Fentster

05/24/2026

✨ One week away! Our curator, Evelyn Tauben will be the kicking off the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies's annual conference. This opening session for the day of the conference that's open to the whole community will also be a live recording of the wonderful podcast Tête-à-tête: Conversations in Canadian Jewish Studies.
✨ Kindly register today to join us 🙂

The Association for Canadian Jewish Studies 2026 Annual Conference is 12 days away!

Join us May 31–June 1 at York University's Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies for an exciting array of panels, roundtables, workshops, and book launches, and a Jewish Toronto walking tour and live taping of our podcast, Tête-à-tête: Conversations in Canadian Jewish Studies, to boot.

View the full program here:https://acjs-aejc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ACJS-2026-Conference_FullProgram.pdf

And it's not too late to register by our extended deadline of May 24: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/association-for-canadian-jewish-studies-2026-annual-conference

We look forward to learning with you in Toronto!

With many thanks to our sponsors, the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University and the Canadian Race Relations Fdn / Fondation canadienne des relations raciales.

05/21/2026

Jewish artists & arts workers - our gathering space / listening circle just for you is back! One week from today - join us. ❤️

Learn more & register:
https://guestli.st/818077

IMAGE: Artwork by Ya'ara Eshet for the FENTSTER exhibition, Transplant, 2021

05/20/2026

SUNDAY! Join our friends from the Sala Manca Group for a series of short performance lectures with artists Diego Rotman, Lea Mauas, and Nahuel. We're thrilled to be working with the Sala-Manca Group on a big upcoming project. This is a great chance to get a peak into their work and wonderfully creative minds.

👉 Register to save your spot!

The program will feature a series of short performance lectures by Sala-Manca Group (Diego Rotman, Lea Mauas, and Nahuel) followed by a talk with the artists. Program Co-presented with AdHoc Supported by The Petman Foundation

05/12/2026

𝚆𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙵𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁'𝚜 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 / 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙹𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑⁉️

👉 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴇᴡꜱʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ 👈

🌼 Another Listening Circle for Jewish artists & arts workers is coming up
🌼 Our curator Evelyn Tauben will be presenting at Women's College Hospital
🌼 PLUS, check out FENTSTER in the News with features in Lilith Magazine and Niv
🌼 AND... 📸 from our latest event with artists Anthony Russell and Nickeshia Garrick

💛 With shout outs to our friends at Koffler Arts and Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏɴ:
https://mailchi.mp/25b0c6774cff/may-2026

04/21/2026

Just a few days left to apply - wonderful opportunity for artists to be in residence with the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto!

The ATCJS is thrilled to open applications now for the Mitchell J. Gerstein Distinguished Visiting Artist Program in Social Justice and Jewish Life" for 2026-27! Find the posting here: https://www.jewishstudies.utoronto.ca/about-us/employment-opportunities/mitchell-j-gerstein-distinguished-visiting-artist-program-social

Working artists working in a broad range of creative interpretations of contemporary Jewish life are eligible to apply. The program is open to professionals working in areas of the visual, musical, performing, and literary arts.

The program seeks to support the creation and production of new artistic work and to provide insight into the process of conceptualizing and producing creative work. The artist will work with a scholarly interdisciplinary community at the Centre and within an artistic academic community in a partnering humanities units. Artists in Residence may be asked to teach a course; share their practice through public-facing events, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students; and participate in community life on and off campus.

For additional details and to apply, visit our website at the link below for the application instructions. The deadline is Friday, April 24, 2026.

https://www.jewishstudies.utoronto.ca/about-us/employment-opportunities/mitchell-j-gerstein-distinguished-visiting-artist-program-social

04/15/2026

"Everybody who was part of the project wanted to have their boundaries pushed. They wanted to hear different perspectives. They wanted to clarify their own perspectives, which is very different from a polarized environment where you dig your heels in and you just block out anything that’s different from how you see the world. It was very hopeful in a lot of ways, in ways that walking through the world these days doesn’t feel so hopeful."
~ SHVILIM Core Team member Sarah Margles

Thank you Niv magazine for shining a light on the Bridging Worlds project on understanding antisemitism and for taking the time to interview Sarah and FENTSTER Curator Evelyn Tauben

‍Bridging Worlds offers tools for Jews to find Jewish belonging in an increasingly hostile world while also offering historical artifacts and facts to help those in and outside of the Jewish community understand Jewish history and antisemitism.

04/01/2026

The Jewish holiday of Passover begins tonight. Each year we gather to tell and retell an ancient story of liberation from bo***ge. 

At our recent artist conversation with , 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙, performing artist Nickeshia Garrick shared about her solo work in-development called 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘽𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨 - where she explores the question: "Can I be liberated from the thing that’s enslaved me?" 

Rope is central to the work, which combines movement and sound. Nickeshia brought her practice into the space of our gathering - inviting all of us to engage with pieces of rope; to take these tools of bo***ge in our hands - explore them, unravel them, tie and untie them, connect them, and reflect on community and connection... what bonds us.🪢

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹
🥬🥚🧱🩸💧🌿🕊

📷:

03/26/2026

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ to Ziy Sah von Bieberstein for writing this wonderful reflection piece for Lilith Magazine on the experience of working together on creating the 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 resources on understanding antisemitism.

"It was deeply satisfying to work with a group so dedicated to finding a space of nuance and accuracy. In every meeting, we learned and unlearned. We challenged each other’s assumptions and understandings. We engaged in vigorous debate about semantics, priorities, and Jewish histories. I came to see how SHVILIM’s process echoed the Jewish concept of machloket l’shem shamayim (argument for the sake of heaven). We were committed to truth and deep understanding, rather than to winning a debate–to getting it right rather than pleasing a particular group or expectation."

IMAGE: From the cover of Bridging Worlds featuring Sarah Waisvisz in her solo show, Monstrous (2016).

I am so proud to have a resource I can confidently share with anyone looking to better understand antisemitism and its impacts.

03/13/2026

Amidst a time and a week and a day of so much violence and fear, what a gift it was to come together in community - to reflect, to share, to connect, to dream and to let in a bit of hope.

Thank you to the incredible Nickeshia Garrick, Anthony Russell and Michelle Spences-Lee Moore... and to everyone who took time out of their busy lives to join us and to be together open heartedly ❤️

Good things happen when and
team up!!

📷:

03/11/2026

✴️ Almost sold out!! ✴️

✨️ TOMORROW! Multidisciplinary artist 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙍𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡 will be in conversation with performing artist 𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙖 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 and writer / filmmaker 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨-𝙇𝙚𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙚.

Anthony Russell works in the medium of Yiddish language and culture. His work in Ashkenazi Jewish musical forms led to an exploration of his ethnic roots through the research, arrangement and performance of a hundred years of African American music and Ashkenazi Jewish music, resulting in the album "Convergence" (2018), a collaboration with the klezmer group Veretski Pass. His writing has appeared in The Forward, Tablet, Moment Magazine, JTA, PROTOCOLS, Ayin Press and Jewish Currents. Anthony lives in San Diego, CA with his husband, Rabbi Michael Rothbaum. He is in Toronto this season as the Mitchell J. Gerstein Distinguished Visiting Artist in Residence at the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto. The residency will culminate in a performance this Monday evening at the Miles Nadal JCC.

➡️Join us on Thursday, March 12 ⬅️
The road to find
ᴀ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ɪɴꜱᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ

*This event is free but advanced registration is required as space is limited. Just a few spots remain!*

This interactive gathering is inspired by the creative practices of 𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙖 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 and 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙍𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡. These thoughtful creatives will offer a window into their processes of digging deep into historic narratives of Black oppression and resistance in order to create dynamic, multi-media performances that prompt questions about the moment we are living in.

What are the challenges and opportunities of engaging art and audiences to create lasting change? Join the conversation!

✨️ March 12, 7-9 pm
Urbanspace Gallery
401 Richmond St. W.

Presented by Fentster & No Silence on Race

LEARN MORE / REGISTER:
https://fentster.org/events/road-to-find