The Lucky Jewathon

The term “Lucky Jew” refers to figurines and small paintings of Jews with gold coins that are customarily sold in Poland as good luck charms. While some people see them as remembrances of Poland’s pre-war Jewish communities, for many they are simply anti-Semitic caricatures. Lucky Jew is a performance that engages with the cultural complications of these objects by bringing a Lucky Jew to life in the public spaces of the city. The performance, at once sincere and satirical, has inspired all manner of reactions—from ebullient praise to downright contempt. For us, the performance is an invitation to a conversation: about the cultural practice, “positive stereotypes,” images of Jews in Poland, and the complicated nature of luck.

For the Lucky Jewathon, FestivALT has invited 18 different people from around the world to host the Lucky Jewathon, including academics, artists, anthropologists, journalists, community leaders, and politicians. Each host will have a 4 hour section to contribute their own response to the “Lucky Jew” project. Over 72 hours we will be met with panels, conversations, art projects, film, music and maybe even some dancing. Each host has been asked to respond however they choose, and depending on when you tune in, you’ll get a completely different type of experience.

The Lucky Jewathon is completely interactive. This means that as soon as you enter the ZOOM room, you are a part of the performance. You are invited and encouraged to participate in the action — to bring your eyes, ears and voice to the room. The Lucky Jewathon will also be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook, for those who would prefer to just be an observer.

Inspired by telethon events where the goal is to raise money for a cause, the goal of the Lucky Jewathon is to raise awareness about a problematic practice that has become normalized in Poland.