

President Shimon Peres, who will open the festival, will reveal behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes about the State of Israel in an intimate meeting with festival founder Yossi Alfi and his son, comedian Guri Alfi.
Over the past several years, the Storytelling Festival has become a significant Sukkot event. This year, the tradition will continue with an emphasis on transformations and changes within the Arab world.
Some of the storytellers from the Libyan community will include Communications, Welfare and Social Services Minister Moshe Kahlon, Bat Yam Mayor Shlomi Lahiani, and former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi.
General (Res.) Eitan Ben Eliyahu and Professor David Menashri will talk about the Iranian community.
An evening devoted to Jewish communities in Iraq will mark the 90th birthday of Shlomo Hillel, former Knesset Speak and minister, who brought about the Jewish aliyah from Iraq during his days in the Mossad.
Chef Israel Aharoni and Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar will participate in the event "Bukhara the Beautiful" with stories from the Bukharan Jews. Polish participant Joel Ripple, Romanian participant Lea Koenig, German participant Uri Orbach, and Greek participant Simon France will each discuss their own Jewish communities.
The festival will refer to significant events of the past year, including an evening saluting to the 80th anniversary of the Maccabiah Games, with the best athletes and sport announcers in Israel telling their stories.
Additionally, Maccabi Health Services will be celebrating its 70th year, and the potassium plant in the Dead Sea will mark its 90th anniversary in an evening dedicated to all heroes of the mines
The Jewish National Fund will be celebrating its 110th anniversary, as will the Teachers Union. Singer Sarah'le Sharon, a talented teacher for over 30 years, will present the artistic side of the event.
The festival was founded in 1993 and has established a reputation as the largest most unique cultural storytelling festival in the world today. Its founder and artistic director, Yossi Alfi, is active in the theater industry, is a well-known poet, a storyteller, and a journalist in the fields of radio and television.
The festival's producers have kept the events prices affordable. Tickets can be purchased through "Castel" 972-3-6045000, *8965 or through the festival itself at 972-3-5730661