The XIV International Festival of Jewish Culture and Arts brought five days of concerts, exhibitions, educational programs and community events to Birobidzhan and communities throughout Russia’s Jewish Autonomous.

Returning after an eight-year break, the festival included more than 150 events held across Birobidzhan and the region’s districts. The diverse program introduced residents and visitors to Jewish music, art, history, Yiddish culture, traditional foods and other aspects of Jewish heritage, alongside theater performances, lectures, workshops and public celebrations.

Jewish community representatives, rabbis, educators and cultural figures from different parts of Russia joined local residents throughout the festival. Among the participants was Rabbi Efraim Kolpak, Chief Rabbi and Chabad emissary to Birobidzhan, together with visiting rabbis and representatives of Jewish educational and youth initiatives.

Events took place not only in concert halls and cultural institutions, but also in libraries, museums, educational centers and public spaces across the region. The program culminated with major celebrations in central Birobidzhan, including a concert by the renowned Turetsky Choir on Lenin Square.

The festival was organized by the Government of the Jewish Autonomous Region and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, with the participation of local institutions and the local Jewish community. Its return offered thousands of participants an opportunity to encounter Jewish traditions and culture in a region whose Jewish history continues to shape its unique identity.