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Kemfn Tsuzamen: Concert Lecture on the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Soviet Jewry Movement
Thu March 27 @ 19:00 - 21:00
Kemfn Tsuzamen, Yiddish for “fight together,” encapsulates the spirit of our second microgrant event of 2025. Blending family history with political activism and song, please join us with multidisciplinary performer Ilana Zackon for a performance on Montreal’s role in the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the Soviet Jewry Movement.
The Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), founded in Montreal in 1919, acted as the “parliament for Canadian Jewry” until it dissolved in 2011. The CJC advocated for causes such as interethnic solidarity, national unity, and Soviet Jewry. The Soviet Jewry movement took Canada, and Montreal specifically, by storm. Local Jewish women (known as “the 35s”) orchestrated innovative public demonstrations and some travelled beyond the Iron Curtain, to provide Jewish education and resources to refuseniks.
Among these activists was micrograntee Ilana Zackon’s maternal grandmother, Goldie Hershon. Born to Polish immigrants, Goldie was a member of the 35s and moved her way up the ranks of the CJC –from Chair of the Canadian Committee for Soviet Jewry, to Quebec Region Chair to National President.
On March 27th, multidisciplinary performer Ilana Zackon will be performing a concert lecture on the impact that the CJC and Soviet Jewry movement had on Montreal’s Jewish community. Accompanied by Eden Glassman and Zafer Mamilli on fiddle, Ilana will be sharing her findings both through spoken lecture and Yiddish song.
The performance will be followed by a Q&A and mingling.
Admission is free. Pre-registration is required for all who wish to attend.
Ilana Zackon is a classically trained actor, singer, writer, and creator based in Montreal. She has performed on stages across Canada, as well as in Edinburgh, and New York City. Notable theatre performances include Under Milk Wood (Edinburgh Fringe), Mazel Tov (Infinitheatre Montreal) and So, How Should I Be? (Presentation House Theatre). A busy voice over actor, she has lent her voice to major brands including Colgate and Buick. Her writing has been published in Kveller, and The Canadian Jewish News—where she has hosted the podcasts Bonjour Chai and Culturally Jewish. Ilana is an alumni of the Segal Centre for Performing Arts’ Jewish Arts Mentorship program, and KlezKanada’s Scholarship program. www.ilanazackon.com
Collaborators include Sebastian Schulman, Sasha Lurje, Avia Moore, Lorin Sklamberg, and Eléonore Biezunski. Special thanks to Janice Rosen and Melissa Castron at the Canadian Jewish Archives.
Photo: Montreal Group of 35s demonstration, 1980. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives. Goldie Hershon is lighting the candle.
Accessibility: Please note that the upper levels of our building are not currently accessible to visitors with limited mobility. This workshop will take place on the ground floor. Our main entrance is accessible from the street via ramp.
This event is a part of the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s 2025 Microgrant Program for Creative or Cultural Exploration, made possible with support by the Azrieli Foundation, the Betty Averbach Foundation, and CANVAS.