Беларускія фэстывалі й выстаўкі ў Нью Джэрзі
Янка Запруднік
Выдавец: Беларускі Інстытут Навукі й Мастацтва
Памер: 219с.
Нью Йорк 2013
The festival started with a parade of ethnic groups in national costumes, carrying their flags. It looked very colorful and solemn. The Belarusian flag and the sign "Byelorussia" was proudly carried in front of the rostrum by Nadja Kudasow and Laura Rahalewicz. Nadja noted later: "I felt a lump in my throat when I carried that flag."
The Belarusian stand was quite popular, as in previous years. Our nicely arranged display of items — table spreads, miniature agricultural utensils, embroidery, dolls, straw-inlaid boxes, wood carvings, books and many other articles — drew viewers of various ages and inquisitiveness.23
ETHNIC HERITAGE BALLS
During the second half of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, annual ethnic balls had been held in order to keep the spirit of ethnicity alive and bring groups for closer cooperation.
Display of one of the craft tables.
These colorful events gave an opportunity to the more engaged representatives of various groups, together with officials of the New Jersey Highway Administration and other state agencies, to spend, once a year, some hours together discussing ongoing
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activities and upcoming plans. On such occasions, along with dinner, a menu of ethnic entertainment would be offered. Favorites were displays of national costumes and musical performances. Naturally, such events were covered by the press.24
At an ethnic ball with Steve Richer, governor's representative. From left: Vasil Rusak. Halina Rusak, Nadja Kudasow, Zora Kipcl, Steve Richer, Valentina Rahalewicz, Irene Dutko, Serge Rahalewicz. Raisa Stankevich.
Participants at a ball, including the Vasilok dance group who performed at the event.
Irene Dutko receiving award from Hanna Phillips for being the Ethnic Ball Chairperson.
Participants in the Parade of Dress at an Ethnic Ball.
Belarusian-Americans at the Ethnic Ball.
At a Sfavic 'Festival15
As soon as the exhibition in Bergen County closed down, a new one opened in the city of Newark. Here, festivals and art displays were organized under the auspices of the State University. Belarusians participated for the first time.
On Sunday March 22nd of 1983, our Vasilok group gave a performance in the university auditorium. Again, our dancers were superb, and the information on Belarus covered a wide range of topics. As in the previous event, English-language printouts on Belarus were widely distributed. Our exhibition was quite multifaceted: textile items, embroidery, and woodcarving were on display. Especially popular were straw-inlaid boxes made by Mikola Shust.
й . Belarusian Festivals in New Jersey (1948-2011)
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Mrs. Alexandra Semionow served as a guide with help from Halina and Vasil Rusak, who were in charge of organizational matters.
The month of March was indeed a busy period. Literally an hour after the Newark event, the Vasilok dancers had to perform in South River (an exhibition opened at the Belarusian Community Center), and several of the organizers of the above events had to go to meetings in Somerset and Essex counties to discuss upcoming festivals. In addition, preparations had to be made for the upcoming Belarus Independence festivity and for the approaching symposium on Belarusian culture in America. Thus, March had been a busy and rewarding month.
'Pefarusian 'Women at a Conference in Princeton-^
In Princeton, New Jersey, the city of the renowned Princeton University, a three-day conference took place on June 17-19, 1986. It was organized by New Jersey women in connection with the observance of the International Women's Year.
A group of Belarusian women from New Jersey took part in this conference. Along with participation in some of the panels, the Belarusian women organized a rich and nicely arranged exhibition displaying artifacts made by New Jersey Belarusian women, older ones and some quite young. Also shown were embroidered items and woven ones, belts and publications, illustrations and art works. Belt weaving and flax spinning were demonstrated. All of this attracted many onlookers and elicited interest in Belarus and in the Belarusian ladies of New Jersey. Special brochures on Belarus and our women in New Jersey were distributed.
During the entire three days our stand was visited by multitudes of women, correspondents, and politicians interested in learning about Belarus, our problems and our womenfolk in New Jersey.
Deep gratitude is due to all those who so devotedly offered their time and energy on those three hot days in Princeton; especially, Halina Rusak, Irene Rahalewicz, St. Tamara (Kolba), Nadja Kudasow, Ludmila Machniuk, and our friend from New York Raisa Stankevich.
'Participation in the Statue of Ciberty Oubibee-^
The centennial of the Statue of Liberty was solemnly observed in New York from the 4th to the 6th of July 1986. The occasion was conjoined with marking the 21 Oth anniversary of the independence of the United States.
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Belarusian organizations, including the Belarusian-American Association, the Belarusian-American Youth Organization, the Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences and others, actively participated in fundraising for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. A group of young Belarusian dancers from the Vasilok group were invited to take part in one of the most solemn ceremonies on Sunday, July 6th, during the concluding concert at Giants Stadium, (70,000 seats), by demonstrating Belarusian national costumes.
A picture "Immigrants" by a Belarusian artist, Piotra Miranovich, was one of the items at the art show organized for this occasion not far away from the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, through which thousands of Belarusian immigrants passed into America in bygone years.
On the same day, before
their participation in the concluding concert, the Vasilok group performed Belarusian folk dances in Liberty State Park that lies in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty.
Vasilok group.
INTERESTING EVENTS
Festivals and exhibitions, as well as preparations for them, did not pass without incidents and some comic situations. Most of them remained undocumented, but they add to the overall story of those events. Vitaut Kipel, chairman of the Festival Organizational Committee, remembers a few colorful episodes. For example:
"Deep politics of separatists "
To secure maximum spectators for festivals, we had to distribute advertisements — announcements, posters, leaflets, invitations wherever we could. We would post them at bus stops, rail road stations, schools and clubs; mail them out to newspapers, radio, television, etc., etc. Self-evident places were also Christian Orthodox churches.
A close acquaintance of mine, Mr. Pen (previously, Penionchik), an engineer and Christian Orthodox, wanted to hang up our poster in the St. Kosma and Demyan Russian Church in Passaic, New Jersey. By the way, the church was founded by Belarusians. However, the priest
forbade him to hang the poster. My friend tried to argue. He said: "Father, this is a cultural event; this culture is part of America!" And the priest retorted: "0 no, this is deep politics. Obviously, you don't understand — a deep politics of separatists."
The Secret of Gov. Brendan Byrne's Appearance
At our Second Festival, Governor Brendan Byrne greeted the public. His appearance was not only a pleasant surprise to all, but also, until the very moment of arrival, a great secret to the administration of the Garden State Arts Center.
Here is how it happened.
During the preparation for the festival I happened to be, for some reason, in the office of the governor. There I met my friends Steven Richer, the governor's adviser for ethnic affairs, and Jack Toporek, Byrne's secretary for appointments. I told them that it would be nice if the governor would visit our festival. Jack's first reaction was: "How many people will there be?" I assured him that there would be more than three thousand. Then he said: "Vi (that's how they called me), wait for a couple of hours. During lunch time I'll talk with the governor."
I had lunch with Steven and around three o'clock we went to see Toporek. And he gives me the news: "The governor agrees. He has never been to the Arts Center. This will be a good occasion for him to see it. But don't give it to the press because there could be a change. I'll give you a call two or three days before the festival."
On the very eve of the event, when we coordinated the program with Fred Week, administrator of the Cultural Center Fund, I asked Fred if there was a call from Jack Toporek. I said there is a likelihood that the governor would come, and we should include it in the program. And Fred said literally: "Vi, you're fantasizing. Brendan Byrne did not show up when he was invited by Poles, Jewish, Irish. You are a daydreamer, Vi..." I swallowed the pill without arguing, to have the last laugh when the governor would arrive. Somehow I believed that we'll be lucky with him.
Indeed, we were. The guest of honor arrived in a helicopter. The local police were notified about his coming on the very morning of the festival day, and the police of the Arts Center half an hour before the landing. The press was informed from the governor's office.
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Later, the governor visited other festivals, but he started with us. We would like to believe that he appreciated our program. He also came to see our festival in 1977.
Some episodes stayed vivid in the memory of Nadja Zaprudnik who relates the following stories:
"Do you think it’s a dummy?"
On a hot sunny day I'm sitting at my staff dressed in the full Palessie28 regional costume: my head and neck wrapped up in socalled namitka (a long piece of linen), my blouse has long sleeves, and the woolen skirt covers my laptsi — dressed legs almost to the ground. It's humid and the sun is still high in the sky. The end of my spinning demonstration is still several hours ahead of me. Somewhat tired, I stopped spinning and decided to rest quietly, with the spinner on my lap.
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