KlezKanada

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KlezKanada

Tradition, Innovation, and Continuity

KlezKanada was founded in 1996 to teach, nurture and present to a broad public the best of Jewish traditional arts and Yiddish culture. Its goal is to foster Jewish cultural and artistic creativity worldwide as both an ethnic heritage and a constantly evolving contemporary culture and identity. From its start as a small summer festival, KlezKanada has become one of the leading Jewish cultural organizations in the world.

04/30/2026

New to klezmer? Not sure if you should bring your instrument? Don't fret! Join fiddler and bandleader Zoë Aqua who will be leading KlezKanada's Beginner's Ensemble.

All ages and instruments are welcome and no previous experience with klezmer is necessary. In the Beginner's Ensemble, participants will learn by ear, with notation provided at the end for you to take home.

Photo credit: Shendl Copitman

04/28/2026

"It makes the festival more accessible, more inclusive, and cultivates different kinds of leadership; I also love being able to contribute from my own skill set. The Work Exchange Program helps me feel like I'm really part of the festival." (Sarah Schneider, Work Exchange participant)

Get involved behind the scenes at KlezKanada's Summer Retreat through our Work Exchange Program. WEP participants receive a discount on their registration fee. Especially right now, we are looking for people to help out with the site crew and the youth program.

Learn more and apply today on our website! https://retreat.klezkanada.org/work-exchange/

04/24/2026

"KlezKanada is such an incredible community and enriching experience! The faculty are warm and passionate about Yiddish music and culture. The classes feel like an extended family, where everyone is free to fully be themselves. The retreat reignited my passion for music making. The location is beautiful and spending time on the lake is so peaceful." (Eviatar Shlosberg, scholarship participant)

Don't miss your chance to apply for the Azrieli Scholarship Program for the KlezKanada Summer Retreat. Young artists, scholars, creatives and cultural organizers aged 18-36 with an interest in Jewish and Yiddish arts and culture (and especially Yiddish language this year) are strongly encouraged to apply.

We invite applications in any field from candidates who specialize in or want to study any field related to Jewish arts and culture. Applications are due in one week: May 1, 2026.

Learn more and apply today! https://retreat.klezkanada.org/scholarships/

04/23/2026

Our Summer Retreat venue is nestled into the beautiful Laurentian mountains 90 minutes north of Montréal. In between Yiddish classes and art workshops, you can go kayaking with the loons on Lac-Quenouillle, try the water slide, or learn about local flora and fauna—and maybe learn their names in Yiddish!

Photo credit: Alex Khitrik

04/22/2026

Klezmer superstar fiddler Alicia Svigals is visiting Montreal! Come learn from her as she teaches wisdom and practical techniques from her decades of knowledge as one of the leading voices in klezmer music. Accompaniment, "krekhts," rhythms, and tunes: come soak it all in a week from today.

Register for her workshop on our boutique site!
https://klezkanada.square.site/product/workshop-with-alicia-svigals/JLXHYAS7T4WGLOALUT7TWMAO?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

And then come and see her perform the next day in Di rayze aheym.

April 28 at 6pm
Centre des musiciens du monde
5043 rue Saint-Dominique

04/20/2026

Applications for the Bernstein Bursary Program are open until May 1. If there are financial barriers stopping you from attending the Summer Retreat, we encourage you to apply.

To be considered for the first round of assistance, bursary applications should be submitted by Friday, May 1, 2026.

"I wanted to send a personal thank you to to the Foundation from our family. It was our first time attending the summer retreat, and we felt immediately at home, welcome and comfortable. Everyone was so friendly, and the programming was very thoughtfully designed for everyone to find things to do that would be of interest - whether musician or not. Each of our children connected with different aspects of the workshops and the child and teen programming, and everyone made friends - some I imagine will be long-term meaningful friendships."
—Bursary recipient

Learn more and apply on our Summer Retreat webpage: https://retreat.klezkanada.org/bursaries/

04/17/2026

Get your tickets now for the Canadian concert premier of "Di rayze aheym" in Montréal on Wednesday, April 29. A landmark work in the lineage of q***r yiddishkayt, this collaboration between three trailblazing artists, poet Irena Klepfisz, musician and composer Avi Fox-Rosen, and internationally-renowned klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals, is not to be missed.

"Di rayze aheym / The Journey Home" is an intimate poetic account of Klepfisz's first time returning to Poland after leaving the Warsaw Ghetto where she was born.

Join us at Casa del Popolo at 7:30 pm on April 29 (doors at 7pm) for this must-see premier!

Read more and get tickets here: https://klezkanada.org/event/di-rayze-aheym-the-journey-home-in-en-concert/

04/16/2026

There are still 2 weeks to apply for the Azrieli Scholarship Program for the KlezKanada Summer Retreat. If you're a young artist, scholar, creative or cultural organizer with an interest in Jewish and Yiddish arts and culture, we invite you to apply—especially if you have an interest in this year's disciplinary focus: Yiddish language.

We invite applications in any field from candidates who specialize in or want to study any field related to Jewish arts and culture. Applications are due May 1, 2026.

Learn more and apply today!: https://retreat.klezkanada.org/scholarships/

04/15/2026

Learn from klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals in a rare Montreal visit! She will teach traditional tunes and accompaniment patterns, and reveal the secrets of Yiddish playing style, including the rhythmic feel and ornaments like the “krekhts” that make any instrumentalist sound like a bonafide klezmer!

Register for her workshop on our boutique site! https://klezkanada.square.site/
And then come and see her perform the next day in Di rayze aheym.

April 28 at 6pm
Centre des musiciens du monde
5043 rue Saint-Dominique

04/14/2026

Excited about the Summer Retreat but looking for a more private rooming set-up? This year, we've added semi-private rooms just a 2-minute drive (or 15 minute walk) away from the main site.

Available for groups of 2-4 people, with their own transportation, these rooms might be just what you are looking for!

Learn more about registering for a semi-private room on the "Venue" page of our website. https://retreat.klezkanada.org/venue/

Address

Montreal, QC

Telephone

+15147341473

Website

http://www.klezkanada.org/

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