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The Holiday of Book, or The Jewish Book Community Festival through the Eyes of Children

The Jewish Book Community Festival took place in Minsk for the 11^th time already. It became a tradition to dedicate the last day of the festival to children; that makes perfect sence as we all grew up reading books by wonderful writers for kids: Barto, Marshak, Kvitko and others.

The children theatre studio directed by Elena Chugaevskaya sang “Creation of the World” and thus opened the Festival. The Volunteer Family Theatre “Mishpoha” staged its new play, choreographic ensemble “Neposedy” and vocal studio also performed.

There have recently been published many children books of high quality with amazing illustrations. To make sure, visit library of the Jewish Community Center “Emunah”. At the Book Festival a presentation “Kids Literature in Our Library” was shown to the guests. The festival also tributed to a famous poetess Renata Muha (1933–2009) whose verses are popular both among kids and adults. Even one part of her book “Hippopopoem” is called “Verses for Former Children and Future Grown–Ups”. Kids from the Sunday school “Aleph–Bet” prepared a small performance on the writer's poetries.

Children and teenagers who attend studios of “Emunah” have a great opportunity not only to perform at holiday concerts and festivals, but also to draw and compose their own stories and poems that can be later put into albums published by “Emunah”. There have already been produced 11 books with literature works by “Aleph” studio members and paintings by “Kohavim” art studio members. 8 editions (2 extended edition “Sevivon” and 6 magazines “Sevivonchik”) were published with the generous support of the L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora.

In December 2009 the literature studio celebrated its 5^th anniversary. It's hard to imagine any better way to congratulate young writers but at the book festival. On this day both current and former members of the studio walked on stage. Many “graduates” got a good start in life thanks to the studio: for example Inna Rykunina entered the faculty of journalism of the Institute of Parliamentarianism and Entrepreneurship, Svetlana Polegovaya entered the philological faculty of the Saint–Petersburg University, Luba Radkevich's works are published in republican magazines for children. Words of gratitude were told to the editor of the Republican Jewish Newspaper “Aviv” and the director of the children literature studio “Aleph” — ; Mr. Viktor Lyaskovskiy.

During the Jewish Book Community Festival all the studio members who had won the Republican Child Contest “Painting Hanukkah” were awarded with diplomas and presents.

Undoubtedly, special heartfelt thanks are expressed to Emma Bogachek — a coordinator of children programs of the JCC “Emunah” and the festival's organizer who infused the event with child's refreshing innosense and adult seriousness at the same time.

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