Past Events

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…

As the great Diana Ross once said: “It’s my house, and I live here!” We're having a house party! As we come off fresh from the announcement of our future home, we want to open our doors as soon as we can. On July 14, join us for an evening that will celebrate our community, and be among the first people to get a sneak peek of our new home! The last two years have been quite the transformational period for us.…

Montreal and New York are known for their countless contributions to Jewish food and culture. Their bagels – though sometimes a point of competition between the two cities – stand out as delicious symbols for generations of Jewish migration, settlement, and imagination. A Tale of Two Bagels: Tasting Montreal and New York's Best will be a unique opportunity to learn about, explore, and – most importantly – to sink our teeth into the legacy of the bagel as it relates to each…

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…