Turkish Jews meet at a special concert night
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Lida Saftekin
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 09, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - As part of the project titled, 'Improving the Perception of the Jewish Community in Turkey,' carried out by the Beyoğlu Jewish Rabbinate Foundation, a concert was organized Tuesday night at the Anadolu Kulübü on the largest of Istanbul's Prince's Islands.
Ayangil Turkish Music Ensemble organized a Jewish Composers, Island & Moonlight Songs Concert on Tuesday night at the Anadolu Kulübü, or Anatolian Club, on Istanbul’s Büyükada Island.
The concert was held as part of a project titled "Improving the Perception of the Jewish Community in Turkey," which was carried out by the Beyoğlu Jewish Rabbinate Foundation with support from the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey’s "European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights," program.
The project aims to fight misperceptions and to promote an attitude of nondiscrimination among young generations regarding Jews in Turkey. Some of the project’s activities include inviting senior students and lecturers of theology faculties to synagogues and special places and also to inform about Judaism and Turkish Jews. Also, it will organize Jewish culture tours in Istanbul’s Galata neighborhood once every month for 10 months and it will also organize cultural events such as exhibitions in İzmir and the Marmara city of Bursa. More information can be found at www.turkyahudileri.com.
Turkish music
Turkish music composed by Jewish composers was performed during the first session of the concert, conducted by Prof. Ruhi Ayangil. Among these composers were Tanbûrî İsak, Rabbi Şemoil Mandil, Udi Egypian İbrahim (Avram), and İsak Varon Efendi.The second session of the concert featured works by renowned Turkish composers Sadettin Kaynak, Cevdet Çağla, Muzaffer İlkar and Yesari Asım Arsoy.
As well as the invited guests, Büyükada residents showed great interest in the concert. Most of the audience was from the Jewish community.
Before the start of the concert, a lively and cozy cocktail party was held with the participation of Chief Rabbi İshak Haleva; the president of the Jewish community, Silvyo Ovadya; vice presidents of the community, Moris Levi and Lina Filiba; president of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, Marc Pierini; Prince's Islands Mayor Mustafa Farsakoğlu; Islands Gov. Mevlut Kurban; Islands Foundation Chairman Halim Bulutoğlu; Islands Mufti Faruk Tut; Burgazada Mosque Imam Mehmet Hoca; Islands Forest Chief Yüksel Özsan; Heybeliada High School Commander Mesut Özel; and president of the Anatolian Club, Metin Cizreli.
Ovadya delivered a speech and said they would do their best to introduce the culture, customs and traditions of the Turkish Jewish community, the population of which is only 23,000, to improve the current perception.
Pierini said there might be incorrect perceptions between societies. "We want to revise these wrong perceptions. Foundations carry out all communications and organizations. This event might seem like a small one but it is very important for European Union negotiations," said Pierini.
Professor Ayangil, pointing out the importance of the special night, said, "All Jewish composers have made great efforts for all music performed in palaces, mosques and synagogues throughout history and contributed to the formation of a common voice of the society."
The concert was held as part of a project titled "Improving the Perception of the Jewish Community in Turkey," which was carried out by the Beyoğlu Jewish Rabbinate Foundation with support from the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey’s "European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights," program.
The project aims to fight misperceptions and to promote an attitude of nondiscrimination among young generations regarding Jews in Turkey. Some of the project’s activities include inviting senior students and lecturers of theology faculties to synagogues and special places and also to inform about Judaism and Turkish Jews. Also, it will organize Jewish culture tours in Istanbul’s Galata neighborhood once every month for 10 months and it will also organize cultural events such as exhibitions in İzmir and the Marmara city of Bursa. More information can be found at www.turkyahudileri.com.
Turkish music
Turkish music composed by Jewish composers was performed during the first session of the concert, conducted by Prof. Ruhi Ayangil. Among these composers were Tanbûrî İsak, Rabbi Şemoil Mandil, Udi Egypian İbrahim (Avram), and İsak Varon Efendi.The second session of the concert featured works by renowned Turkish composers Sadettin Kaynak, Cevdet Çağla, Muzaffer İlkar and Yesari Asım Arsoy.
As well as the invited guests, Büyükada residents showed great interest in the concert. Most of the audience was from the Jewish community.
Before the start of the concert, a lively and cozy cocktail party was held with the participation of Chief Rabbi İshak Haleva; the president of the Jewish community, Silvyo Ovadya; vice presidents of the community, Moris Levi and Lina Filiba; president of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, Marc Pierini; Prince's Islands Mayor Mustafa Farsakoğlu; Islands Gov. Mevlut Kurban; Islands Foundation Chairman Halim Bulutoğlu; Islands Mufti Faruk Tut; Burgazada Mosque Imam Mehmet Hoca; Islands Forest Chief Yüksel Özsan; Heybeliada High School Commander Mesut Özel; and president of the Anatolian Club, Metin Cizreli.
Ovadya delivered a speech and said they would do their best to introduce the culture, customs and traditions of the Turkish Jewish community, the population of which is only 23,000, to improve the current perception.
Pierini said there might be incorrect perceptions between societies. "We want to revise these wrong perceptions. Foundations carry out all communications and organizations. This event might seem like a small one but it is very important for European Union negotiations," said Pierini.
Professor Ayangil, pointing out the importance of the special night, said, "All Jewish composers have made great efforts for all music performed in palaces, mosques and synagogues throughout history and contributed to the formation of a common voice of the society."