Czech Republic -- Memorial plaque on former Kutna Hora synagogue

Kutna Hora former synagogue. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

A memorial plaque to Holocaust victims has been placed on the former synagogue in Kutna Hora, a charming town an hour's drive east of Prague that is famous for its silver mines and St. Barbara church.

"The plaque was the idea of Mr Marek Lauermann, a young person who is a descendant of a Jewish family that was one of the few from Kutná Hora who partially survived the Holocaust. Marek has long been active in this area, he has released several publications, and he had this memorial plaque designed with our cooperation," Mayor Ivo Šanc said.[...]  The Culture to the Town (Kultura do města) association in Kutná Hora has long been involved in preserving the history of the small Jewish community there, which has almost vanished from the memory of its residents. The association organized events as part of the Year of Jewish Culture and published the book "Jews in the Kutná Hora Area - Forgotten Neighbors" (Židé na Kutnohorsku - Zapomenutí sousedé).

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Kutna Hora former synagogue. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

Jews were barred from living in this mining town from 1568-1848. The surviving synagogue, at ul. Smiskova  619, was built in 1902 in Art Nouveau style. During World War II the Nazis derported the town's Jews to Terezin; few survived. During the war the synagogue was used as a factory making pipe organs. Since 1947 it has been used by the Hussite Church. Most of the decorative elements have been removed.


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Jewish Culture, etc., Festivals in 2012

Festival of the Jewish Book, Ferrara, Italy, 2011. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

As usual, I am trying to put together a list of as many as possible of the numerous Jewish festivals -- culture, film, dance, etc -- that take place each year around Europe.  I've already missed a few that have taken place this winter -- Please help me by sending me information!

The big culture festivals and other smaller events make good destinations around which to center a trip. Some, like the annual Festival of Jewish Culture in Krakow, are huge events lasting a week or more, which draw thousands of people and offer scores or sometimes hundreds of performances, lectures, concerts, exhibits and the like. Other festivals are much less ambitious. Some are primarily workshops but also feature concerts. Many of the same artists perform at more than one festival.

 The list will be growing and growing -- and again,  I ask my readers to please send me information and links to upcoming events. Thanks!



ALL OVER EUROPE

Sept. 2, 2012 -- 13th European Day of Jewish Culture. This year's theme is Jewish Humor


AUSTRIA

April 19-May 23 -- Vienna --  Weanhean: Das Wienerliedfestival (Jewish music and performers are featured this year)


CROATIA

 August 28-Sept. 6 -- Pula -- Bejahad: the Jewish Cultural Scene


CZECH REPUBLIC

July 5-8 -- Boskovice -- UniJazz2012: 19th Festival for the Jewish Quarter

July 30-August 4 -- Trebic --  Trebic Jewish Festival held in one of the most extensive and best-preserved old Jewish quarters in Europe, part of the town's UNESCO-listed historic center.


GERMANY

April 9-15 -- Weimar -- Weimar Winter Edition

 June 3-16 -- Berlin & Potsdam -- 18th Jewish Film Festival


July 21-August 21 -- Weimar -- Yiddish Summer Weimar 


GREAT BRITAIN


June 24-July 1 -- Leeds -- 12th International Jewish Performing Arts Festival


HUNGARY


April 6-14 -- Budapest -- Quarter6Quarter7 Spring Festival, over Passover

July 20-22 -- Bank Lake -- Bankito Festival

November 10-18 -- Szombathely --  Jewish Festival Szombathely


ITALY

April 28-May 1 -- Ferrara -- Festival of the Jewish Book

July 29-August 5 -- Straits of Messina -- Horcynus Festival This year's focus is on Israel and Jewish culture.

September 2-8 -- Puglia Region -- Lech Lecha Festival

November 3-7 -- Rome -- Pitigliani Kolno'a Jewish & Israeli Film Festival

POLAND

April 17-21 -- Radom -- 4th annual "Meeting with Jewish Culture"

April 18-22 -- Warsaw -- New Jewish Music Festival

April 25-29 -- Warsaw -- Jewish Motifs International Film Festival

May 11-13 -- Oswiecim -- Oswiecim Life Festival

May 13-16 -- Warsaw -- Jewish Book Days 

June  2 -- Krakow -- 7@Nite - Night of the Synagogues

June 29-July 8 -- Krakow -- Jewish Culture Festival

August 10-12  -- Jelenia Gora -- Jewish Culture Festival

August 26-September 2 -- Warsaw -- Singer's Warsaw Festival

September 14-22 -- Lodz -- Festival of Four Cultures

October 4-7 -- Wlodawa -- Festival of Three Cultures



ROMANIA

April 27-May 3 -- Bucharest -- 2nd Bucharest Jewish Film Festival


RUSSIA

March 8, 2012 -- Moscow -- Yiddish Fest

SERBIA

June 20-24 -- Belgrade -- Ethno Fusion Fest: Many musics in the courtyard of the Belgrade Synagogue


SLOVAKIA

July 7-15 -- Kosice -- Mazal Tov -- 1st Jewish Culture Festival in Kosice

UKRAINE


Sept. 6-12 -- Drohobych -- Fifth Bruno Schulz Festival




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From New York not Europe, but relevant

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

My friend Julian Voloj, who was born in Germany, has been photographing former synagogue building in New York City for nearly a decade. He has amassed an important collection of images -- 12 of which are on display at an exhibit in Sag Harbor, NY.

One would think that because American Judaism is alive and well in New York City, there would be lots of people advocating to protect some of these sites. But Voloj found himself in “a race against the clock to make sure what I was documenting would still be there. There was one place that was torn down before I could get inside.”

Of the 1200 photos that Voloj took on his expeditions around New York, he has selected 12 for his exhibition at Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor.

“One photo is of a now-supermarket that used to be a Jewish site, and you can see two lions and The Ten Commandments,” said Voloj. “Another is a cross nailed on a Star of David, and there’s one image from the oldest Jewish cemetery in North America, in Chinatown. There’s one gravestone that stands alone. It’s a nice link because the gravestone goes back to the roots of North American Judaism.”

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New App -- Jewish Geography Game

By Ruth Ellen Gruber


Jono David, who has a vast library of photographs he has taken of Jewish heritage sites, has turned is pictures into an "Jewish Geography" quiz game app for I-Pad and other devices. Looks fun! I will buy it and see how I do!

Kukup Golf Resort at Kukup, Johor

Kukup Golf Resort (N1.36964 E103.44343) is located along the road to Kukup. It's approximately 13KM from the intersection of Pontian town. We visited the Resort for the 2 days 1 night getaway on weekend.

I like the resort environment very much! Our unit is located in some sort of nice garden! (photos below...)

We were on "113"...

The Green area we passed by...

The area was nice and clean! There are many units of chalets over there and we took the Family Suite with 2 bedrooms...

Chalet No : 113 - The Family Suite

There was a BBQ pit in front of our unit and I believe we can use it for BBQ dinner if we wanted to...
Once we stepped into the chalet, another suprised! The unit consisted of a living hall, a mini kitchen and 2 bedrooms with bathroom attached.
(The management do provide the buggy service FOC from the chalet to the clubhouse, just a phone call)

The Living Hall

I like the antique table very much!

The mini kitchen is located after the small wooden door just next to the living hall, and the bedrooms were on the both side...

The kitchen is behind the wooden door (right) and one of the bedroom on the left...

There was a small fridge, electric kettle and cups in the kitchen.

Kitchen

Both bedrooms come with different beds configuration, one with the King Size bed and the other was with 1 queen and 1 single bed. Both rooms have a ordinary television and air-conditional. We chose the queen and single bed room...
The management also provided another extra bed for us in one of the room...because we had total of 6 persons...:)

The King size bedroom

The room with 1 queen and 1 single bed

And the attached bathroom...

Water heater provided

The bathroom looks a bit run down due to the stains on the tiles...but anyway, it was ok for us. After we put everythings in the chalet, we started to walk around the Resort...the next surprised was...the swimming pool! Look at that! It's Huge and Beautiful!

Nice landscape swimming pool at Kukup Golf Resort, Johor.

There were another Olympic standard pool just about 30 meter away from the pool above. The children love the swimming pool very much and they spend almost the whole afternoon in it...

It's a really nice place to relax in the calm and quiet environment...and we rated this resort as one of the Best resort for weekend getaway! If you are golfer, you can even enjoy the 18 holes golf course in the resort.

I noticed there was a Karaoke pub and a Gym center had closed down...maybe due to no demand...

The Family Suite cost RM323.70 per day after the taxes on peak season. It's comfortable and reasonable!

We had a rest after the swimming session and heading towards Kukup town (merely about 7KM away from the resort) for our Seafood Dinner! :)

Kukup Golf Resort

Pekan Penerok,

82300 Pontian,

Johor.

Tel : +607-6960950   Fax : +607-6960963

http://www.kukupgolfresort.com.my

Emai : info@kukupgolfresort.com.my

Location map of Kukup Golf Resort at Kukup, Johor.

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Mori Japanese Restaurant at Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Mori Japanese Restaurant (N1.50034 E103.81539) is located along Jalan Permas 10 of Bandar Baru Permas Jaya. We had our dinner here in one of Saturday evening, we reached at the restaurant around 7pm and it was not crowded yet...

Mori Japanese Restaurant at Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Cozy environment...

We were lucky cos there still rooms available...so we took one of the room and started to order our foods...

Our order :-

1)  Salmon Sashimi
2)  Surume Ika
3)  Tonkotsu Ramen
4)  Chicken Teriyaki Set
5)  Pork Kakuni Set
6)  Chimi Mori Wase
7)  Kappa Maki

Salmon Sashimi

Surume Ika

Tonkotsu Ramen

Chicken Teriyaki Set

Chimi Mori Wase

Pork Kakuni Set

All foods were Delicious! I personally like the Surume Ika, Pork Kakuni and I had double of the Salmon Sashimi! The restaurant has the special 50% discount on the second plate of the various choice of Sashimi from the menu...it's a Good deal for Sashimi lover! :)
The chicken was succulent and nicely grilled, the Tonkotsu Ramen was flavourful and the Chimi was sweet! My daughter was enjoying her Kappa Maki...:)

The Damage : MYR130.00 included taxes for 4 adults and 1 child.

We all like the foods and the environment of this Japanese Restaurant very much! And we were really appreciated being served by the Manager - Ms Helen Chee of the restaurant.

Mori Restaurant

108, Jalan Permas 10,

Bandar Baru Permas Jaya

81750 Johor Bahru

Tel : +607-3883108   Fax : +607-3877323

Business hour : 11.45am - 11pm

Location map of Mori Japanese Restuarant at Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru.

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Johor Bahru Chingay Parade 2012

"Every year in the first lunar month of 20-23rd , the Annual Chinngay event is organizes by the Chinese Commence Chamber Of Johor Bahru and its known as the Parade of Deities of Johor Old Temple. (Chinese: 古廟游神).
The Chingay parade lasts for four days. The climax of the parade is on the night of the 3rd day when the Deities parade around the Johor Bahru Town Centre or in Chinese known as 圣駕巡游.
The annual Chingay has attracted more than 300,000 people to march around the major roads of Johor Bahru together with the 5 Deities being worshiped in the Old Temple." Source from Wiki.

This year is considered I attended the JB Chingay Parade for the First time! Because I watched the whole stretch of parade from start till end...
The Parade started from Jalan Yahya Awal (N1.47913 E103.74769), passed through Jalan Ibrahim in front of the JB Post Office and go into the Jalan Wong Ah Fook...follow by Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and back to Jalan Yahya Awal with the total of 7.5km. All the effected road were closed during the parade session.

Partially of the crowd that evening...

We were standing at the junction between Inner Ring road and Jalan Yahya Awal. During that time (1745hrs), the area was packed with peoples!

Let me share some photos of the Chingay Parade of Johor Bahru to you...I was walking opposite direction against the Parade...(total of 59 photos, please be patient for the loading...)

Senior devotee...

Trams from Danga Bay Johor Bahru (above & below)

The God Of Fortune and the bunch of clowns...

Group from one of the Deity...

One of the Deity

The Red Drummers

The Red Drummers

Wondering why her face looks one kind...?

Decorated truck...

Follow by another Deity of the night...

Another Deity of the night...

Everyone pray for wealth and prosperity! Huat ah!

Dragon dance...

Traditional dance performing by a group of women...

Dragons on the truck...

Everyone like to touch the Dragon, they believe it will bring luck and prosperity!

Dragon dance...

I like this Lanterns very much!

Here come the Bubbles factory! :)

Once this truck pass-by, the sky was Full of bubbles!

One of the Dragon on the evening...

The Bicycle Dragon! One of the Special Dragon of the night!

Everyone was happy to ride on the dragon...

The Dragon from SP Setia group...

Dragon in motion! I like the slow shuttle effect!

There were many peoples giving sweets, biscuits and tissue pack...some even given U mobile Prepaid Card Free!

One of the Decoration truck...

Big head dolls...(direct translate)

Many dragons on the truck waiting to perform...

Another senior women performance...

The Drummer...

Another Deity of the night...

SMART for 2 also participated...

The young drummers...

Dancing Phoenix...

Here come the Diabolo team. Their performance was Great!

Diabolo performance...

Diabolo performance...

The Sky was Full of Diabolo! (above & below)

The Dragon truck...

The Balloon Dragon! As I saw the longest dragon of the night!

Take a break!

Yeee-Haaa!!

Decorated truck...

Another Deity and also the last of the evening...

Big group of devotees follow at the end of the Parade...

I heard the devotees shouted : "Huat ah!" along the whole stretch of the Parade! That means Prosperity! There were more than 100 dragons that night and I couldn't snap all! I might join the Parade again next year if time allow....:)