A year has passed and the Community Festival of the Jewish Book gathered its friends in Karaganda city for the second time. The Festival lasted for five days. It was opened in Saran, a satellite town of Karaganda, which has not more than twenty Jews. Most of them came to see the exposition and presentation of new books by the JCC librarian Larissa Brodskaya. The meeting was very warm and informal.

  On September 13 poetry and prose soiree in an Art gallery continued the OFEK. The program was unusual because it was prepared by both women's and men's clubs of the JCC. Poet (and also a prominent automation scientist, the head of a department of Karaganda State Technical University, Doctor of Science, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Kazakhstani Academy of Natural Sciences) Joseph Wulfovich Breydo presented his first book "Marks and Pieces of Reality". The poems he recited caused loud cheers.

  The same day the guests were acquainted with works of a famous poet and prose writer born in Karaganda - Michael Semyonovich Brodsky. Alexander Abramovich and Ekaterina Kuznetsova told about life of this outstanding person. Alexander described the writer's creative activity, dwelling on his early works; journalist Ekaterina Kuznetsova who knew Michael Brodsky well told about him as a person.

  September 14 was a day of the Jewish Book soiree held in the Red hall of Music Comedy Theatre. Extensive exposition of books from the JCC library was placed in the lobby. The themes highlighted on the stage were: surveys of contemporary Israeli literature (Larissa Brodskaya), Jewish religious literature (Alexander Abramovich), works of Sholom Aleichem (Ludmila Karpunina), Jewish humor in Efroim Sevela's books (Irina Revenko). "Shalom" trio and Elena Karnauchova's vocal group sang national songs. They also made a debut - "Shalom" trio appeared together with Tatyana Irineva (violin player) and sang "Golden Jerusalem" song. A staging of Bashevis-Zinger's fairy-tale "Lemel and Tzipa" concluded the soiree.

  Children's program of the OFEK took place on September 15. The exposition of books for children was presented in the "Buratino" puppet show. Children from the JCC theatrical circle recited poems; workers of the Regional Abai Library told children about Samuil Marshak's books. Members of the musical circle sang potpourri of Jewish song. The audience gave them loud cheers. Actors of the Regional Dramatic Stanislavsky Theatre showed children and their parents a nice play "Puzzles of the Queen of Sabah". The audience solved witty riddles and learned the story of King Solomon's ruling. After the festival all the children got ice-cream, and the members of JCC programs were also given presents.

  The last OFEK event was the performance of the "Seven Forty" theatre from Ust-Kamenogorsk city. The actors performed "A Severed Branch" play by Igor Shprits. Acting of amateur artists struck the audience with its inspiration and technique. The tour of "Seven Forty" theatre finished with an informal meeting in "Miriam" JCC. The actors shared their plans for future and presented other sides of their talent. For example, Alexander Egorov recited his own poems and told about his writing experience. His recently published novel "Taiga Recluse" has been placed on a bookshelf in JCC library. It is a theme for future OFEKs. See you in the next festival!

Irina Kozhanovskaya