OUR STORY
The Shuk's History
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The Shuk began in 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden. Ami Yares, The Shuk’s director of programming and education, took part in the Project Incubator of Paideia – The European Institute of Jewish Studies. The Project Incubator brought together thirty educators and artists from Europe in order to create programming to strengthen Jewish identity in Europe. In the years following the Holocaust and the fall of communism, a great vacuum existed for people of Jewish origins to express their identity in a variety of ways. The 21st century provided the environment for Jews of all backgrounds to explore Jewish culture.
During the Project Incubator, the idea of The Shuk came into being. The lack of an ensemble that connected emotionally and intellectually made a void that needed to be filled. Using the Israeli and Jewish musical tradition, The Shuk fuses the existential and academic, the tangible and intangible of Israeli and Jewish culture in an intimate and focused way, palatable to all.
The Shuk brings people of all backgrounds together in order to experience Israeli and Jewish culture.
Our Philosophy
The Shuk’s philosophy relies on two important concepts: community and content.
Community is what brings us together and content is the catalyst to create community. Every event led by The Shuk is meant to create a sense of unity and togetherness. It is essential that a concert, workshop, lecture, simcha, private event, etc. create a bridge between the participants and The Shuk. Interactive programming and events empower people to get involved. Participants actively take part and feel invested individually and communally in Israeli and Jewish culture. The voices of these participants are vital to the success of our programming and events. Singing, dancing, music, and dialogue provide fundamental points of interaction during The Shuk’s performances, workshops, lectures, and private events. Creating a shared experience is important to everyone at the program or event.
Community is what brings us together and content is the catalyst to create community. Every event led by The Shuk is meant to create a sense of unity and togetherness. It is essential that a concert, workshop, lecture, simcha, private event, etc. create a bridge between the participants and The Shuk. Interactive programming and events empower people to get involved. Participants actively take part and feel invested individually and communally in Israeli and Jewish culture. The voices of these participants are vital to the success of our programming and events. Singing, dancing, music, and dialogue provide fundamental points of interaction during The Shuk’s performances, workshops, lectures, and private events. Creating a shared experience is important to everyone at the program or event.
The Shuk’s content is diverse and colorful. This content is crucial to conveying The Shuk’s belief in pluralism and diversity. Jewish identity has been expressed in so many different ways over thousands of years. The multifaceted means of Jewish expression provide The Shuk with ample opportunity to approach Israeli and Jewish culture with a most dynamic approach.
The Shuk prides itself in ‘preserving, perpetuating, and innovating.’
Carrying on the cultural heritage of the Jewish people (PRESERVE).
Exposing this heritage to those familiar and unfamiliar with Israeli and Jewish culture (PERPETUATE).
Approaching Israeli and Jewish culture with fresh and dynamic, rhythmic and moving experience (INNOVATE).
The Shuk strengthens and heightens people’s connection and appreciation to Israeli and Jewish culture.
What's a 'Shuk?'
The ensemble’s name, The Shuk, means ‘marketplace’ in Hebrew.
Marketplaces have been and still are central locations in towns and cities all over the world where people come to sell, buy, and interact with one another. They are colorful, diverse, and pluralistic places. The Shuk, the ensemble, represents many of these ideas. Pluralism and diversity are central pillars to The Shuk’s ethos.
Marketplaces have been and still are central locations in towns and cities all over the world where people come to sell, buy, and interact with one another. They are colorful, diverse, and pluralistic places. The Shuk, the ensemble, represents many of these ideas. Pluralism and diversity are central pillars to The Shuk’s ethos.
At programs presented by The Shuk, music from all over the world can be heard: Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Israeli, Ladino, Middle Eastern, and much more. People come together to learn about themselves and each other. The Shuk provides a meeting point for all. Instead of fruits, vegetables, clothing, and whatever else you can find a marketplace, music is the epicenter of The Shuk experience.