Jelena Đurović

Jelena Đurovic (also transliterated as Djurović; Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Ђуровић; born 13 July 1973) is a Montenegrin[1] journalist, writer and political activist of a Jewish-Montenegrin origin, based between Podgorica, Montenegro and Belgrade, Serbia. [2] Jelena was a founder and Vice President of the Jewish Community of Montenegro.[3][4] She was the closest associate of the president of the Jewish Community of Montenegro, late Jasha Alfandari.[5] Alfandari and Đurović collaborated with major umbrella Jewish organisations [6] until his sudden death on 12th of July 2018 [7] Currently, she is a Chairwoman of "soft lobbying" OJC SEE - Organization for Jewish Cooperation in Southeastern Europe and a member of the Board of the Montenegrin national council in Belgrade, Serbia.[8] As a journalist, she predominantly works as film and TV critic.[9]

Jelena Đurović
Born (1973-07-13) July 13, 1973
Occupation(s)journalist, writer, political activist
Jelena Đurović talking about her novel "Kingdom", Belgrade, November 2004.

Literary work

Jelena is a graduate of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Department of Theater and radio production. Her bachelor thesis, "Theatre in the shadow of the gallows" ("Pozornica u senci vešala") explored the programming policies of Belgrade theaters during the Slobodan Milošević era. During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Jelena lived in Budapest, Hungary, where she started work on her novel "Kingdom"[10] published in November 2003, excerpts from which were published in the book Voices from the faultline, A Balkan Anthology.[11]

Kingdom

"Kingdom" is the book that elaborates influence of historical events in the life of an individual. It plays with three sequences – literary genres and uses a fragmentary approach, but the basic idea, well hidden among its pages, is the understanding of the art.

The choice of the nine most significant dates in Yugoslav history, the plot of the story that unfolds amongst these dates, as well as the genres of each of the chapters in "Kingdom" form a unique literary experiment.

30 February
Cover of Jelena's latest novel, "February 30th". Artwork: Aleksandar Maćašev

In October 2011. her second novel, "February 30th" ("30. februar") was published in Belgrade. It is a sci-fi love story that treats Serbian current affairs from the viewpoint of 4 main characters, young professionals living in Belgrade. Each of them is giving their own view of the same set of events that, eventually, lead to exposure of corruption and dishonesty of Serbian political and business elites. At the same time this novel gives the grim picture of the hopelessness that Serbian young adults have to deal with.

Journalism

In 1994 and 1995 she worked at one of Belgrade's most popular radio stations, Studio B,[12] as author and editor of the weekly radio show "Time In". This show was sponsored by Soros Fund Yugoslavia. Since October 2005 she is the author and editor of "AgitPop"[13] blog. Its motto is a citation from the letter written by Sigmund Freud to Albert Einstein in Vienna in September 1932: "Meanwhile we may rest on the assurance that whatever makes for cultural development is working also against war...".[14] At the same time Jelena writes for several Serbian newspapers and magazines[15][16][17] and became a part of the editorial team of the first internet radio station in Serbia, "Novi Radio Beograd".[18][19]

In January 2011 Jelena founded a regional web portal Agitpop.me[20] where she is also and editor-in-chief.

Since March 2013, her radio show Agitpop was broadcast on the Serbian national radio station B92, until this radio station became Play Radio.[21]

During COVID-19 pandemic, Jelena and Rabbi Uri Ayalon from Jerusalem started to collaborate on podcast about Jewish topics "A Rabbi and a Film Critic Walk into a Bar[22] that was broadcast on Melitz Radio, Israel.[23]

Searching for Lotika

In November 2019, it was announced[24]that the documentary about Jelena's Zellermeier family is in the works. "Searching for Lotika" will be directed by Croatian filmmaker Irena Škorić. Jelena Đurović is co-writer, co-producer [25] an the main protagonist.

Personal life

Đurović was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia,to a Montenegrin father and a Jewish mother.[26]Her great-grandmother Serafina was sister of Lotika Zellermeier,[27] who was the inspiration for a character in Ivo Andrić's novel The Bridge on the Drina.

References
  1. Perović dobio državljanstvo jer je posebno bitan
  2. https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/juedische-welt/zwischen-belgrad-und-podgorica/
  3. "Euro-Asian Jewish Congress - New Vice president of the Jewish Community of Montenegro". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  4. Jelena Đurović, nova potpredsjednica JZCG
  5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5313626,00.html
  6. https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/you-can-not-be-half-pregnant-the-same-goes-for-being-jewish-11-4-2015
  7. https://ejpress.org/head-of-jewish-community-in-montenegro-jasa-alfandari-dies-at-72/
  8. Mirko Zečević predsjednik Crnogorske Nacionalne Zajednice Beograda (in Montenegrin)
  9. MondoPop
  10. at Jelenadjurovic.com Archived 22 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ZayuPress ... VOICES FROM THE FAULTLINE – A Balkan Anthology
  12. "Studio-b.rs - studio b Resources and Information". Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  13. Agit Pop
  14. A letter from Freud to Einstein | UNESCO Courier | Find Articles at BNET
  15. Articles written and/or edited by Jelena for CAMP, FAAR and Glas magazines: http://agitpopmagazine.blogspot.com/
  16. www.glas-javnosti.co.yu
  17. Faar magazin / Faar magazine
  18. noviradiobeograd.com Archived 23 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  19. Blic Online | Novi Radio Beograd na internetu Archived 10 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  20. agitpop.me
  21. Agitpop on the B92 radio
  22. A Rabbi and a Film Critic Walk Into a Bar
  23. http://radio.melitz.org
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_icwcrn90&t=20s
  25. https://variety.com/2022/film/global/sarajevo-cinelink-producers-lab-1235338210/co-writer,co-producer
  26. |https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/how-my-mom-became-insta-star-without-even-trying/]]
  27. Israel Hayom – A Jewish identity resurfaces, Interview with Jelena Đurović
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