Candle Sponsors 2021

Leipzig Festival of Lights

Übergabe des Spendenschecks an die Kerzenpaten 2021. Die Erlöse wurde im Rahmen des Lichtfest 2021 gesammelt — © LTM/Andreas Schmidt

The Candle Sponsorship Initiative as part of the Leipzig Festival of Lights was once again successful in 2021: Mayor Burkhard Jung was able to present donation cheques of 2,300 euros each to Küf Kaufmann from the Leipzig Ariowitsch-Haus e. V. and to Lolita Korenblum from the Jewish Community of Halle (Saale). Also present: Volker Bremer and Marit Schulz from Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH (LTM), the organiser of the Leipzig Festival of Lights.

Some citizens, as well as institutions and companies, made use of the opportunity to symbolically take on a candle sponsorship online via the donation platform in the run-up to the 9ᵗʰ of October. “Particularly overwhelming, however, was the spontaneous response on the evening of the Leipzig Festival of Lights itself, when visitors to the event donated over 2,000 euros at the candle distribution stands,” says Marit Schulz, Head of the Leipzig Festival of Lights.

In 2020, citizens were able for the first time to become candle sponsors in the run-up to the Leipzig Festival of Lights by symbolically purchasing a tealight for the traditional candles' podium '899. The beautiful idea of candle sponsorship continued in 2021.

“We can no longer celebrate the 9ᵗʰ of October in Leipzig without thinking of the 9ᵗʰ of October 2019 in Halle,” Mayor Jung recalled at the 2021 press briefing for the Leipzig Festival of Lights, referring to the terrible attack on the synagogue there. In 2021, Germany also marked the anniversary year “1,700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany”. For this reason, the proceeds from the candle sponsorships were shared equally between the Jewish Community of Halle (Saale) and the Ariowitsch-Haus Leipzig e. V.

Ariowitsch House Association

Cultural and community centre in Leipzig

Since 2009, the Ariowitsch House – Centre of Jewish Culture has been a vibrant hub in Leipzig’s Waldstrassen Quarter, in the daily life of the Jewish Community, but above all for all Leipzig residents and visitors to the city.

Numerous cultural events, concert and reading series, exhibitions, lectures and seminars take place here. The shared celebration of traditional Jewish festivals also makes the Centre of Jewish Culture a lively place. The association designs and implements projects on the history of Jews in Leipzig and the diversity of their cultural traditions. Another core task of the association is its commitment to education and prevention against antisemitism and racism, as well as promoting social tolerance. The Ariowitsch House is also a meeting centre and multi‑generation house. It offers a wide range of art, language, computer and other courses – for children, young people, adults and senior citizens, for people with and without disabilities, regardless of their origin, religion or culture.

As such an open Jewish cultural and community centre, the Ariowitsch House is unique in Germany.

Ariowitsch House

Jewish Community of Halle

Die Jüdische Gemeinde Halle gehörte zu den Lichtfest-Kerzenpaten des Lichtfest Leipzig 2021 — © Jüdische Gemeinde Halle

Survivors of the Shoah from Halle and the surrounding area re-established a jewish community in 1947, which moved into its community centre at Große Märkerstraße 13 in January 1952. The former mourning hall in Humboldtstraße was converted into a synagogue, as Halle had lacked one since 1938. With the inauguration of the synagogue in July 1953, Jewish community life became possible again in Halle.

In the 1970s, the community consisted of only a few members who, despite various repressive measures by the GDR regime, tried to maintain community life.

After the Peaceful Revolution in 1989 and with the arrival of Jewish immigrants from the post-Soviet states, a new phase of institutional Jewish life began in Germany and also in Halle.

During the highest Jewish holy day – Yom Kippur – an attack on the synagogue in Halle took place on 9.10.2019. Two uninvolved people lost their lives and a married couple was injured. Deeply shaken, the city’s population expressed its solidarity with the Jewish community through public commemoration. More than 900 messages of solidarity from around the world reached the community. A memorial on the synagogue grounds, centred around the entrance door that withstood the attacker’s gunshots, commemorates this event.

Today the community has over 500 members and leads an active life with numerous activities and offerings for its members. These include, among others, sports and language courses, programmes for children and young people, a social department, cultural and leisure activities, as well as the shared celebration of religious and non-religious holidays.

Jewish Community of Halle