Every September, dozens of countries across Europe celebrate the European Day of Jewish Culture (EDJC). This year, israeli singer Daphna Levy brought jazz to the heart of Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, in the Balkan region.
Levy describes jazz as “a kind of Tao - a route created while walking.”
“It's a pathway towards healing and feeling connected; a way of touching people; a journey of self expression,” she says.
The concert was opened by a video-message of the Israeli Ambassador Yahel Vilan. Several Montenegro ministers and the mayor of the city were in attendance.
The European Day of Jewish Culture was established in 2000 “to highlight the diversity and richness of Judaism and its local, regional and national historical importance” as explained in the website European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), the umbrella organization that runs the event.
The 2022 edition focused on the concept of “renewal,” an idea that is “woven into virtually all aspects of Jewish life and practice,” as emphasized in an explanatory text developed by the National Library of Israel in cooperation with the EDJC 2022 Task Force.
“Jewish life is continually building on the past in new ways – bringing a sense of constant change with reassuring continuity,” the text further reads.
Levy and her music are deeply connected to the notion of renewal.
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, the singer descends from a cantor lineage. As a member of the Levy ancient tribe of spiritually elated musicians, she grew up with a deep passion for music that brought her to embrace and transformed more modern genres.
Her concert was held with the support of the Israeli embassy in Montenegro, with the purpose of strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries, and encouraging intercultural dialogue and joint creativity.