Name: 34. Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia 2026
Start: 2026-03-05T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-26T00:00:00+00:00
Location: 16 Veranstaltungsorte in Thüringen, davon über 40 in Erfurt

JIKT Thuringia 2026

About JIKT Thuringia 2026

The Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia (JIKT) are a nationwide unique festival with a clear Israel focus. The 34th edition runs from March 5 to 26, 2026, with 80 events at 16 locations throughout Thuringia — over 40 of them in the state capital Erfurt. Concerts, readings, films, exhibitions, discussion evenings, and services make Jewish and Israeli life visible. In 2026, the cultural days also mark 20 years of the Erfurt–Haifa twin city partnership.

Dates 05 Mar — 26 Mar 2026

Venue Erfurt (16051)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

JIKT Thuringia 2026 — edition 2026

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The 34th Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia run from March 5 to 26, 2026, with 80 events at 16 locations — over 40 of them in Erfurt. Opening on March 5, 7:30 PM, in the Atrium of Stadtwerke Erfurt. Highlights: Discussion with Dr. Josef Schuster (Central Council of Jews in Germany) on March 25 in the New Synagogue, closing concert Anna Margolina Quartet on March 26 at Zughafen Erfurt. Special exhibition on Hamsa motifs (555 depictions). 20 years of Erfurt–Haifa twin city partnership.

34th Edition — March 5 to 26, 2026

The Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia 2026 take place from March 5 to 26. 80 events at 16 locations throughout Thuringia — over 40 of them in Erfurt — form one of the densest festival programs of Jewish and Israeli culture in Germany. The organizer is the Jewish State Community of Thuringia together with the City of Erfurt and numerous partner institutions.

Opening at Stadtwerke Atrium

The opening on March 5, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the Atrium of Stadtwerke Erfurt kicks off the three-week program. Concerts, readings, films, exhibitions, and encounters follow until March 26.

Highlights and Special Exhibition

On March 25, Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, will speak at the New Synagogue Erfurt (7:00 PM). The closing event on March 26 is the album release concert of the Anna Margolina Quartet at Zughafen Erfurt (8:00 PM). The special exhibition "Hamsa — 555 Depictions" is dedicated to the traditional protective symbol in Jewish and Middle Eastern culture. In 2026, the cultural days also mark 20 years of the Erfurt–Haifa twin city partnership with special programs.

Highlights JIKT Thuringia 2026 2026

Opening on March 5 at Stadtwerke Atrium Erfurt
Discussion with Dr. Josef Schuster (Central Council of Jews in Germany) on March 25
Closing concert Anna Margolina Quartet on March 26, Zughafen Erfurt
Special exhibition Hamsa motifs (555 depictions)
20 years Erfurt–Haifa twin city partnership
80 events at 16 locations in Thuringia

Programme JIKT Thuringia 2026 2026

Program Highlights 2026 — 34th Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia

Thursday, March 5, 2026, 7:30 PM: Opening at the Atrium of Stadtwerke Erfurt
March 5–26, 2026: 80 events at 16 locations — concerts (Klezmer, classical, and contemporary Israeli music), readings, films, discussions, city tours, services, encounters
Erfurt Venues (Selection): New Synagogue, Old Synagogue, Stadtwerke Atrium, Zughafen, Kinoklub am Hirschlachufer, City Library
Other Venues in Thuringia: Weimar, Jena, Gera, Eisenach, and 11 more
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 7:00 PM: Discussion with Dr. Josef Schuster (President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany) at the New Synagogue Erfurt
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 8:00 PM: Closing concert Anna Margolina Quartet (Album Release) at Zughafen Erfurt
Special Exhibition: "Hamsa — 555 Depictions" (protective symbol of Jewish and Middle Eastern tradition), running concurrently
20 Years of Erfurt–Haifa Twin City Partnership: Special events focusing on the German-Israeli city partnership
Organizer: Jewish State Community of Thuringia in cooperation with the City of Erfurt and numerous partner institutions

Full program and tickets: juedische-kulturtage-thueringen.de and erfurt-tourismus.de.

Prices JIKT Thuringia 2026 2026

Individual events usually require a fee (concerts, readings, films) — advance booking via the venues and the JIKT website. Exhibitions and some discussions are often free.

Practical information

Practical information — JIKT Thuringia 2026

Date 2026

Thursday, March 5 to Thursday, March 26, 2026.

Opening

March 5, 2026, 7:30 PM, Atrium of Stadtwerke Erfurt.

Venues

16 locations in Thuringia, with over 40 individual events in Erfurt (New Synagogue, Old Synagogue, Zughafen, Stadtwerke Atrium, galleries, cinemas, libraries). Other venues include Weimar, Jena, Gera, and Eisenach.

Tickets

Depending on the event. Concerts and readings usually require a fee (advance booking via the venues and the JIKT website), exhibitions and discussions are often free.

Tip

Combine a visit with the UNESCO World Heritage site "Medieval Jewish Heritage Erfurt" (Old Synagogue, Mikveh, Stone House, open year-round).

Nationwide unique — with a clear Israel focus

The Jewish-Israeli Cultural Days Thuringia (JIKT) are the only festival of its kind in Germany that explicitly focuses on Israel as a country, cultural space, and present reality — not just Jewish history. The cultural days have taken place annually in March since 1992, organized by the Jewish State Community of Thuringia in cooperation with the City of Erfurt and numerous local partners. 2026 marks the 34th edition.

80 events at 16 locations

The program includes around 80 events at 16 locations throughout Thuringia — over 40 in Erfurt. These include concerts (Klezmer, classical, and contemporary Israeli music), readings by Jewish and Israeli authors, film screenings, exhibitions, discussion evenings, city tours focusing on Jewish heritage, services in the New Synagogue Erfurt, and encounters with representatives of the Jewish community.

Program Highlights 2026

The opening will take place on March 5, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the Atrium of Stadtwerke Erfurt. Highlights include a discussion with Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, on March 25 in the New Synagogue Erfurt, and the closing concert with the Anna Margolina Quartet (Album Release) on March 26 at Zughafen Erfurt. A special exhibition is dedicated to Hamsa motifs (555 depictions) — protective symbols of Jewish and Middle Eastern tradition.

20 Years of Erfurt–Haifa Twin City Partnership

In 2026, the cultural days also mark the 20th anniversary of the twin city partnership between Erfurt and Haifa. The connection between the two cities will be honored with programs, encounters, and concerts — Erfurt with its Jewish UNESCO World Heritage (Old Synagogue, Mikveh, Stone House) and Haifa as Israel's third-largest city.

Erfurt — Capital of Thuringia and UNESCO World Heritage

Erfurt, in the state of Thuringia, is the state capital and seat of the Jewish State Community. Since 2023, Erfurt's medieval Jewish heritage (Old Synagogue, Mikveh, Stone House) has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. This makes the city a natural venue for the cultural days — events also take place at historic sites such as the Old Synagogue and the New Synagogue.