39th Berlin Jewish Cultural Days 2026

“The 39th Berlin Jewish Cultural Days are being held under the theme ‘ZADIKIM – Time for the Righteous’. Hardly any other phrase could be more fitting for our times. For righteousness is evident in our daily interactions, in respect, responsibility and the willingness to stand up for others.” Dr Gideon Joffe, Chair of the Jewish Community of Berlin

The festival welcomes Jewish artists from all over the world to Berlin. Its diverse programme of events creates meaningful spaces for inspiration, encounter and mutual understanding.

Zadikim is the Hebrew word for the 36 Righteous.

In the Talmud, they are described as people without status, without a voice or public recognition – and yet with a decisive impact: they keep the world in balance. However, their actions remain hidden, even from themselves. They are thus silent bearers of responsibility. Especially in these times, when we feel that the world seems to be falling apart, we need a functioning moral compass once again. The time of the Righteous has dawned once more. Artistic Director Avi Toubiana

Highlights include the festive opening concert featuring the Israeli singer Marina Maximilian, a performance by master mentalist Lior Suchard, the internationally acclaimed Orto-Da Theatre from Tel Aviv with their production STONES, and the closing concert with Israeli pop legend Rami Kleinstein.

Exhibition: SUPER HERO – Comics and Everyday Heroes

The ‘Super Hero’ exhibition at the Jewish Community Centre on Fasanenstraße explores the question of what makes a person a hero. Ten Jewish artists have created a walk-through exhibition exclusively for the Berlin Jewish Cultural Days that explores precisely these questions. Well-known comic book characters such as Batman and Superman appear in new guises, drawing attention to their predominantly Jewish creators – such as Joe Shuster and Stan Lee – whose lives were shaped by migration, marginalisation and the desire for justice.

The integrated exhibition ‘Jewce’, originating from the USA, forms part of a multi-layered experiential space that combines pop culture and history. From the superheroes, the path leads to figures such as Oskar Schindler, Irena Sendler, Raoul Wallenberg and Chiune Sugihara. They possessed no supernatural powers – but they did have the courage to take responsibility at the decisive moment. The exhibition is complemented by exclusive take-home comic editions designed by Julian Voloj, as well as a presentation and workshop by Fabrice Sapolsky, co-creator of ‘Spider-Man Noir’. The event concludes with an interactive installation centred on the 36 Righteous, bringing the motto ‘ZADIKIM – Time for the Righteous’ to life.

Literary programme

The programme includes, amongst other things, a reading and discussion with the author Marina Chernivsky (‘Bruchzeiten’), with the author Charles Lewinsky (‘Eine andere Geschichte’) and with book award winner Julia Franck (‘Ich ertrinke in den Wassern meiner eigenen Liebe. Rilkes letzte Geliebte’).

On the “Blue Sofa”, Assaf Gavron, Shelly Kupferberg and Dana Vowinkel will discuss their new books. A panel discussion will focus on the work and legacy of theatre visionary Max Reinhardt, whilst the Jewish chroniclers of their time – Vicki Baum, Gabriele Tergit and Mascha Kaléko – will be honoured in a literary collage.

The musical literary programmes include Alexander Estis and the Trio Scho, who combine verbal acrobatics with klezmer and Eastern European melodies. Also featured is the ‘Poetry & Double Bass’ evening with Diti Ronen, who will perform ‘Kleines Drossel’ alongside double bassist Tal Ronen, hosted by Anne Birkenhauer.

As part of the ‘Picture Book Cinema for Young People Aged 10 and Over’ series, there will be a workshop with Shalom Zuckerman and Judith Poznan on the art of Micha Ullmann.

Anja Tuckermann: ‘Back Then in Rosenstraße’: Hundreds of women gather in Rosenstraße to bring back their imprisoned Jewish relatives – and achieve the almost unimaginable. Anja Tuckermann recounts this story in an interactive picture-book cinema session for people aged ten and over.

Guided tours and walks: on the themes of ‘Queerness and Gender in Jewish Berlin’ with Nirit Ben-Joseph, and ‘Jewish Life in the Shadow of Violence – In the Footsteps of the November Pogroms of 1923’ with Jess Earle.

Film programme

The seven films will be screened at CineStar Berlin – Cubix. In keeping with this year’s theme of the Culture Days, the programme features Israeli films and films by Jewish filmmakers, mostly shown in their original language with English subtitles, e.g. *Esther*, a cinematic portrait of the singer Esther Ofarim; the multi-award-winning film *Oxygen*, about a mother-son conflict; *Tzadik*, the Russian film adaptation of a true heroic story from German-occupied Belarus; the Israeli cult comedy series *Checkout*; the Israeli family drama *Tell Me Everything* about queerness and AIDS in the 1980s; and the heart-warming tragicomedy *The Wedding Entertainer*.

The Jewish Culture Days are an event organised by the Jewish Community of Berlin.

‘ZADIKIM – Time for the Righteous’ | 39th Jewish Cultural Days Berlin 2026

Dates: Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 November 2026

Venues: Centrum Judaicum at the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, the synagogue on Rykestraße, CineStar Berlin – CUBIX on Alexanderplatz, and the community centre on Fasanenstraße

All events have been available online and open for booking since 28 August; some are available at an early-bird price with a 20 per cent discount for bookings made within the first two weeks. Some productions are free of charge, but online registration is required.

Tickets cost between five and 70 euros.

The events can be booked online, and tickets are also available from the usual advance booking offices (additional charges may apply).