Iași, a city of approximately 390,000 inhabitants, is widely recognized as the cultural capital of Romania. Located in the North-East Region of the country, at the eastern border of the European Union and close to the Republic of Moldova, Iași has long served as a crossroads of cultures, ideas and traditions. For more than five centuries, the Jewish community of Iași—one of the oldest and most significant in Romania—has made an outstanding contribution to the city's social, economic, scientific and cultural development. The first synagogue in Iași was built in 1657, and the city became the birthplace of the world's first professional Yiddish theatre in the world, founded by Avram Goldfaden. During the first half of the twentieth century, more than half of Iași's population was Jewish, making the city one of the most important centres of Jewish life and culture in Eastern Europe. This rich heritage was profoundly affected by the Iași Pogrom of June 1941 and by the anti-religious and anti-minority policies of the communist regime, which led to the dramatic decline of the local Jewish community.

This project intends to highlight the extraordinary legacy of Jewish theatre and its personnalities, their contribution to the local culture and heritage and to the community development. The prohect will include an exhibition in open-air near the monument remebering the existence of the First Jewish Theatre in the world, in Iasi city center and a guided walking tour to the Jewish memory/heritage places.

From 14 to 21 November 2026*, the park of the National Theatre in Iași, in the location where use to be the the first Ydish Theatre in the world, will host an open-air exhibition dedicated to the city's Jewish cultural heritage. Through a carefully curated selection of archival photographs and historical documentation, the exhibition will invite visitors to rediscover the rich multicultural history of Iași and the lasting contribution of its Jewish community to the city's identity.

The exhibition will present historical images alongside contemporary photographs of buildings that still exist today but once served different social, cultural or commercial purposes, revealing the atmosphere and architectural character of interwar Iași. It will also bring back to public memory important heritage buildings that have disappeared over time, including the former Jewish Theatre, one of the city's most significant cultural landmarks.
A special section of the exhibition will be devoted to the history of Jewish theatre and to the remarkable personalities who transformed Iași into a landmark of international theatre history. Visitors will discover the legacy of Avram Goldfaden, founder of the world's first professional Yiddish theatre, whose productions created in Iași profoundly influenced the development of Jewish theatre in Europe and North America. Theatre historians widely regard him as one of the pioneers whose innovative musical productions laid the foundations of what would later become the American Broadway musical tradition.
The exhibition will also honour Benjamin Fondane (14 November 1898 – 2 October 1944), the Romanian-French poet, philosopher, essayist and filmmaker born in Iași, who founded and directed Insula, Romania's first avant-garde theatre, in 1922. Fondane remains one of the most influential intellectual figures of the European avant-garde, and the opening date of the exhibition—14 November 2026—has been intentionally chosen to commemorate the anniversary of his birth.
The exhibition will be developed in collaboration with historians and heritage specialists, based on archival research and documentation provided by the Jewish Theatre Museum of Iași and other historical collections, ensuring both historical accuracy and high educational value.

Following the exhibition opening, participants will be invited to join a guided heritage walk through the historic Jewish quarter of Iași. The itinerary will include Cuza Vodă Street, the Târgu Cucu neighbourhood and the Great Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in Romania. The guided tour will offer participants a deeper understanding of the city's multicultural past, highlighting the places, stories and personalities that shaped the cultural life of Iași.
By combining historical research, visual storytelling and direct engagement with the urban landscape, the event aims to strengthen public appreciation of Jewish cultural heritage, encourage intercultural dialogue and inspire a deeper connection with the history and identity of the city.

* This period (14-21 November) was choosen to honor the memory of the great Jewish personnality of Benjamine Fondane, born on 14 November 1898,, but it can be advanced/modified, if necessary.