Poetry is something that brings people together, people from different cultures, religions but also from different eras. On Friday June 9th Synagoge Groningen hosts ‘A poetic evening’.
The event consist of a lecture given by em. Prof. Dr. Wout van Bekkum. Van Bekkum will speak about Jewish Poetry in the Middle Ages, hymns from Baghdad and songs from Andalusia. After this members of Poetry Stanza from Groningen share poems they have written after their visit to Synagoge Groningen.
Statue of Maimonides in Córdoba, Spanje.
Foto: WikimediaCommons. Wolfgang Manousek from Dormagen, Germany.
Poetry, but in more recent times, the genre spoken word, is getting more popular. Wout van Bekkum has been fascinated for a long time by ancient and medieval Hebrew poetry. In 1988 he got his PhD for his research concerning this topic. In 2001 he was appointed profesor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. In his lecture during this Poetic Evening at the Syangogue, Van Bekkum will focus on the golden age of Jewish literacy in Al-Andalus and Baghdad.
Poetry Stanza from Groningen
In addition, the Groningen Poetry Stanza will contribute to this Poetical Evening with their own poems. We go from poetry from the Middle Ages to contemporary poetry, made here in Groningen. The Groningen Poetry Stanza is an English poetry group that share and discuss their poetry during their meetings. They have taken part in some events where they have shared their work.
Open Access
Everyone is welcome to attend the Poetic Evening, there is no access fee and you don’t have to book a ticket. This event offers a chance of spreading one’s knowledge in Jewish culture and history by exploring ancient and contemporary poetry. The event will be hosted in English, so it is a special chance for internationals and students living in Groningen to get to know the synagogue and enjoying its grand atmosphere during this Poetic Evening.
A Poetic Evening at the Synagogue
Synagoge Groningen, Folkingestraat 60
Friday June 9. – 7.45 pm (synagogue open at 7.30 pm)
Open access!