Axis Mundi
Europe, Asia and Africa
meet in Jerusalem
Eshkolot’s Festival of Jewish Texts and Ideas
23-28 June, 2016
#eshkofest

CONCEPT

Geologically, culturally and politically Jerusalem has always sat on the great «rift» between Asia, Africa and Europe (see the famous Bunting Clover Leaf Map). This «axial» location shaped the city's unique character. In the course of its long history Jerusalem's identity has been constantly shifting between European (Greek, Roman, Crusader), African (Egyptian, Ethiopian) and Asian (Persian, Ottoman) influences. The heterogeneous character of contemporary Jerusalem was also shaped by waves of Jewish immigrants from Europe (Asheknazim), Asia (Bukhara, Caucasus, Syria, Iraq) and Africa (Morocco, Ethiopia).

The aim of the 11th Eshkolot's Festival of Jewish Texts and Ideas is to explore the unique «intercontinental» character of Jerusalem through in-depth reading of texts and artifacts (ancient and contemporary graffiti, tombstone inscriptions, maps and photographs), art workshops and city walks.

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Eshkolot’s Festival of Jewish Texts and Ideas

Faculty

Shalom Boguslavsky

Shalom Boguslavsky

historian, photographer
Olga Zlatkin

Olga Zlatkin

geologist
Matan Israeli

Matan Israeli

artist, curator
Tania Notarius

Tania Notarius

linguist
Mitia Frumin

Mitia Frumin

geographer
Sue Frumin

Sue Frumin

botanist
Yana Tchekhanovets

Yana Tchekhanovets

historian, archaeologist
Marik Shtern

Marik Shtern

political scientist
Michael Tuval

Michael Tuval

historian of religion
Peretz Eliyahu

Peretz Eliyahu

musician
Mark Eliyahu

Mark Eliyahu

musician
Steven Kaplan

Steven Kaplan

historian of religion
Noah Hysler Rubin

Noah Hysler Rubin

historian, geographer
Alexander Gordin

Alexander Gordin

paleographer
Max Gorts

Max Gorts

guide
Shmil Holland

Shmil Holland

historian, chef
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Program

With classes led by international and Israeli scholars of repute, carefully selected students and young professionals choose one of three tracks enabling an in-depth study and discussion. The readings are accompanied by plenary lectures, city walks, evening edutainment programs, all with a strong focus on community building and follow-up activities.

Study Tracks

EPIGRAPHY
EPIGRAPHY

Jerusalem as Axis Mundi in ancient and contemporary graffiti and tombstone inscriptions

Faculty: Yana Tchekhanovets, Tania Notarius and Matan Israeli
CARTOGRAPHY
CARTOGRAPHY

Jerusalem as Axis Mundi in historic and modern maps

Faculty: Mitia Frumin
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY

Jerusalem as Axis Mundi in historic photographs

Faculty: Marik Shtern and Shalom Boguslavsky

PLENARY LECTURES

Africa in Jerusalem, Jerusalem in Africa

African Jerusalem
Ethiopian Zion - Symbol and Reality

Lecturer: Steven Kaplan
Contested Space

Contested Space
Jerusalem during the Crusades and counter-Crusades

Lecturer: Daniella Talmon-Heller
Гора раздора

Think Global, Act Local
Planning Jerusalem during the time of the British Mandate

Lecturer: Noah Hysler Rubin

Field Trips

Thematic City Walks

Jerusalem in Geological Time
Jerusalem in
Geological Time
Guide: Olga Zlatkin
Archaeobotany of Jerusalem
Archaeobotany
of Jerusalem
Guide: Sue Frumin
Maccabbean Jerusalem — Hellenistic or Jewish?
Maccabbean Jerusalem —
Hellenistic or Jewish?

Historical-archaeological tour

Guide: Michael Tuval
Library of Babel in Jerusalem
Library of Babel
in Jerusalem
National Library

Manuscripts and Rare Books in the National Library

Guide: Alexander Gordin
Valley of Ghosts
Valley of Ghosts

German Jerusalem

Guide: Max Gorts
New York in Jerusalem
New York in Jerusalem

Participant Observation of "American" Synagogues

Jerusalem Mosaic
Jerusalem Mosaic

Night Quest

Developer: Max Gorts

Concert

From Caucasus to Jerusalem
From Caucasus
to Jerusalem

A musical journey of a father and a son, who brought ancient melodies of the Jews of Caucasus from their native Dagestan to Jerusalem. The music of the Caucasian Jews, influenced by Persian and Middle Eastern music, will be performed alongside original compositions and arrangements made by Eliyahu family in Israel.

 

Caucasus-Jerusalem
Caucasus-Jerusalem

Culinary Journey

Food Seminar with a blogger Alona Eizenberg
Carlebach Goes Reggae
Carlebach Goes
Reggae
Michael Greilsammer in Concert
Jerusalem Cuisine as the Meeting of Food Traditions
Meurav Yerushalmi

Jerusalem Cuisine as the Meeting of Food Traditions

Food Seminar with historian and chef Shmil Holland and chef Ezra Kedem in Ein-Karem
Pharaoh in Canaan
Pharaoh in Canaan

Night at the Israel Museum

MEDIA AND TEXTS                                                                                                 

MEDIA AND TEXTS

 

VIDEO

  • "Axis Mundi" Festival4:31
  • Jerusalem in the Age of Crusades1:18:03
  • תיכנון ירושלים בתקופת המנדט1:14:06
  • African Jerusalem1:02:52
  • מטבח ירושלמי כמפגש מסורות31:41

 

Texts

PRELIMINARY READINGS FOR ESHKOLOT’S FESTIVAL OF JEWISH TEXTS AND IDEAS

PRELIMINARY READINGS FOR ESHKOLOT’S FESTIVAL OF JEWISH TEXTS AND IDEAS

Download
Festival Program Book

Festival Program Book

Download
SHABBAT PROGRAM

SHABBAT PROGRAM

Download

PHOTO

  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 1. Photo: Nikolay Busygin34 photos
  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 2. Photo: Nikolay Busygin25 photos
  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 3. Photo: Nikolay Busygin20 photos
  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 4. Photo: Nikolay Busygin29 photos
  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 5. Photo: Nikolay Busygin64 photos
  • festival materials
    Eshkolot Festival "Axis Mundi: Europe, Asia and Africa meet in Jerusalem", Day 6. Photo: Nikolay Busygin58 photos

Audio

Jerusalem in the Age of Crusades

Download (English) 182 Mb

Planning Jerusalem in the Years of the British Mandate

Download (Hebrew) 195 Mb

Ethiopian Jerusalem - Symbol and Reality

Download (English) 207 Mb

Jerusalem, 23-28 June, 2016

 

Сontact phone : +7 (925) 097-41-91

The Eshkolot Festivals are supported by Genesis Philanthropy Group, private donors and the Avi Chai Foundation.