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X-WR-CALDESC:Yiddish Culture, Dance and Music
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UID:MEC-3a61ed715ee66c48bacf237fa7bb5289@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261104T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261104T180000
DTSTAMP:20200621T173537Z
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TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:KAILA online Wednesday Klezmer Workshops
DESCRIPTION:\nIf you have ever been to a Jewish wedding or bar/bas mitsve party and wished you could play the traditional Eastern European Jewish Music known as klezmer, then KAILA is for you! KAILA is the Klezmer Arts Institute of Los Angeles.\n\n\n\nLed by Gustavo Bulgach (leader of  the band “Klezmer Juice”), we are musicians of differing abilities and instruments, drawn together to play and learn the history, rhythms, scales and modes of klezmer music. \n\n\n\nCome join KAILA for the weekly Zoom workshops Wednesdays at 5pm Pacific Time (8 pm Eastern Time). \n\n\n\nClick on the link below to register. You will receive a confirmation in your email. Music will change every workshop and can be seen on the link in your registration confirmation email.  The room opens at 4:45pm Pacific Time.\n\n\n\nThere is no charge for this workshop, however in this time of economic uncertainty, especially for the arts, any contribution will be appreciated.\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/kaila-workshops-wednesdays/
CATEGORIES:Music,Workshops
LOCATION:Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/KAILAlogo-600x338-72dpi.jpg
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UID:MEC-e52ff15f1c6cff78c4e54fd19026256d@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261105T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261105T210000
DTSTAMP:20260826T174022Z
CREATED:20260826
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:12
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Daniel Kahn & Jake Shulman-Ment – UMRU/UNREST
DESCRIPTION:\nThursday, November 5, 7:00 PMJCCSF, 3200 California Street, San Francisco\n\n\n\nHere is a discount link for 50% off: www.eventbrite.com/e/1998989523476/?discount=Klez50 ( http://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998989523476/?discount=Klez50 ). You can also use the code: Klez50\n\n\n\nDetroit-born, Hamburg-based troubadour and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kahn and New York master fiddler Jake Shulman-Ment have been playing, traveling and making music together for nearly twenty years, carrying Yiddish music into new territory – drawing on klezmer, folk, punk, poetry and a tradition that has never stopped evolving.\n\n\n\nAfter years of collaboration in bands and projects including The Painted Bird and Brothers Nazaroff, the two join forces forUmru/Unrest. Drawing from their recent albums, Kahn and Shulman-Ment pair new music with Yiddish renditions of songs by the troubadours and bards who have shaped Kahn’s musical imagination – among them Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Woody Guthrie and others.  \n\n\n\nIn their hands, Yiddish becomes a kind of broken mirror, reflecting despair and repair, exile and ecstasy, loss of trust and wanderlust. Old songs encounter new ones, familiar words become strange again and music crosses languages, borders and generations.\n\n\n\nUmru means “unrest” in Yiddish – an apt name for an evening of songs that refuse to sit still.\n\n\n\nDaniel Kahn is a musician, songwriter, translator, poet and theater artist whose recent trilogy includes the solo album Word Beggar(2021), The Building & Other Songs (2023) with Jake Shulman-Ment and UMRU – unrest (2025) with Shulman-Ment and Christian Dawid. With his band The Painted Bird, Kahn has released numerous albums exploring the intersection of Yiddish song, klezmer, political cabaret and punk folk; Lost Causes received the German Record Critics’ Award in 2011. His other musical projects include The Brothers Nazaroff and The Unternationale.\n\n\n\nJake Shulman-Ment is an internationally acclaimed klezmer violinist, composer and bandleader whose recordings include A Redele (A Wheel), The Ternovka Sessions and, with violinist Abigale Reisman, the 2025 album Two Strings. His debut solo album, A Redele, was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award. A Fulbright scholar who studied and documented traditional music in Romania, Shulman-Ment received a 2018 NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship in Folk/Traditional Arts and has performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress and festivals around the world. He has also appeared onscreen in HBO’s Succession, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and the documentary Soul Exodus.\n\n\n\nPresented as part of the SF Leonard Cohen Festival and in partnership with KlezCalifornia.\n\n\n\n\nMore Informtion and Tickets\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/daniel-kahn-jake-shulman-ment-umru-unrest/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Festivals,Music
LOCATION:San Francisco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Kahn-Shulman-Ment.webp
END:VEVENT
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-7d37940a0260eac65b7a04df9f8abeaf@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261106T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261106T123000
DTSTAMP:20260826T174311Z
CREATED:20260826
LAST-MODIFIED:20261007
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:11
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Workshop: Yiddish Song Smuggling, with Daniel Kahn
DESCRIPTION:\nFriday, November 6, 11:00 AMSFJCC, 3200 California Street, San Francisco\n\n\n\n50% off for KlezCalifornia (code Klez50)\n\n\n\nWhat happens when a song crosses a border – from one language, culture or musical tradition into another?\n\n\n\nDetroit-born, Hamburg-based troubadour and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kahn leads a workshop exploring the art of Yiddish “song smuggling,” with a focus on polyglot performance, traditional subversion, tradaptation (translation + adaptation), multi-musical mixology and other modes of border-crossing in modern Yiddish song work.\n\n\n\nBring your voice, your languages and your mind – and come ready to experiment. This workshop is for singers, musicians and the polyglot-curious. This workshop will also be relevant to those who sing in any language not completely understood by those in their audience!\n\n\n\nSpace is limited and advance registration is required.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPresented as part of the SF Leonard Cohen Festival and in partnership with KlezCalifornia.\n\n\n\n\nMore Information and Tickets\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/workshop-yiddish-song-smuggling-with-daniel-kahn/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Festivals,Music,Workshops
LOCATION:San Francisco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Kahn.webp
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-54d4c4f1a954fc25689522435f35fedf@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261108T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261108T180000
DTSTAMP:20261023T091510Z
CREATED:20261023
LAST-MODIFIED:20261023
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:6
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Veretski Pass Concert
DESCRIPTION:\nSt Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Avenue, Albany, CASunday, November 8  •  4 PM – 6 PM\n\n\n\nExperience the sounds of a 19th-century East European Jewish wedding through the ritual music that celebrates love & community.\n\n\n\nKlezmer music was the music that accompanied all of the rituals of the east European Jewish wedding of the 19th and 20th centuries. From escorting guests to the celebration and festivities, to the unveiling of the bride, to introducing the mothers in law to each other, to the many dances done to celebrate the couple. Along with co-territorial dances melodies, and listening tunes, these 7 day affairs were filled with music. In this concert, Veretski Pass will lead the audience through the many musical stations of this life cycle event, which was important not only as a way to celebrate the union, but as a way to vitalize and expand the community.\n\n\n\n\nMore Information and Tickets\n\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/veretski-pass-2/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Music
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Veretski.webp
END:VEVENT
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UID:MEC-b0eeffad438fd186126c11fecdceab44@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T150000
DTSTAMP:20261023T111746Z
CREATED:20261023
LAST-MODIFIED:20261023
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:231
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Flisik Yidish Salon, November 15, 2026
DESCRIPTION:\nA conversation Salon for fluent (flisik) Yiddish speakers.\n\nTayere Fraynt,Mir hofn az ir mit ayer gantser mishpokhe blaybn gezunt un shtark. Zuntik, dem tsvey un fuftsnt november fun 2 biz 3 nokh mitog in Kalifornye veln mir hobn a Salon af Zoom. Bloyz di mentshn vos registirn az zey veln kumen veln bakumen dem veb adres. Look up your local time HERE ( https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html ).\n\nהאָט איר אָנגענומען אַ נײַע טבֿע פֿאַר אַ יאָרן? אױב יאָ, װאָס איז עס געװען? טוט איר עס נאָך? לױנט עס אײַך?\n\nHot ir ongenumen a naye teyve far a yorn? Oyb yo, vos iz es geven? Tut ir es nokh? Loynt es aykh?\nDid you adopt a new good habit last year? If so, what was it? Are you still doing it? Is it beneficial to you?\nREGISTRATION – ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS FRIDAY, 11/13, AT NOON.\n\nTo reserve a space, scroll down and complete the registration form. As soon as you register, you will receive a confirmation. You will then receive sign-in information the morning of the Sunday of the Salon. Please let us know ( mailto:flisik@klezcalifornia.org ) in advance if you will be unable to participate.\n\nIf you are a potential new participant in the Flisik Salon, please contact co-host Rosie Kaplan ( mailto:flisik@klezcalifornia.org ) for a conversation in Yiddish to ensure your level of fluency is appropriate.\n\nFor general information about Salons, see https://klezcalifornia.org/yiddish-conversation-salons/.\n		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/3-TfA1kLr0rX-77_FIpb-w )
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/flisik-yidish-salon-november-15-2026/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Yiddish Conversation Salons,Yiddish Language
LOCATION:Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Yiddish-Salon.webp
END:VEVENT
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-ac2d43ef3f26cc74de242202e822ecb0@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T163000
DTSTAMP:20260826T160322Z
CREATED:20260826
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:3
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Mississippi: A Yiddish Play about the Scottsboro Affair, with Alyssa Quint
DESCRIPTION:\nOnline, Presented by The Jewish Community LibrarySunday, November 15, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM PT\n\n\n\nIn their English translation of the Yiddish play Mississippi, Ellen Perecman and Alyssa Quint have undertaken a work of cultural salvage. Penned in 1935 by Polish-Jewish playwright Leib Malach, the play was performed on the Warsaw stage by the experimental Yiddish theatre company Yung Teatr (“Young Theater”) led by legendary director and drama theoretician Mikhl Weichert. Malach and Weichert were keen to depict a dramatic episode from contemporary life that reflected their humanistic and leftist political ideas as well as avant-garde theatrical practices.\n\n\n\nMississippi is a fictionalized retelling of the Scottsboro Affair, which began with the wrongful arrest of nine African American youths in Alabama in 1931. The play demonstrates how important it was to Yiddish writers of the 1920s and 1930s to grapple with the persecution of Black people in America. In her introductory essay, Quint treats the political aspirations that animated Malach and Weichert, and the vulnerability felt by European Jewry that it saw reflected in the experience of Black Americans.\n\n\n\n\nFree Registration\n\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/mississippi-a-yiddish-play-about-the-scottsboro-affair-with-alyssa-quint/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Lectures & Classes
LOCATION:Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mississippi-2.webp
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-982025df3dc7f9eae503a74980c29713@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T170000
DTSTAMP:20261016T143953Z
CREATED:20261016
LAST-MODIFIED:20261030
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:63
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
DESCRIPTION:With Peter Bonos, Kim Goldov, Aaron Kierbel and dancers Janetta Redžić and Alex Sandrovici\n				\n		Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n		For the November 15, 2026 session, Romanian/klezmer connection taught by a surprise vocal star visiting from Romania along with  Orchestra Euphonos’ Peter Bonos (trumpet), Kim Goldov (violin, from Seattle), Aaron Kierbel (percussion) and Čardak dance leaders Janetta Redžić and Alexandru Sandrovschii. \nRomanian folk music and klezmer share melodies and dance rhythms shaped by centuries of musical exchange. As Jewish communities emigrated from Romania, many of the everyday connections that sustained this musical exchange weakened. This hands-on workshop will teach guests music, singing, and folk dance and help reforge those connections.Session format: In the first 2 hours, participants choose between music or dance instruction. Then after a snack, all regroup to share what they’ve learned. Extra time continues the instructor led dance party.\n\nBasic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.\nRegistration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.\nKids 18 and under can attend free.\nNo one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.\nSee Upcoming Sessions » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance/#upcoming-sessions-joy )Subscribe to Our Mailing List » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/mailing-list-signup-joy-of-jewish-music-dance/ )\n		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n					Instructor Bios				\n																														\n		Peter Bonos is a San Francisco Bay Area musician, bandleader and event producer based in Piedmont, California. He plays trumpet, oud and euphonium in klezmer, Balkan brass, Turkish and related Eastern European and Mediterranean traditions. He leads Orchestra Euphonos, is a founding member of Fanfare Zambaleta, and co-founded Duygu & Friends. Peter also produces the Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal at The Starry Plough in Berkeley, bringing musicians and audiences together for concerts, dancing and community celebration.  |   peterbonos.com		\n																														\n		Aaron Kierbel is an Oakland-based drummer, percussionist, educator and founder of RhythmALLogy, an interactive drumming program that brings people together through rhythm, movement and play. A founding member of internationally touring band Rupa and the April Fishes, and the Gonifs, Aaron has performed in more than 30 countries and collaborated with numerous Bay Area artists. His engaging workshops use drumming and creative expression to foster joy, connection and community among participants of all ages and abilities.   |  aaronkierbel.com  |  www.rhythmallogy.com 		\n																														\n		Janetta Redžić is a Bay Area-born dancer, instructor, and founder of Čardak, a pan-Balkan folk dance ensemble. Raised in a Bosnian family, she began dancing at age six with Sevdah and later performed with Seattle’s Radost Balkan Folk Ensemble. Drawing on Bosnian, Macedonian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and other Balkan traditions, Janetta brings people together through movement, cultural celebration, and community. Her teaching emphasizes inclusion, connection, and the joy of traditional dance. Janetta Redžić will be joined by Alexandru Sandrovschii, a Moldovan Jewish member of Čardak, in leading the dance portion of the workshop.   |   Instructor profile 		\n																														\n		Kim Goldov is a Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and longtime performer of klezmer and Eastern European folk music. A member of the Freylakh Klezmer Band since 1987, he has toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan. He performs with the Talne Trio, exploring historical klezmer repertoire alongside original compositions. Kim has also performed with Radost Folk Ensemble, Yeni Ses, Bucharest Drinking Team, and SeaMuse, drawing on a wide range of Jewish, Balkan, and Turkish musical traditions.		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/ukrmO_331oM1n6u9WaM3lQ )				\n		Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out–of–town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations. Donate here and please select “Joy of Jewish Music and Dance” in the dropdown menu.The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, Ben Lerman, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia.
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-1126/
CATEGORIES:Dancing,Featured,The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Romanian-3.webp
END:VEVENT
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-7b9dc501afe4ee11c56a4831e20cee71@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261115T180000
DTSTAMP:20260721T093542Z
CREATED:20260721
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:5
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Exile | Banishment | Home
DESCRIPTION:\nNovember 15, 2026 at Old First Concerts, 1751 Sacramento St., SF and livestreamed\n\n\n\nWhat does it mean to be home and yet not home?  E4TT explores explores this duality with Shostakovich’s From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79 (selections), sung in the poetry’s original Yiddish language and the World Premiere of Skazka (fairytale), twisted Russian folktales reinterpreted and subverted by emerging composer Alex Malinas with images by Aria Nunez after Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin, along with new music by Mary Bianco, Andrea Casarrubios, David Garner, and Stella G. Gitelman Willoughby. \n\n\n\nPerformed by E4TT with Carina Kahane, soprano, Melinda Martinez Becker, mezzo-soprano, Alex Malinas, narrator, Aria Shum, violin, Taylor Robinson, flute/piccolo, Zoe King, clarinet, and Eddie Virtgaym, percussion.\n\n\n\nMore Information »\n\n\n\nTickets »\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/exile-banishment-home/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Music
LOCATION:San Francisco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/exile.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-ce254528e55ecddb829073c29a8d3a3a@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261117T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261117T180000
DTSTAMP:20261030T112033Z
CREATED:20261030
LAST-MODIFIED:20261030
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:7
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:We Met at Grossinger’s
DESCRIPTION:\nJewish Film FestivalRialto Cinemas, SebastopolTuesday November 17, 1 pm and 6:30 pm\n\n\n\nWe Met at Grossinger’s is a dazzling excavation of cultural memory and mythology. Throughout decades of prejudice stifling the integration of Jewish immigrants in America, the Borscht Belt in the Catskills provided an oasis of belonging, and Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel was the crown jewel.\n\n\n\nThe real-life inspiration for the setting of the 1987 classic film Dirty Dancing, Grossinger’s provided both a physical and mental getaway where Jews—and others from marginalized communities—needing a break from NYC could relax. The resort’s growing reputation attracted a wide variety of comedians, athletes, and political figures, including Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt. DOC NYC alumna Paula Eiselt resurrects this vanished world with an immersive warmth, providing a timely reminder of the historic richness of Jewish culture and its immeasurable contributions to American life.\n\n\n\n\nTickets\n\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/we-met-at-grossingers-2/
CATEGORIES:Festivals,Film
LOCATION:Sonoma County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Grossingers.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-8171ac2c5544a5cb54ac0f38bf477af4@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261124T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261124T140000
DTSTAMP:20261001T121853Z
CREATED:20261001
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:3
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:A Joyful Thanksgiving Concert
DESCRIPTION:\nJewish Community Center of San Francisco\n\n\n\nHusband and wife, Jim Rebhan and Barbara Hollinger, pay a return visit to present a Thanksgiving-themed performance. Enjoy a variety of spirited and expressive songs in Yiddish, English, Hebrew and Ladino, as well as lively Klezmer music. \n\n\n\nThe concert is free. It follows a 60+ Thanksgiving Luncheon ( https://www.jccsf.org/event/60-thanksgiving-luncheon-serving-gratitude-4/ ) that has a $20 fee.\n\n\n\n\nFree Registration\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/a-joyful-thanksgiving-concert/
CATEGORIES:Music,Singing
LOCATION:San Francisco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Thanksgiving.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-5802616ab4339506fd33d45bfde3884b@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261206T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261206T180000
DTSTAMP:20261015T142939Z
CREATED:20261015
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:5
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Mark Levy in Concert: Chanukah songs of Light and Liberation
DESCRIPTION:\nSunday, December 6, 1:30 pm1121 Ashmount Avenue, Piedmont, CA$10 – 20, Sliding scale\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIncluding both traditional favorites and new original compostions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReservations: 510-556-6253 jhfeinberg1@gmail.com\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/mark-levy-in-concert-chanukah-songs-of-light-and-liberation/
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Mark-Levy-2.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-b433da1b32b5ca96c0ba7fcb9edba97d@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261213T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261213T170000
DTSTAMP:20261015T173945Z
CREATED:20261015
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:60
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
DESCRIPTION:With Veretski Pass and Bruce Bierman\n				\n		At Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n		For the December 13, 2026 session, music will be taught by Veretski Pass and dance will be led by Bruce Bierman. Read more about our instructors below.Session format: In the first 2 hours, participants choose between music or dance instruction. Then after a snack, all regroup to share what they’ve learned. Extra time continues the instructor led dance party.\n\nBasic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.\nRegistration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.\nKids 18 and under can attend free.\nNo one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.\nSee Upcoming Sessions » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance/#upcoming-sessions-joy )Subscribe to Our Mailing List » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/mailing-list-signup-joy-of-jewish-music-dance/ )\n		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n					Instructor Bios				\n		Veretski Pass is a trio of Jewish Music veterans who have been at the forefront of the klezmer revival for over 25 years. Their output spans the ultra-traditional to the Avant Garde. Taking their name from the mountain pass through which Magyar tribes crossed into the Carpathian basin to settle what later became the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Veretski Pass offers a unique and exciting combination of virtuosic musicianship and raw energy that has excited concertgoers across the world. The trio plays Old Country Music with origins in the Ottoman Empire, once fabled as the borderlands of the East and the West. In a true collage of Carpathian, Jewish, Rumanian and Ottoman styles, typical suites contain dances from Moldavia and Bessarabia; Jewish melodies from Poland and Romania; Hutzul wedding music from Carpathian-Ruthenia; and haunting Rebetic aires from Smyrna, seamlessly integrated with original compositions. Their CDs have repeatedly been on the 10-best recording lists of journalists since 2002.Cookie Segelstein, violin and viola, received her Masters degree in Viola from The Yale School of Music in 1984. Until moving to California in 2010, she was principal violist in Orchestra New England  ( http://www.orchestranewengland.org/ )and assistant principal in The New Haven Symphony, ( http://www.newhavensymphony.org/ ) as well as on the music faculty at Southern Connecticut State University. She is the founder and director of Veretski Pass, a member of Budowitz, ( http://www.budowitz.com/ ) The Youngers of Zion with Henry Sapoznik, has performed with Kapelye, The Klezmatics, Frank London, Klezmer Fats and Swing with Pete Sokolow and the late Howie Leess, Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys, and The Klezmer Conservatory Band. Cookie has presented lecture demonstrations and workshops on klezmer fiddling all over the world, including at Yale University, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Marshall University in Huntington, West VA, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, University of Oregon in Eugene, Pacific University, SUNY-Cortland, and at Klezmerwochen in Weimar, Germany. She is a regular staff member at Living Traditions’ KlezKamp ( http://www.klezkamp.org/ ), KlezKanada ( http://www.klezkanada.com/ ), KlezCalifornia ( http://www.klezcalifornia.org/ ), Klezmer Festival Fürth ( http://www.klezmer-festival.de/ ), Klezfest London ( https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494070429719.262741.13417174719&type=3 ), and has been a performing artist at Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Wash.  \nShe was featured on the ABC documentary, “A Sacred Noise,” heard on HBO’s “Sex and the City”, appears in the Miramax film, “Everybody’s Fine” starring Robert De Niro, and is heard on several recordings including Veretski Pass, Trafik and The Klezmer Shul, Budowitz Live, the Koch International label with Orchestra New England in The Orchestral Music of Charles Ives, Hazònes with Frank London, A Living Tradition with the late Moldovan clarinetist, German Goldenshteyn and Fleytmuzik ( http://www.klezmerflute.com/ ) with Adrianne Greenbaum. \nShe is also the publisher of “The Music of…” series of klezmer transcriptions. Active as a Holocaust educator and curriculum advisor, she has been a frequent lecturer at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Niantic, CT. She is on the boards of the North California Viola Society, the American String Teacher Association, San Francisco chapter and Calliope. Cookie is also an Apple Certified Support Professional, and owns and operates The Macmama ( http://www.themacmama.com/ ). Cookie lives in Berkeley, with her husband, Josh Horowitz, a dog and her occasionally visiting adult children.Joshua Horowitz, 19th Century button accordion, received his Masters degree in Composition and Music Theory from the Academy of Music in Graz, Austria, where he taught Music Theory and served as Research Fellow and Director of the Yiddish Music Research Project for eight years. He was chosen as the co-curator and orchestrator by the San Francisco Symphony for its Jewish Installment of their “Currents” series.\nHe is the founder and director of the ensemble Budowitz, ( http://www.budowitz.com/ ) a founding member of Veretski Pass and has performed and recorded with Itzhak Perlman, The Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Theodore Bikel, Ben Goldberg, Rubin and Horowitz, Brave Old World, Adrienne Cooper and Ruth Yaakov. His music was recently featured in the British film, “Some of my best friends are… Jewish / Muslim”, awarded the Sandford St. Martin Trust Religious Broadcasting Award and is also featured in the new film by Jes Benstock, “The Holocaust Tourist”. \nHis recordings with Veretski Pass, Budowitz, ( http://www.budowitz.com/ ) the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Rubin & Horowitz and Alicia Svigals, have achieved international recognition and he is the recipient of more than 40 awards for his work as both composer and performer.\nHe was one of the co-founders of the Austrian experimental composer collective, “Die Andere Saite” and received the Prize of Honor by the Austrian government for his orchestral composition, “Tenebrae.” Following his children’s Opera, “Der Wilde Man”, Joshua received The “Award for Outstanding Talent in Composition” from the City of Graz and was twice finalist in the National American ASCAP competition. While teaching at the Graz Academy of Music he was awarded both The David Herzog and Fritz Spielman Awards, and received ongoing support from Louise M. Davies for his dedication to music creativity and education.\nIn 2001, Joshua’s group, Budowitz was chosen by the Austrian government to represent the country in the International Celebration of World Culture’s held at the “House of the Cultures of The World” in Berlin.\nJoshua taught Advanced Jazz Theory at Stanford University with the late saxophonist Stan Getz and is a regular teacher at KlezKamp ( http://www.klezkamp.org/ ), Klezkanada ( http://www.klezkanada.com/ ), KlezCalifornia ( http://www.klezcalifornia.org/ ) and the Klezmer Festival Fürth ( http://www.klezmer-festival.de/ ). His musicological work is featured in four books, including The Sephardic Songbook with Aron Saltiel and The Ultimate Klezmer, and he has written numerous articles on the counterpoint of J.S. Bach. Josh lives in Berkeley with his wife Cookie.Stuart Brotman, 3-String Bass, baraban, has been an accomplished performer, arranger and recording artist in the ethnic music field for over 50 years. A founding member of Los Angeles’ Ellis Island Band, he has been a moving force in the klezmer revival since its beginning, and has defined klezmer bass (“It’s a large instrument that plays really low and has an accent.”) \nHe holds a B.A. in music with a concentration in Ethnomusicology from the University of California at Los Angeles, and has taught at KlezKamp, Buffalo on the Roof, the Balkan Music and Dance Workshops, Klezkanada, ( http://www.klezkanada.com/ )  KlezCalifornia, ( http://www.klezcalifornia.org/ ) and numerous European festivals and institutes, including Oxford University, Klezfest London, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Klezmer Festival Fürth, ( http://www.klezmer-festival.de/ ) and the Krakow Jewish Festival.\nStu has been recording, touring, and teaching New Jewish Music with world class ensemble, Brave Old World ( http://www.braveoldworld.com/ ) since 1989, and is featured in the PBS Great Performances film and CD, “Itzhak Perlman, in the Fiddler’s House,” and in the 2010 documentary, “Song of the Lodz Ghetto, with the music of Brave Old World.”  \nLong admired as a versatile soloist and sensitive accompanist in traditional and pop music circles, he has toured and recorded with Canned Heat, Kaleidoscope, and Geoff and Maria Muldaur, and played cimbalom on Ry Cooder’s celebrated recording, “Jazz,” which premiered at Carnegie Hall. \nStu appeared in the Los Angeles production of Joshua Sobol’s “Ghetto,” the San Francisco production of “Shlemiel the First,” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, played cimbalom in “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” and contrabass balalaika in “Love Affair.”\nHe produced The Klezmorim’s Grammy nominated album, “Metropolis,” and has recorded with The Klezmorim, Kapelye, Andy Statman, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Davka, The San Francisco Klezmer Experience, and Khevrisa. Stuart lives in Berkeley, California.Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance leader and maven known for his joyful, inclusive, and whimsical approach to teaching. With warmth, humor, and a deep love of tradition, Bruce gets everyone on the dance floor—circling, spiraling, and connecting through dances rooted in Yemenite, Mizrachi, Chasidic, Sephardic, Klezmer and classic Israeli traditions. His transformative dance workshops have brought communities together across the West Coast, inviting dancers of all backgrounds to rediscover the ecstasy and soul at the heart of Jewish culture. Where there is Bruce, there is truly a party—and an unforgettable experience of movement, music, and connection.		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/neuzcHcT3eM2-0aqSoLeyg )				\n		Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out–of–town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations. Donate here and please select “Joy of Jewish Music and Dance” in the dropdown menu.The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, Ben Lerman, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia.
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-1226/
CATEGORIES:Dancing,Featured,The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Veretski.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-7463afe23eae7efe3c72737a5d3d693f@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261230T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261230T220000
DTSTAMP:20261015T143849Z
CREATED:20261015
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:8
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Klezmatics
DESCRIPTION:\nWednesday, December 30The Freight, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA\n\n\n\nGrammy-winning pioneers of modern klezmer, The Klezmatics return with We Were Made For These Times—their acclaimed new album and the centerpiece of their 40th Anniversary Tour. Featuring collaborations with Sofía Rei, Joshua Nelson, Lavender Light Gospel Choir, Enver İzmaylov, William Parker, James Brandon Lewis, Janis Siegel, and La Manga, the new live program brings together Yiddish song, Black gospel, Latin rhythms, avant-jazz, and global influences in a powerful celebration of protest, resilience, and radical joy. \n\n\n\n\nMore Information and Tickets »\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-klezmatics-4/
CATEGORIES:Music
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/klezmatics.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-d93c96e6a23fff65b91b900aaa541998@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270124T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270124T190000
DTSTAMP:20260721T094003Z
CREATED:20260721
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:3
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Hollywood Exiles & Modern Noir
DESCRIPTION:\nSunday, January 24, 2027, 5:00 p.m.In person at Piedmont Piano Company 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, and online\n\n\n\nFilm noir meets E4TT’s much-loved Emigres & Exiles in Hollywood series! Featuring new tributes to film noir by modern movie mavens Germaine Franco (Encanto) and Lars Deutsch (The Passenger), paired with music by mid-century emigre composers.\n\n\n\nPerformed by E4TT (soprano Nanette McGuinness, cellist Megan Chartier, and pianist Margaret Halbig), and Jess Folson, violin.\n\n\n\nMore Information and Tickets »\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/hollywood-exiles-modern-noir/
CATEGORIES:Featured,Music
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/hollywood-exiles.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-356fbc3c3158bc7a5932461b635064a2@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270221T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270221T170000
DTSTAMP:20261016T155450Z
CREATED:20261016
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:53
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
DESCRIPTION:Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n		Ilya and Sarah are delightful and have a deep well of klezmer and Yiddish music and dance, which they travel the world to perform and teach. Between the two of them they play accordion, poyk, drumkit, guitar, ukulele, as well as all manner of string and wind instruments. They sing in Yiddish, Ukrainian, and Hebrew. They teach and lead dance…They’ve performed and recorded with many of the klezmer greats from around the world. Catch them while they are here!\n\nRead more about our instructors below.\nSession format: In the first 2 hours, participants choose between music or dance instruction. Then after a snack, all regroup to share what they’ve learned. Extra time continues the instructor led dance party.\n\nBasic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.\nRegistration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.\nKids 18 and under can attend free.\nNo one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.\nSee Upcoming Sessions » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance/#upcoming-sessions-joy )Subscribe to Our Mailing List » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/mailing-list-signup-joy-of-jewish-music-dance/ )\n		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n					Instructor Bios				\n																														\n		Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance leader and maven known for his joyful, inclusive, and whimsical approach to teaching. With warmth, humor, and a deep love of tradition, Bruce gets everyone on the dance floor—circling, spiraling, and connecting through dances rooted in Yemenite, Mizrachi, Chasidic, Sephardic, Klezmer and classic Israeli traditions. His transformative dance workshops have brought communities together across the West Coast, inviting dancers of all backgrounds to rediscover the ecstasy and soul at the heart of Jewish culture. Where there is Bruce, there is truly a party—and an unforgettable experience of movement, music, and connection.		\n																														\n		Sarah Myerson is an ordained cantor actively working to connect egalitarian Jewish religious with secular/cultural Yiddish communities. She serves as the Kol Bo Spiritual Leader of Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Sarah is proficient in Yiddish, and a master of traditional Yiddish singing. She teaches Yiddish song workshops and Yiddish dance workshops in person worldwide, hybrid, and fully remotely online. Sarah leads Yiddish dance at weddings and other events, and performs as a multi-instrumentalist in a variety of musical settings. She writes and performs original compositions, for example with Jewish spiritual music duo Shekedina ( https://www.facebook.com/shekedina ). Sarah has a Master of Sacred Music and Diploma of Hazzan from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and a Bachelor of Music (Composition Honors) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. www.cantorsarahmyerson.com ( http://www.cantorsarahmyerson.com/ )		\n																														\n		Originally from Riga, Latvia, now based in Brooklyn, NY, Ilya Shneyveys is a accordionist and multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer, arranger, and producer of Yiddish music. With expertise spanning from traditional klezmer accordion to experimental and fusion projects, Ilya performs and teaches at Jewish festivals around the world, in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to your local synagogue catering hall. Ilya is a founding member of Berlin’s Neukölln Klezmer Sessions and Shtetl Berlin, and a long-time faculty member of Yiddish Summer Weimar. His notable projects and collaborations include Forshpil, Alpen Klezmer, KaraYam, Caravan Orchestra, Dobranotch, Shekedina, Black Rooster Kapelye, Michael Winograd and The Klezmatics. Ilya has received multiple awards for his work, including the 2014 RUTH World Music Award at TFF Rudolstadt, the 2017 Shimon-Peres-Prize, and the Eiserne Eversteiner Preis in 2017. https://ilya.shneyveys.com/ ( https://ilya.shneyveys.com/ ) 		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/svY8PY85FH1A9c1Q8VT1Cg )				\n		Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out–of–town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations. Donate here and please select “Joy of Jewish Music and Dance” in the dropdown menu.The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, Ben Lerman, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia.
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-0227/
CATEGORIES:Dancing,Featured,The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/sarah-and-ilya-event.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-2e85d72295b67c5b649290dfbf019285@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270306T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270306T210000
DTSTAMP:20260915T091919Z
CREATED:20260915
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:5
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Klezmatics
DESCRIPTION:\nSFJAZZ CENTER, Miner Auditorium201 Franklin Street
, San Francisco, CA 94102\n\n\n\nThe GRAMMY-winning Jewish klezmer superstars celebrate 40 years of music with this performance of material from their new album, We Were Made For These Times — a powerful new body of work rooted in protest, hope, and resilience. \n\n\n\nFormed in New York’s East Village in 1986, the Klezmatics led the resurgence of the nearly forgotten klezmer tradition and contemporized it with an irreverent dose of punk rock attitude, and since their inception, have been one of most visible faces of today’s Yiddish culture. Enduring a number of personnel changes over the past two decades, the band has revolved around original members Lorin Sklamberg on lead vocals and accordion, trumpeter/keyboardist Frank London and bassist Paul Morrissett. They have collaborated with violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner and Israeli vocalist Chava Alberstein, and have released a dozen diverse albums, including the GRAMMY-winning Wonder Wheel, their first session that set previously unused Woody Guthrie lyrics to their own original material. The band would expand their integration of Guthrie’s words to new compositions on their Happy Joyous Hanukkah and Happier Joyous Hanukkah projects that have been an SFJAZZ holiday tradition for many years. \n\n\n\nReleased on International Workers’ Day in 2026, We Were Made For These Times brings together Jewish, Black gospel, Latin American, Crimean Tatar, and avant-jazz voices, creating a shared musical language of solidarity for the world we are living in now. \n\n\n\n\nMore Information and Tickets »\n\n
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-klezmatics-3/
CATEGORIES:Music
LOCATION:San Francisco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/klezmatics.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-4e96fc8ecd81da214039f63f34965275@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270321T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270321T170000
DTSTAMP:20261016T154646Z
CREATED:20261016
LAST-MODIFIED:20261030
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:61
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
DESCRIPTION:With Nat Seelen and Michael McLaughlinCongregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n		For the March 21, 2027 session, music will be taught by Nat Seelen and dance teacher to be announced.Session format: In the first 2 hours, participants choose between music or dance instruction. Then after a snack, all regroup to share what they’ve learned. Extra time continues the instructor led dance party.\n\nBasic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.\nRegistration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.\nKids 18 and under can attend free.\nNo one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.\nSee Upcoming Sessions » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance/#upcoming-sessions-joy )Subscribe to Our Mailing List » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/mailing-list-signup-joy-of-jewish-music-dance/ )\n		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n					Instructor Bios				\n																														\n		Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance leader and maven known for his joyful, inclusive, and whimsical approach to teaching. With warmth, humor, and a deep love of tradition, Bruce gets everyone on the dance floor—circling, spiraling, and connecting through dances rooted in Yemenite, Mizrachi, Chasidic, Sephardic, Klezmer and classic Israeli traditions. His transformative dance workshops have brought communities together across the West Coast, inviting dancers of all backgrounds to rediscover the ecstasy and soul at the heart of Jewish culture. Where there is Bruce, there is truly a party—and an unforgettable experience of movement, music, and connection.		\n																														\n		Nat Seelen – Clarinetist, Composer, and Artistic DirectorNat Seelen is a Boston-based clarinetist, composer, and educator whose work explores the intersections of tradition, innovation, and community in klezmer music and beyond. A dynamic performer and creator, he is the founder and artistic director of the Boston Festival of New Jewish Music, a concert series that has presented over 180 artists and reached thousands of audience members with original, culturally rooted music since its inception in 2021.\nAs a performer, Seelen is a founding member of the internationally recognized Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band, winners of awards at the International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam, Brazil’s Bubbe Awards, and more. With Ezekiel’s Wheels and other ensembles, he has performed at major venues including the Kennedy Center, Tanglewood Music Center, and Jordan Hall, and internationally in China, Denmark, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Spain, and Canada.\nSeelen is also the creator of New Klezmer Studios, an innovative remote learning initiative that has taught klezmer music to students on five continents, including musicians from top institutions like Juilliard, New England Conservatory, Berklee, and Oberlin. He is a teaching artist with Arts for Learning Massachusetts and has given workshops, masterclasses, and lectures at the Society for Ethnomusicology  Annual Meeting, University of Connecticut, Tufts University, and many more. In 2025, Seelen joined the faculty at New England Conservatory teaching klezmer music.\nAs a composer, Seelen’s recent works include 56 New Klezmer Tunes for Dancing (2023), Gathering Sparks (2022), and Di Khassene (2021), a multimedia song cycle created during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a recipient of grants and fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, CJP Arts & Culture Fund, NEFA, and the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.\nSeelen began his musical training at the New England Conservatory. He holds an AB with honors in Music from Brown University and studied philosophy and music at King’s College London.		\n																														\n		Michael McLaughlin wears many hats in the Boston music scene. He has been part of the Klezmer and Jewish music world since 1995 as a performer, arranger and composer for The Shirim Klezmer Orchestra, Naftule’s Dream, Klezwoods and the Yaeko Miranda Quintet. He was a member of Ilene Stahl’s Klezperanto and often plays with Ezekiel’s Wheels. McLaughlin holds a doctorate in Music Composition from the New England Conservatory, and a long list of musical accolades and accomplishments. He teaches music at Tufts University and also directs their klezmer ensemble, The Jumbo Knish Factory.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td3bEI6ZjmA		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/aUzZh0o7GevgYOes9aoHSQ )				\n		Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out–of–town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations. Donate here and please select “Joy of Jewish Music and Dance” in the dropdown menu.The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, Ben Lerman, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia.
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-4/
CATEGORIES:Dancing,Featured,The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/seelen.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-f8a4c7893a5002d471308c5598d036f0@klezcalifornia.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270418T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270418T170000
DTSTAMP:20261018T105644Z
CREATED:20261018
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:56
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
DESCRIPTION:Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n		Piyutim (traditional Jewish liturgical poems) for Pesach (Passover) with Rachel Valfer (voice and oud), Faisal Zedan (percussion), and Mike Perlmutter (clarinet).Session format: In the first 2 hours, participants choose between music or dance instruction. Then after a snack, all regroup to share what they’ve learned. Extra time continues the instructor led dance party.\n\nBasic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.\nRegistration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.\nKids 18 and under can attend free.\nNo one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.\nSee Upcoming Sessions » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance/#upcoming-sessions-joy )Subscribe to Our Mailing List » ( https://klezcalifornia.org/mailing-list-signup-joy-of-jewish-music-dance/ )\n		\n					\n									Register\n					 ( #register )\n					Instructor Bios				\n																														\n		Rachel Valfer is a singer and oud (Arabic lute) player who brings depth of feeling to every song. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel and Palestine for six years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and sings with several ensembles in the Bay Area.		\n																														\n		Syrian-born Faisal Zedan was inspired to play Arabic percussion at the age of 15. He received instruction from a distant relative, the only drummer in his village of Oum Dbaid.  Since moving to the United States, he has played with many of the greatest Arabic musicians, such as Ali Jihad Racy, Julien Jâlal Eddine Weiss, and the ensemble Kan Zaman. 		\n																														\n		Mike Perlmutter has been performing klezmer, Balkan, and ceremonial Jewish music on clarinet and saxophone for over twenty-five years.  He currently leads Saul Goodman’s Klezmer Band and also coaches the Kehilla Klezmer Band. Mike organizes the Joy of Jewish Music and Dance series as well as other events in the community. He served four years on the Board of Directors for KlezCalifornia.		\n																														\n		Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance leader and maven known for his joyful, inclusive, and whimsical approach to teaching. With warmth, humor, and a deep love of tradition, Bruce gets everyone on the dance floor—circling, spiraling, and connecting through dances rooted in Yemenite, Mizrachi, Chasidic, Sephardic, Klezmer and classic Israeli traditions. His transformative dance workshops have brought communities together across the West Coast, inviting dancers of all backgrounds to rediscover the ecstasy and soul at the heart of Jewish culture. Where there is Bruce, there is truly a party—and an unforgettable experience of movement, music, and connection.		\n					Fill out my LGL Form! ( https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/da0YhVan7Bpy5B9PNjmwCA )				\n		Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out–of–town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations. Donate here and please select “Joy of Jewish Music and Dance” in the dropdown menu.The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, Ben Lerman, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia.
URL:https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-0427/
CATEGORIES:Dancing,Featured,The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
LOCATION:Alameda County
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://klezcalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Valfer-Zedan.webp
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