The "Cotidianul" newspaper published a vast article entitled "An important event for the Romanian cultural life organized in Iasi". The article showed that the first edition of the "Avram Goldfaden" International Theater Festival, held last year, had a commemorative character and facilitated close ties among the participants from Romania, Israel, Germany and the US. Last year, the agenda included five shows, a Yiddish music concert, a multimedia presentation and three workshops. This year, the manifestations multiplied and diversified. There will be guests from Israel, the US, Poland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, the Republic of Moldavia. Romania will be represented by the performances of the National Theater in Iasi and of the Jewish State Theater.

As for the agenda of the event, here are a few coordinates meant to awake your interest and to persuade you to go to Iasi for this festival. You will be able to view the following theater performances: "Judith" by Howard Barkerr, directed by Moshe Yassur; "Dieu de vengeance" by Shalom Asch; "The Story of a Private Bank" by Durrenmatt; "Cabrule", after the writings of Sholem Alehem; "The Mage" by Paul Miron; "The Traders of ‘Haloimas'", after Salom Alehem; "Ghetto" by Joshua Sobol and Victor Brauner, directed by Benoit Vitse; "Born Guilty", by Ari Roth. There are also one-man shows: Gareth Armstrong (the UK), Shylock and Sharon Reginiano.

Exhibitions: "Brauner-Warszawsky", "The Klezmer Singers, Yale Strom"; concerts: "Rock Theater" in Dresda featuring "Yiddish Balkan Express"; seminars: "The Jewish culture in Central and Eastern Europe as a place of memory"; workshops: Nahama Sandrow (professor emeritus, City University, New York, the US), Laura Simms (the US); movie shows: "The City without Jews", "Journey"; etc. These manifestations will take place in the Great Hall and the Studio Hall of the National Theater in Iasi, in the halls of the "Al. I. Cuza" University, at the French Cultural Center and at the Cupola Art Gallery.

In a Romanian-speaking forum on the Internet, mention was made of a CD with songs recorded by architect Adriana Ausch Simmel - one of the members of the discussion list. The CD comprises songs composed some time ago, something at the crossroads of Joan Baez and Edith Piaf, of the chansonnette and the folk music of the 1970's.

The author studied classical piano for 12 years in Targu Mures and now teaches Eurhythmics and Cabaret at Longy School of Music - a small conservatoire in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She turned from architecture to music ten years ago.

In 1988, she emigrated from Romania to Israel (after having also lived in Germany), where she recorded the CD, then she got to the US. She has two daughters who go to college in New York and Vermont. When asked to talk about herself, Adriana Ausch Simmel says, kidding, that she is the best musician among architects and the best architect among musicians.

Some songs on her CD are sometimes broadcast by radio stations in Romania.