Yiddish Culture Jam
The Yiddish Culture Jam is a heymish (cozy) weekend-long event with a special focus on contemporary Yiddish cultural creation and cross-cultural collaboration.
The program will showcase and explore the tremendously rich outpouring of new Yiddish art and performance being created today and offer creative skill-building workshops. Alongside this focus on new work, the program will highlight the rich tradition of cultural exchange in Yiddish culture by connecting with our neighbouring cultural communities and cultivating spaces for collaboration.
Taking place in the heart of Montreal, the Yiddish Culture Jam is an urban winter companion to KlezKanada’s internationally-acclaimed Summer Retreat. The weekend will feature a curated program of workshops, talks, concerts, and social events led by guest faculty, as well as a series of participant-led workshops that highlight the talent and knowledge of the Yiddish cultural community.
The program will run from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon, with concerts, talks, hands-on workshops, a Friday shabes program, and a cabaret.
Highlights from the 2026 Yiddish Culture Jam
Top to bottom: Levyosn Concert, Gefilteria Pickling Workshop, Klezmer Kitchen Party
Photos: Thomas Murray
Schedule
A schedule will be posted here once it is finalized.
Program Tickets
Program tickets may be purchased through the KlezKanada Boutique.
Single Workshops: 45/36/27 CAD
Workshop Series (3 workshops): 135/108/81 CAD
Workshop Series (2 workshops): 90/72/54 CAD
Concert Tickets: 65/52/39 CAD
**Tiered pricing is available using discount codes at checkout. Please read below.
Please note:
- If you do not see a program listed it means that program is sold out and/or only available to pass holders.
- Full Program Passes are no longer available.
Tiered Pricing
The Yiddish Culture Jam has a pricing system designed to help keep the program accessible. Please note that the price selected does not affect participation options. Please note that all ticket rates are heavily subsidized by KlezKanada through fundraising.
Price Option A: I want to add an additional amount to my pass price to help make events more accessible to more people. This price is the list price in the boutique.
Price Option B: I want to pay the standard pass price. Use discount code B-PRICE upon checkout.
Price Option C: I have a limited budget and want to pay a reduced pass price. Use discount code C-PRICE upon checkout.
Reduced passes are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Zita and Mark Bernstein Family Foundation. If the lower price tier still leaves the Yiddish Culture Jam out of reach for you, we encourage you to contact us to discuss options.
Additional Information
- You must be symptom-free to attend events.
- We ask and recommend that all participants take a COVID-19 rapid test on Thursday before attending the program. If you are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19, do not come to any programming.
- We highly encourage that everyone who is able to be vaccinated be vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect your community and reduce your own risk.
- Masks are recommended in indoor spaces. We recommend well-fitting masks with high filtration that are FFP2 grade or higher, such as KN95 or N95 masks.
- Remember, your needs around safety may not be the same as the person next to you. Please check in with each other before hugging, holding hands in a line of dancers, etc.
Air Filtration
KlezKanada will place air filters in all indoor programming spaces.
Centre des musiciens du monde (CMM) is located adjacent to Lahaie Park at 5043 Saint Dominique St. It is close to Laurier Metro station (5-10 minute walk) and paid street parking is available on surrounding streets.
Programs will be taking place primarily on the first and second floor of CMM, as well as on the main and basement levels of the connected church. There is a short flight of outdoor stairs to enter the building, and a full flight of stairs to go to the second floor. There are also stairs to the basement of the connected church. As it is a historic building, there is no elevator.
Concerts will be held at nearby satellite locations in the Mile End neighborhood.
Thursday night concert: Casa Del Popolo is located at 4873 St. Laurent, just south of St Joseph. The performance space is on ground level. There are ramps on both the venue and bar front entrances for wheelchair accessibility. Washrooms are gender neutral and one is wheelchair accessible.
Saturday night concert: The Ukrainian Federation is located at the corner of Fairmount and Hutchison at 405 Av Fairmount O. The concert will be held in the lower hall, which has a flight of stairs from the street down to the hall level. There is no elevator in the building.
If you require more detailed information at this time, please contact us at info@klezkanada.org
The deadline for submitting a proposal for the Participant-Led Workshop Series was November 15. Submissions are now closed for the 2026 series.
Share your skills, knowledge, and passion! KlezKanada’s Yiddish Culture Jam will feature a series of participant-led programming. We invite participants to submit ideas for talks, workshops, or beyond. These can be in any discipline and on any topic related to the focus areas of the winter session: contemporary Yiddish cultural creation and cross-cultural collaboration.
You don’t have to be an expert to lead a workshop. A paper-cutting workshop that draws upon traditional techniques? Absolutely. A workshop on how to find and work with archival materials? A graphic storytelling workshop using Yiddish stories as inspiration? A talk on your research into Yiddish translations of Quebecois poems? Yes, to all. Let’s use our knowledge to co-create the Yiddish cultural ecosystem we want to live in.
If your workshop is selected for the series, you will receive a weekend pass.
Some important details:
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the submission form closes on November 15, 2026. We encourage you to submit early.
You may submit more than one proposal.
Not all submissions will be accepted. We will be in touch by December 15, 2026 to let you know whether or not we will be including your session in the 2026 Yiddish Culture Jam program.
All participant-led sessions will be scheduled for either 90 or 120 minutes.
As you develop your workshop, consider the following questions:
What are your objectives for the session? Can you answer the question “After this workshop, participants will be able to…” ?
Is this a presentation, demonstration, guided-practice, whole-group activity, or other format?
What is the optimal size for this session? We can accommodate sessions geared to 5-25 participants.
What audience are you imagining in terms of age, level of experience (with Yiddish, their instrument, etc), mobility? Are you able to modify this session if participants of other ages, experience, mobility want to participate?
How might you present your talk or workshop in a way that promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and respectful dialogue?
Yiddish Culture Jam Full Program Passes are no longer available. Individual program tickets will go on sale in early January.
Passes will be available for sale until December 15, 2026. Individual tickets will be available in January as space permits.
The Full Program Pass grants access to three workshops each day, two evening concerts, and a special shabes evening community meal. In addition, there will be a special morning program session just for pass holders.
As some workshops have limited capacity, pass holders will be given the first opportunity to reserve space in limited-capacity programs. Without a pass, tickets to limited-capacity programs will be available as space permits.
Important information for pass holders:
- Pass holders must make workshop and program selections in advance via a form in December. This form will also collect information about dietary restrictions and other logistical information.
- Your pass does not guarantee entry into a program unless you sign up in advance.
- Passes do not include meals (except shabes dinner on Friday night, which is included) or accommodations.
The Yiddish Culture Jam has a pricing system designed to help keep the program accessible. Please note that the price selected does not affect participation options. If you’re planning to attend the entire weekend, or even multiple programs, throughout the weekend, the pass offers tremendous savings! The total pass value is equivalent to $300/$410/$520 CAD worth of individual tickets, depending on the ticket pricing tier selected. Please note that all ticket rates are heavily subsidized by KlezKanada through fundraising.
Price Option A – 250 CAD (approx. 175 USD): I want to add an additional amount to my pass price to help make events more accessible to more people.
Price Option B – 215 CAD (approx. 150 USD): I want to pay the standard pass price.
Price Option C – 175 CAD (approx. 125 USD): I have a limited budget and want to pay a reduced pass price.
*Approximate USD amounts based on conversion rates at time of publishing.
Reduced passes are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Zita and Mark Bernstein Family Foundation. If the lower price tier still leaves the Yiddish Culture Jam out of reach for you, we encourage you to contact us to discuss options.
Pass Cancellation Policy
Yiddish Culture Jam Passes are refundable up to Friday, January 30, 2026 less a 20% administrative fee. After January 30, no refunds for passes will be issued.
The Yiddish Culture Jam is presented in part thanks to support from:
Promotional Partners
