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                                          Power of Music and Art, Resiliency of the Human Spirit, Will to Survive

We are excited to share The Jüdische Kulturbund Project’s efforts since the spring: we traveled to South Sudan and New Hampshire in June; we produced short films about those efforts; we’ve planned and are ready for a few events in the autumn; and are proposing and planning more programs to launch in 2020.

Feel free to reach out to us for more information on the Project or any of its specific initiatives. We love talking about what we are doing and welcome your interest and support.

—Gail Prensky, creator, executive producer, director
The Jüdische Kulturbund Projec


THE SUMMER OF 2019

Juba, South Sudan

In early June, we went to Juba, South Sudan, thanks to the support of the US State Department’s Arts Envoy Program, IREX Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program, and the US Embassy in Juba.

Cindy Oxberry, Andy Truschinski, Sean MacGlaughlin, and Gail Prensky set off for Juba on June 1st to begin filming BULLETS TO BOOKS, lead workshops, present architectural plans designed by Moses Mawa for upgrading The Promise Land Secondary School, and meet with numerous advocates for peace and unity in South Sudan.  The experience was life-changing and the results of our efforts are substantial.  Jok and his colleagues at The Promise Land Secondary School are nurturing students to be leaders and shapers of peace and unity for a sustainable and thriving South Sudan.  Diplomats from the US and South Sudan, filmmakers, artists and musicians all express the desire for and encourage others to embrace positive change for a better South Sudan.  We are honored to work with these formidable collaborators from I AM PEACE, Ana Taban, Crown the Woman, and the Juba Film Festival and continued interest from the US State Department, US Embassy, and Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program.

This autumn the BULLETS TO BOOKS team in the US and South Sudan will launch our short documentary film and music video, as well as lead presentations and discussions to raise awareness and support for ongoing efforts that include: bringing Jok to the United States to speak to young people about his mission “changing minds for bullets to books”, producing a feature documentary film, and design and construction of the new buildings at The Promised Land Secondary School.

SPECIAL THANKS to those in the US and South Sudan made a contribution, financially and in-kind, in support of the production of the BULLETS TO BOOKS music video.  

To learn more, please see our vision for BULLETS TO BOOKS and the shared story about South Sudan.

Wilton, New Hampshire

Later in June, Gail PrenskyMark Haney, Evelyn Summer, Asya Zlatina, Dylan Glatthorn, Aria Sardella joined Andy’s Summer Playhouse to lead the Greenhouse Initiative: HANNAH’S DANCE.  In seven days, 14 of Andy’s kids and the collaborative professional team of artists explored ideas and created movement vignettes around the story of HANNAH’S DANCE, which they performed in the Keller’s barn to a full-house audience.

This initiative was so positive and effective that we hope to do similar workshops in the future.  We will use this initiative to create a professional production of HANNAH’S DANCE: THE LAST DANCE OF THE KULTURBUND.

Please see our highlight video and story about our experience: Greenhouse Initiative: HANNAH’S DANCE.


NOVEMBER 2019

On November 8 and 9, 2019, The Jüdische Kulturbund Project is honored to co-present The Greek Chamber Music Project’s powerful program in memory of the Holocaust, honoring the Sephardic Jews of Greece and the broader Mediterranean. The Sephardim have a deep history in Greece, with musical traditions that have had lasting influences on the region. GCMP is pleased to feature Sarah Aroeste who sings in Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language of the Sephardim. She keeps the language alive with unique interpretations of traditional Sephardic songs and her original compositions sung in Ladino.

She is joined by her longtime pianist and producer Shai Bachar, as well as special guest Ellie Falaris Ganelin on flute. Together, they will present a concert of songs old and new in a multimedia performance using sound clips, videos, and live music. Remembering the Jews of Greece is the ensemble’s East Coast Tour, remembering this dark moment in history in an effort to speak out against hate and to promote healing and acceptance in our communities.

See below, Upcoming Events, to reserve your seat now!


EDUCATION WORKSHOPS

Juba, South Sudan

While in Juba last June, we led workshops for several days from dawn to dusk that explored issues of oppression through music, art, and literature.  Our participants were secondary-school students from Promised Land Secondary School and students affiliated with Crown the Woman, as well as professional musicians and artists who are members of Ana Taban and I AM PEACE.

We also led a new workshop in collaboration with the Juba Film Festival that introduced documentary filmmaking techniques.  This one-day workshop, made possible by the US Embassy in Juba, expanded to an online 12-week program starting in August, which was led from Washington, DC to budding filmmakers in Juba.  The result of this workshop will be four short documentary films that the young producers will enter in the Juba Film Festival.  We hope this pilot program will lead to more ongoing online workshops, encourage budding Juba filmmakers to produce more documentaries, and develop a cultural exchange program for US and South Sudan filmmaking students.

Embassy of the Czech Republic, Washington, DC

In October, the Embassy of the Czech Republic invited us to lead a workshop that explores issues of oppression through music, art, and literature as part of their Velvet Revolution celebration.  We featured one of the Czech Republic’s most celebrated singers, Marta Kubišová.  In 1968, Marta wrote “A Prayer for Martha”, which became the anthem of occupied Czechoslovakia.  Marta helped lead the Velvet Revolution, singing her song from a balcony above Wenceslas Square on November 21, 1989 to thousands who had gathered below.  The Velvet Revolution restored peace and democracy to the country, which is enduring to this day.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Remembering the Jews of Greece performances in DC

Friday, November 8, 2019, 12 PM – 1 PM at Library of Congress
Mumbord Room (6th floor, Room 649), James Madison Memorial Building
101 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20540

Presented by The Jüdische Kulturbund ProjectThe United Church, and in cooperation with the Rabin Chair Forum at George Washington University and Hellenic Society Prometheas.

Reserve your ticket here
Saturday, November 9, 2019, 7 PM at The United Church + Die Vereinigte Kirche
1920 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Presented by General and International Collections Directorate and the Asian and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress, and in cooperation with the The Jüdische Kulturbund Project.

Reserve your seat here


Your encouragement keeps us going!

Please contact us at judischekulturbund@gmail.com to connect with us directly. We are happy to schedule a time to chat with you on the phone or on Skype about our project and interest in any of our initiatives.

Please consider supporting our efforts by making a tax-deductible contribution through our fiscal sponsor, The International Documentary Association, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, or hosting an event to raise interests from others.

Thank you!


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