Three anniversaries and a festival that refuses to stand still
In 2025, the Jewish Cultural Festival marked three anniversaries at once: 120 years for the congregation in Trondheim, 100 years for the synagogue, and 15 years for the festival itself. The story of the festival is the story of an idea that grew from a small garden to become an international meeting place – an arena for openness, community, and cultural innovation.
Background and the idea
The idea for the Jewish Cultural Festival was born on a trip to Krakow in the 1990s. There, Rita Abrahamsen experienced how the large Jewish cultural festival brought together people from all backgrounds.
"When I was in Krakow at the big Jewish cultural festival, I thought: If Krakow can have such a big festival, then Trondheim must be able to have a slightly smaller one. And so it was."
In 2010, the idea became a reality. With modest funds, great volunteer effort, and the belief that Jewish culture could find a new place in Trondheim, the first festival was organized. It was the start of a project that would grow far beyond expectations.
The festival's development
In the early years, the Kunstforeningens hage was the setting for the festival. The audience was invited to concerts and lectures in the green, and experienced how music, history and food traditions could complement each other.
Gradually, the synagogue became the natural center of the festival. Here, the events found a setting that reinforced both history and experiences – a place that carried both cultural heritage and contemporary events. But the festival has always extended beyond: concerts in collaboration with Trondheim Art Museum, performances at Trøndelag Teater, collaboration with Transform – Trondheim World Festival, and events at institutions such as Sverresborg and Ringve have made the festival visible throughout the city.
Chairman Yngve Brox emphasized how the festival has gained an increasingly prominent place in Trondheim:
"When you think of Jewish culture, it's easy to think of the dark chapters. But the festival also shows that in the middle of it all there is music, theater, and literature. It breaks down prejudices and creates unity in our city."
For Mayor Kent Ranum, the festival became a symbol of openness:
"Openness and inclusion are the recipe for the right path to take. In this respect, the Jewish Cultural Festival is a prime example."
With public support from the municipality, county and state, as well as broad collaboration with institutions and volunteers, the festival has grown from an idea in a garden to a cultural institution with national and international attention.
Cultural heritage and history
The festival has been a driving force in making minority history in Trondheim more visible. Historian Terje Bratberg has followed the festival closely:
"One of the reasons why we should care about the history of minorities is that they form a salt, a community that we can use to experience things and gain a greater and broader understanding."
Through city walks, book baths and performances, the festival has linked the past to the present. The play Nerbyen – a Blip in History took the audience into Trondheim's old Jewish quarter, where thirty or so shops once dominated the cityscape. Klassekampen called the performance "an important story in a completely unpretentious, humorous and creative packaging."
Historian Daniel Johansen highlighted how such artistic approaches give history new life:
"When we move the stories into spaces and situations that the audience can be a part of, it becomes easier to understand what this was about."
In this way, the festival has contributed to ensuring that Jewish culture and history are not only preserved in books and museums, but are experienced directly by the public.
Artistic highlights
The festival has also been a musical meeting place of international stature. American clarinetist David Krakauer put into words why he sees such festivals as crucial:
"If we take away art and cultural dialogue, we are left with barbarism. Music and culture help us to hold the line between civilization and barbarism."
The Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra filled the synagogue with Mediterranean and Balkan rhythms, and the concert ended in standing ovations and dancing. The band described the festival as a place where culture becomes community:
"We've seen people cry without understanding a single word, and we've seen people dance to rhythms they've never heard before. Music goes straight to the heart – it explains something we can't put into words."
From Denmark came Mames Babegenush, who highlighted the role of music as a counterforce to uniformity:
"Diversity is what's going to save us – from super-capitalism, from big tech. Music and culture are what keep us human."
Local forces have also made their mark on the festival. Teater Basun showed with the performance A Ship, a Train and a Balloon how humor and imagination can open up new perspectives:
"When you make people laugh, they stay with you. Then you can also address the more serious topics – and people listen."
Over the years, the festival has provided space for both international stars and local initiatives, always with community as the underlying idea.
The festival's core values
For fifteen years, the festival has had a clear foundation of values: openness, community and volunteerism. Rita Abrahamsen herself has been clear about this:
"It is important that small minorities open up and offer themselves, so that members of society can get to know us – with emotions, atmosphere, food, drink and theater."
Peter Andreas Kjeldsberg, former director of Ringve Museum and board member of the festival, described it this way:
"The Jewish Cultural Festival represents an important function for our city. A minority that offers itself, opens its doors and allows the population to get to know emotions, atmosphere, food, theater and music."
Swedish dance teacher Heléne Don Lind summarized how openness is also felt from the outside:
"The festival preserved history and enlightened the entire community. It removed prejudices and increased understanding."
This is the festival's DNA: building bridges between people, and using culture as a tool against prejudice and distance.
Volunteering and volunteering
The festival has always been run by volunteers. Rita Abrahamsen has often emphasized this:
"Running a festival doesn't happen by itself. Without the volunteers, there would be no festival. Period."
Over the past fifteen years, hundreds of volunteers have been behind everything from food service to logistics. For Rita, this is the clearest legacy: that the community around the festival is as strong as the program on stage.
Significance for the city and society
For John Arne Moen, chairman of the Jewish Community in Trondheim, the festival has been a door-opener:
"When we started the festival 15 years ago, it was precisely to convey something of Jewish culture and history to the city. It was a window that opened – a minority's window onto the larger society."
He sees the festival as an arena where majority and minority meet on equal terms.
"For us who represent a minority, it goes without saying that we need to know the expressions of the majority. But representatives of the majority often only know their own world. That is why it is important that they can meet us in our arena."
Moen concluded that the festival embraces the entire city:
"I am sure that the festival has opened both ears and eyes of the people of Trondheim. The fact that the halls were full even in the anniversary year shows that it has a broad impact. The festival embraces the entire city, and makes us all richer."
Anniversary year 2025
The anniversary year marked three major anniversaries: 120 years for the congregation, 100 years for the synagogue, and 15 years for the festival. Mayor Kent Ranum put into words what this means:
"A cultural festival like this is a festival to come and eat good food and meet nice people. But above all, it's a festival to open doors."
With the performance Nerbyen – a Blip in History, the audience was given a vivid reminder of the city's Jewish quarter. Adresseavisen called the play "a little happy pill of a performance", while Klassekampen highlighted the creative and humorous presentation.
The festival thus showed that it both manages history and provides room for innovation.
The way forward
After fifteen years, Rita Abrahamsen moved into an advisory role. She expressed it this way:
"We want to reach new audience groups. We have shown that it is possible with projects like Basic Stitch and Nerbyen – a glimpse into history. This is one of many steps we are taking to ensure that the festival continues to grow and reach more people."
The festival is therefore at a crossroads: it is established, but must continue to renew itself. New forces will take the baton forward, with Rita's experience and advice at their disposal.
Termination
When the history of the Jewish Cultural Festival is written, Rita Abrahamsen's name will be closely linked to it. From the idea in Krakow to a festival that fills the synagogue and collaborates with the city's institutions, she and a large community have built something lasting.
Chairman Yngve Brox summarized the significance as follows:
"Without culture, we have nothing to fight for. The festival has shown us a rich culture that makes the city richer and better for everyone."
Three anniversaries in 2025 showed both roots and vitality. The festival has opened doors, built community and made culture visible – and it has shown that a small idea in a garden can grow into a legacy for an entire city.