Past Events

We are thrilled to announce our first exhibition in our new space, and what better way to celebrate it than with a party!  On October 13, join us for the opening party and vernissage of Public Intimacy featuring the work of Berlin-based artists Sophia Hirsch and Johannes Mundinger. The first presentation of their work in Canada, Public Intimacy takes its title from its opposing themes of public and private spaces. Playing on the idea of “pulling back the curtain,” Public…

Join the Museum of Jewish Montreal in welcoming the renowned choral group Ensemble vocal Arts-Québec for an intimate concert in our new space featuring 19th century choral music by Jewish composer Salomone Rossi. Exquisite European choral music from the 19th century is framed by two psaum settings by Rossi, who composed and printed a large set of motets for use in synagogues in Hebrew during the 17th century. While his music is modern in his day, through the lens of…

Please join the Museum of Jewish Montreal and Librairie Drawn & Quarterly with artist and author Cesario Lavery for a launch of the second volume of Der Eydes (The Witness). Picking up after Volume I's breathless discovery of an old Kafka volume belonging to Dr Chaim Shatan, Der Eydes Volume II dives into the mystery of parentage and origin - Dr Shatan's, and the author's father's. Both a meditation on the unknowable and a determined investigation into the past, this next instalment of Der Eydes is about family…

What makes a celebration memorable? This is the question we’re delving into for SAVE THE DATE: Stories of Celebration, a gathering of individuals from various backgrounds who have found ways to maintain and reimagine traditions. On December 8, join us to hear from several inspiring speakers who navigate questions and personal stories, from how to acknowledge Passover and Hanukkah as an interfaith person, to simply exploring one’s Jewish identity within a much smaller community. Guests will also be encouraged to share…

Everything Returns reconvenes the original Black Ox Orkestar lineup after a 15-year hiatus. Arising from the fertile Montréal post-punk scene of the early 2000s, the band comprises Scott Gilmore, Jessica Moss and Thierry Amar of Thee Silver Mt. Zion (Amar also continues to compose and play bass for Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and Gabriel Levine of Sackville. Black Ox made two acclaimed albums of roiling acoustic avant-folk in the mid-2000s, exploring Eastern European and North African folkways through the lens…

How might certain materials be created and used to orient ourselves in domestic and ritual space? How can something as commonplace as paper perform as a designation of place in nurturing a sense of 'home'? In response to our ongoing exhibition Public Intimacy, we invite you to an interactive workshop that will delve into the Jewish folk art tradition of papercutting. With artist and researcher Iso E. Setel, participants will learn about the significance of this delicate art form, from its religious…

Which visual, mental, or historical markers may help us to make the distinction between public and private? In response to our ongoing exhibition, Public Intimacy by Berlin-based artists Sophia Hirsch and Johannes Mundinger, we will be hosting a panel discussion with several artists and scholars from an array of fields, including visual arts, literature, media, religious studies, advocacy, and more. Moderated by Dr. Miranda Crowdus, Director of the Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies at Concordia University, our guest panelists will untangle the…

What gives talismans their protective power? And how do they shape our relationships to people and place?  These sentimental objects can help us find one another, and keep us safe on the way – but today, the majority of Jewish amulets and jewellery are mass-produced, with the universal taking priority over the local and personal. In this event we’ll be taking the creative process back into our own hands. Join us for an amulet-making workshop with micrograntee and Judaica designer Mika…

For the 20th edition of Nuit Blanche à Montreal, join us at the Museum of Jewish Montreal for an evening to celebrate art and music in our city! Stop by to view our ongoing exhibition Public Intimacy by Berlin-based artists Sophia Hirsch and Johannes Mundinger. A bar stocked with refreshments (paid by card only) will be available for all visitors. Local DJs Rafa Aslan and Michele Azur will be setting the mood throughout the evening. Admission is free and all…

Thinking of hosting a Passover Seder but don’t know where to start? On March 5, join us with Rosie and daph for a hands-on workshop that will help you create your own personalized Haggadah and plan a Seder that feels right for you and your community, whether that means family, friends, organizers or strangers. Facilitators Rosie Long Decter and daph ben david will go over the history of the Haggadah, their own personal experiences putting Haggadahs together, and provide examples and…

From Buenos Aires, through São Paulo, and into Montreal, join us for a musical journey through waterways. Saxophone player, improviser and composer, born in a Jewish family in Buenos Aires, Damián Birbrier comes from a family of travelers and immigrants: each generation of the Birbrier family has lived in a different country. In each location, a river has been central to their lives. Aguas - meaning waters - is a musical and visual tribute to his family and its history. This musical passage finds…

Join KlezKanada and the Museum of Jewish Montreal for a Sunday full of Yiddish music and songwriting. You can choose to attend one of the workshops below, a jam session, and a concert taking place in the evening at Casa del Popolo. For more information about this special Sunday, keep reading: WORKSHOP (1:00pm at the Museum of Jewish Montreal) Yiddish Song Smuggling This workshop, taught by Detroit-born, Hamburg-based troubadour and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kahn, will focus on polyglot performance, traditional subversion, tradaptation (translation + adaptation), multi-musical…

 “Can anyone find the ability to build a house in the air?” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanania In fall of 2020, Rach Klein began to sort through their father’s archive. They pulled out dusty boxes from the furnace room, and found themselves among hundreds of slides, hours of film, notes, and letters, all showing the lifework of master glassblower, Toan Klein. Born 1949 in Long Island, Toan went on to photograph farmland in Ohio, glass factories in Mexico, and the…

Back by popular demand, we're hosting another papercutting workshop with Iso Setel for a special Shavuot edition! This creative workshop that will delve into the Jewish folk art tradition of papercutting. With artist and researcher Iso E. Setel, participants will learn about the significance of this delicate art form, from its religious uses in homes and synagogues, its ties to Shavuot, as well as its presence in numerous contemporary artists who are redefining the medium. The relationship between papercutting and Shavuot…

Join us in welcoming back Professor Karen Herland for a special walking tour of Montreal’s historic Red Light District! Sex work, especially in its most visible forms, tends to be recognized as a problem, requiring intervention and eradication. As a major transportation hub and port city, many sectors of Montreal’s economy were intertwined with the sex trade, even as police and politicians manipulated social responses (positive and negative) to the presence of a thriving Red Light District. From Maimie Pinzer…