Other Locations
- Alameda County
The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
With Nat Seelen
Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA
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.
Basic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.
Registration is $25 – $54 sliding scale, which may be purchased in advance for faster check in, or at the door.
Kids 18 and under can attend free.
No one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.
Instructor Bios
Nat Seelen – Clarinetist, Composer, and Artistic Director
Nat 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.
As 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.
Seelen 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.
As 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.
Seelen 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.
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.
2026 - 2027 Season
| Date | Leaders |
|---|---|
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11/15/26 |
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12/13/26 |
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1/24/27 |
To be announced |
|
2/21/27 |
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3/21/27 |
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4/18/27 |
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5/16/27 |
To be announced |
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.