others. Let me remind you that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Sholem Aleichem, so there will be many events dedicated to this date.

And the final event I would like to tell you about is again the cultural one, which will be presented to the audience in the capital Mariinsky park. On Saturday, September 17, JEWISH OPEN SPACE will be held in the framework of the Third International Festival of the Jewish Music and Dance. In various locations, the audience will be able to see the Jewish theater, art platforms, to participate in quests, master classes, and competitions, learn the Jewish dances and traditions of Shabbat. Also at the event two concerts of the Jewish music will be held on the “Rakushka” (“Shell”) stage. The cultural week promises to be more than eventful and I am very happy.

Ukraine is a multiethnic, multicultural country. If it comes into one’s head to claim that individual nations are oppressed on a national basis, I advise them to walk along the center of the capital to proof the contrary. Here the cultural traditions of different peoples living in this land are cherished and respected, and that's fine.

I invite everyone to plunge into the world of the Jewish culture and visit the events brought to your notice.