Bridging continents and cultures, the inaugural ALEPH Festival will take place from Feb. 18 to March 1, marking a historic global celebration of the Hebrew language. Initiated and led by artistic director Yair Qedar—the visionary creator behind the multi-award-winning documentary project “The Hebrews” (Ha’Ivrim)—the festival explores Hebrew not as a static relic, but as a living, breathing and “traveling” language that shapes contemporary global culture.
Timed to coincide with International Mother Language Day, ALEPH Festival will unfold across six major cultural hubs: Berlin, London, Stockholm, New York, Boston and Hollywood, Fla. The program features exclusive film premieres, academic symposiums and intimate conversations with world-renowned writers and scholars.
A Vision by Yair Qedar
As the driving force behind the festival, Yair Qedar brings the same depth and artistic rigor that defined “The Hebrews”, his acclaimed series of more than 20 documentary films that has become the definitive cinematic archive of Jewish and Hebrew literary giants.
“Hebrew is a language that moves; it travels with its speakers and evolves through their diaspora journeys. ALEPH is a platform to showcase the incredible vitality of Hebrew culture—from its ancient roots to its queer, poetic, and cinematic modern expressions—connecting the world through a shared creative pulse.” Yair Qedar
Festival Highlights: Feb. 18–March 1
Berlin: A focus on avant-garde and queer culture at the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin, featuring a work-in-progress screening on poet Hezi Leskly and the first German translation of “The Seven Tapes of Yona Wallach.”
London: An academic exploration at University College London and the University of Cambridge titled “Is Hebrew Really That Old?” featuring a screening of “Bialik: King of the Jews.”
New York: At the JCC Manhattan, award-winning writers Maya Arad and Ruby Namdar join Qedar for “Home in Words,” a cross-continental dialogue on writing Hebrew literature abroad.
Stockholm: A prestigious afternoon at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, honoring the “Founding Mothers and Fathers” of Hebrew poetry, including Rachel Bluwstein and Leah Goldberg.
Boston and Hollywood, Fla.: High-profile screenings and poetry readings in collaboration with Brandeis University and the Hollywood Art and Culture Center, featuring films on literary icons Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua.
Global Institutional Partners
The ALEPH Festival is presented in collaboration with premier academic and cultural institutions, including:
- University of Cambridge and University College London
- Brandeis University
- Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts and Judisk Kultur i Sverige
- Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
- JCC Manhattan
For Media Inquiries, Interviews with Yair Qedar, or Press Assets: alephhebrewcelebration@gmail.com
