The “European Day of Jewish Culture” (EDJC) is an all-European project traditionally taking place on the first Sunday in September in numerous European cities and towns; its main intent is to present Jewish history and cultural heritage in Europe. Although the international organizing committee establishes the subject matter of the project each year – this year’s being The Spirit of Jewish Humour, the organizers of EDJC events are autonomous in conceiving their programmes.
Slovenia first joined the EDJC project in 2006 when events in Ljubljana, Lendava, and Maribor were organized for the first time. Later on, organizers in Murska Sobota, Koper, Nova Gorica, and Ptuj – i.e., all the towns and cities in the area of Slovenia today that were settled by Jewish communities in different periods of time in the past – also joined the project. As part of celebrating the EDJC 2012, the exhibition on the world renowned medieval manuscript – The Sarajevo Haggadah will be opened in Maribor Synagogue. The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by the multimedia project directed by Enver Dragulj, and performed by Branko Jordan (interpretation of the theatre piece The Soul of the Great Master/La alma del gran meshtre), Dado Dragulj and Rudi Uran (musical video), and Klarisa Jovanović and Luka Ropret (presentation of songs by Sephardic Jews).
Co-producer of the project is Public Institute Maribor 2012 – European Capital of Culture; the project is also supported by Municipality of Maribor, DEM (Dravske elektrarne Maribor), and Embassy of Israel in Vienna.
