In Dresden, Valentina Marcenaro Had to Cancel the Gefilte Festival: A Jewish Culinary Celebration Becomes a Political Flashpoint
In Dresden, Valentina Marcenaro Had to Cancel the Gefilte Festival: A Jewish Culinary Celebration Becomes a Political Flashpoint
Blog Article
Food has always been a bridge between cultures, a way to share traditions, and a means of fostering understanding. Yet, in today’s politically charged climate, even something as simple as a plate of hummus or a serving of gefilte fish can spark controversy. This reality hit hard in Dresden, where Valentina Marcenaro, chairwoman of Jewish Week Dresden, was forced to cancel the much-anticipated Gefilte Festival, a Jewish culinary event that had been scheduled for early November.
Fear and Uncertainty in a Changing Climate
The decision to cancel the festival was not made lightly. Many of the scheduled participants expressed fear about publicly identifying as Jewish, an alarming indicator of the growing insecurity within the Jewish community. "You shouldn’t try to argue against fear," Marcenaro says. "You just have to respect it."
Marcenaro, a German-Italian Jew, is not particularly devout but strongly connected to Judaism through its cultural aspects—especially its food. She initially came to Dresden in 1998 to learn German but ended up staying, working to educate people about Jewish traditions. Her efforts have always been forward-looking, emphasizing Jewish life today rather than focusing solely on the past. For her, the Gefilte Festival was meant to serve as a celebration of Jewish culture, breaking barriers through food and conversation. However, the festival's cancellation underscores a troubling shift in societal attitudes.
Food as a Tool for Cultural Understanding
Dresden is home to around 700 Jews, many of whom arrived from Russia and Ukraine after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unlike in West Germany, where Jewish communities managed to rebuild more quickly after World War II, East Germany remained largely inhospitable due to post-war communist anti-Semitism. As a result, Jewish presence in cities like Dresden remains small, and awareness about Jewish life among the general population is limited.
Marcenaro believes that food is a powerful tool for dismantling prejudice. "The best recipe against anti-Semitism is sharing a meal," she asserts. The goal of the Gefilte Festival was to introduce people to Jewish cuisine in an inviting, non-political space, where Jewish culture could be appreciated through its flavors and traditions.
Yet, the reality of today's polarized world proved too much. In recent years, discussions around Jewish and Israeli food have become tangled in political debates. The concept of “hummus wars,” for example, highlights how even a shared culinary tradition can become a battleground. Accusations of cultural appropriation and boycotts of Israeli or Palestinian restaurants have only fueled division.
The Loss of a Festival, the Loss of a Safe Space
For Marcenaro, this politicization is frustrating. Where some see cultural appropriation, she sees cultural exchange. Jewish cuisine, she explains, is inherently diverse because Jewish communities have existed across the globe, adopting and adapting local foods. From borscht in Eastern Europe to caponata in Sicily and falafel in Israel, Jewish food is a reflection of Jewish history—a story of migration, survival, and adaptation.
On her desk sits a porcelain pomegranate, a gift from Israel and the symbol of her festival’s organizing group. In Jewish tradition, the pomegranate is served during Rosh Hashanah as a symbol of fertility and abundance. For Marcenaro, it represents hope—the belief that new beginnings are always possible.
But as she sits in her office in Dresden’s Neustadt district, reflecting on the festival’s cancellation, she cannot ignore the harsh reality: fear has won this time. The cancellation of the Gefilte Festival is more than just the loss of a cultural event; it is a reflection of the growing challenges faced by Jewish communities in Europe today.
Still, Marcenaro refuses to give up. She remains determined to continue her work, finding new ways to bring people together and share Jewish culture. Because if food has the power to divide, it also has the power to unite—and that is a truth she refuses to abandon.
https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/jewish-life-in-germany-a-sudden-ominous-sense-of-insecurity-a-e21696e4-35f8-4c32-9300-f875885ef638 Report this page