A total of 30 achievements from 18 countries have been singled out for praise. The Warsaw festival received the accolade in the Education, Training and Skills category.
A citation from the jury says that the TISH Jewish Food Festival in Warsaw "highlights the great importance of the intangible cultural heritage of food and its ability to build bridges and reveal our shared traditions and customs.”
It adds: “Food is a truly democratic topic that everyone can talk about. As such it can be a powerful vehicle for wider discussions about culture, heritage, and the history of a community of people who are dispersed across Europe. The TISH Festival has great significance to people across the whole of Europe and is a strong example for other communities with a similar history."
Launched in 2018, the TISH Jewish Food Festival is an annual event organised by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. It presents the culture and history of Polish Jews through a celebration of Jewish food heritage.
The event’s name comes from Yiddish and refers to a joyful time spent together at the table, eating, drinking and talking.
The festival includes culinary workshops and food tastings that allow for the transfer of knowledge about culinary heritage through memorable personal experiences. The success of the event resulted in the opening at the POLIN Museum of an exhibition on Jewish food, which runs until December.
The European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards were launched by the European Commission in 2002, with support from the EU’s Creative Europe programme.
The European Heritage Awards ceremony will be held in the Czech capital Prague on September 26 as part of the European Cultural Heritage Summit.
(mk/gs)