Taught by Mary Lyn Gough – 30 years painting and teaching experience.

Class description

This 2-day workshop is for the novice to experienced painters. The class has something for everyone. The following are some of the items that we will focus on as it pertains to painting botanicals watercolor painting. We will work through these different techniques and apply them to your final project for the class.

• create volume and depth

• Describe dimensions through subtle folds and wrinkles

• blend colors and create soft marks and exploding patterns

• paint flowing lines of stems and veins using brush techniques

• glaze or layer details without overworking your flowers

• color mixing on the paper

• paint blurry objects in the background

• illuminate your flowers with light and shadow

• convey curves on petals and define texture

All Ages/One Ticket pays for BOTH dates, registrants must attend both sessions. $175 for TWO sessions + $30.00 material fee (paper, use of paint/brushes) - $205 total

TICKETS HERE

Maximum Number of Participants 10

Artist Bio

I am an enthusiastic gardener and Mother Nature is full of amazing textures, colors, shapes and patterns. I have always been drawn especially to the complexities, beauty, and specificity of flowers. No two are alike, even from the same variety. They are my subject and inspiration.

I aim to capture an immersive experience in each painting that envelops the viewer in my work, my vision of the blooms, the secrets they must share. So real, they're unreal, the work compels you to reach for a touch or lean in for the scent of the bloom.

I work in watercolors to gain the transparency of oils and vibrancy of acrylics and the beguiling nature of water; an attempt to control the uncontrollable. The combination is a viewing intimacy; my pieces are luscious, inviting and vibrant.

Questions? Please contact me via phone or email. marylyngough@gmail.com or 415-250-4990

THREE AUTHORS ON TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES

Uncovering a family secret – and you are it. Exposing dark truths after the lies of war. Deciding whether the truth is in fact desirable. Or necessary.

Join Carol Weliky in a reading from her recently published chapbook Before The Sun Knows You’re Awake along with authors Judith Armatta and Linda Ferguson as they explore truth, secrets and consequences from three unique perspectives -- memoir, essay and poetry. Q&A to follow.

Carol Weliky is a writer and artist whose themes often touch on Jewish identity.

Judith Armatta is a lawyer, human rights activist and author of Twilight of Impunity, her eyewitness account of the Hague war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic.

Linda Ferguson is an award-winning poet, fiction writer and essayist. She currently writes a theater column and reviews for Oregon Arts Watch.

All Ages/Free but please Register

Are you running a business today? 

I am hosting an informal group discussion with other Jewish business owners about the atmosphere of being Jewish and owning a business today.

It is becoming increasingly important to share experiences, ideas and possible solutions, in this rapidly changing marketplace. 

Meeting with other Jewish business owners allows us to develop new relationships that we may find useful in the future.

Join us for a Little Nosh and conversation!

Free but please register

Next month:

To sell or not to sell — what is your business worth?

At our next meeting, we will discuss the value of your business, based on net income, and review the key steps in selling your business at the right time.

About the Presenter

I am Eric Singer and I grew up in Los Angeles and after spending the 80s in Albuquerque, New Mexico moved to Portland Oregon in 1990. 

I founded a vending business that grew into the largest honor snack company in the Pacific Northwest and the oldest continually operating vending company of its kind in the United States. 

After 30 successful years in business, I sold the company in 2010. Today, as a local business broker, I assist other business owners with the successfully sale of their business. 

After 30 successful years in business, I sold the company in 2010.

Explore. learn. make.

The Shuk brings together scholars, artists, and community members for a full day of immersive experiences rooted in Jewish thought and creative expression. Event description and line-up here.

Registration is here: https://jewishportland.regfox.com/the-shuk

Jordan Wax is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and traditional musician based in New Mexico. For the past twenty five years he has studied intergenerational music traditions with elders from a variety of cultural lineages in the Missouri Ozarks, Central Mexico, Ecuador, Northern New Mexico, and Greater Yiddishland, Wax’s innovative compositions are rooted his own deep Diaspora communities and in three decades of friendships with elders who have imparted the subtleties of spoken secular Yiddish and the musical sensibilities of the of the professional klezmer–not as heirlooms to be preserved, but as pathways to Yiddish continuity, vitality, and relevance which must be renewed in each generation through radical creativity and cross-cultural pollination with the rhythms of Yiddish’s diasporic homes.

All Ages $20/adv $25/door

TICKETS HERE

More about Jordan Wax

In 2024 Jordan participated in the Center for New Jewish Culture’s year-long fellowship with an interdisciplinary cohort of groundbreaking Jewish artists, and in 2025 received the Freed Fellowship for rising leaders in Yiddish and Jewish culture in conjunction with his work performing and curating programs for KlezKanada’s summer retreat in Montreal. In 2024 he served as a New Mexico Humanities Council Speaker and, along with his fellow Lone Piñoneros, present in rural communities across New Mexico about cultural abundance and complexity in New Mexico’s traditional music legacy. In 2022 his work to revitalize creativity and community around a rare Northern New Mexico figure dance called el taleán was funded by the Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area, and his effort to renew community dances based on the unique repertoire of Northern New Mexico social dance figures was sponsored by New Mexico Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2019 Jordan received the Parsons Award from the American Folklife Center, which brought him to the Library of Congress in Washington DC to study the Library’s collection of field recordings of Northern New Mexican musicians, and was invited to teach and perform Northern New Mexico fiddle and dance alongside traditional masters from across North America and Europe at Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA. In the same year his work with Lone Piñon was endorsed by the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, who described the project as “Truly exceptional… A leading ensemble committed to the preservation and elevation of the traditional musical forms of the Northern New Mexico region….an ensemble that embodies cultural integrity for the purpose of continuing treasured art forms that keep our communities thriving.”

Free Noontime Concert!

Jordan Wax

That’s right, EJC is having a teaser event for the main event — the Saturday night Jordan Wax concert.

In 2024, Jordan Wax participated in the Center for New Jewish Culture’s year-long fellowship with an interdisciplinary cohort of groundbreaking Jewish artists, and in 2025, received the Freed Fellowship for rising leaders in Yiddish and Jewish culture. The Friday concert is an hour long, and hopefully Wax’s siren song will induce you to come and invite friends to the Saturday night concert (see event below).

Enjoy our free monthly concert series with top musicians! Pack a lunch or stop by one of the many pods at 24th and Glisan, bring your food in (no pork or shellfish, please), and come and hear the music! Small concerts that are semi-acoustic and always enlivening. All are welcome. What better thing is there to do on a Friday afternoon?!

No registration required.

Part of EJC's Staged Reading Series! Join Eastside Jewish Commons and Cygnet Productions for a one-night-only staged reading of Kressmann Taylor's, Address Unknown!

A rediscovered classic and international bestseller that recounts the gripping tale of a friendship destroyed at the hands of Nazi Germany

In this searing epistolary staged reading, Kressmann Taylor brings vividly to life the insidious spread of Nazism through a series of letters between Max, a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco, and Martin, his friend and former business partner who has returned to Germany in 1932, just as Hitler is coming to power.

Originally published in Story magazine in 1938, Address Unknown became an international sensation. Credited with exposing the dangers of Nazism to American readers early on, it is also a scathing indictment of fascist movements around the world and a harrowing exposé of the power of the pen as a weapon.

A powerful and eloquent work of historical fiction about the consequences of a friendship—and society—poisoned by extremism, Address Unknown remains hauntingly and painfully relevant today.

Talkback to follow Reading

All Ages Sliding Scale $10-$20

No one Turned Away for lack of Funds, please contact us if money is an obstacle: ericstern@ejcpdx.org

TICKETS HERE

What is a Staged Reading?

A staged reading is a form of theater where actors read from scripts while performing on stage with minimal or no sets, costumes, or props. It is a rehearsed, intermediate step between a table read and a full production, often featuring basic movement (blocking) and acting.

Louanne Moldovan is the Artistic Director of Cygnet Productions, launched in 1992 in David Morrison Books – the perfect venue for theatrical works adapted from literature. With the mission to produce socially-conscious, politically-relevant entertainment, Cygnet’s work is acclaimed for its distinctive, absorbing, spicy adaptations from books, letters, short stories and epic poems. This material draws Portland’s most luminous acting talents, and has earned Cygnet the sobriquet of Portland’s “literary cabaret.”

Taught by Mary Lyn Gough – 30 years painting and teaching experience.

Class description

This 2-day workshop is for the novice to experienced painters. The class has something for everyone. The following are some of the items that we will focus on as it pertains to painting botanicals watercolor painting. We will work through these different techniques and apply them to your final project for the class.

• create volume and depth

• Describe dimensions through subtle folds and wrinkles

• blend colors and create soft marks and exploding patterns

• paint flowing lines of stems and veins using brush techniques

• glaze or layer details without overworking your flowers

• color mixing on the paper

• paint blurry objects in the background

• illuminate your flowers with light and shadow

• convey curves on petals and define texture

All Ages/One Ticket pays for BOTH dates, registrants must attend both sessions. $175 for TWO sessions + $30.00 material fee (paper, use of paint/brushes) - $205 total

TICKETS HERE

Maximum Number of Participants 10

Artist Bio

I am an enthusiastic gardener and Mother Nature is full of amazing textures, colors, shapes and patterns. I have always been drawn especially to the complexities, beauty, and specificity of flowers. No two are alike, even from the same variety. They are my subject and inspiration.

I aim to capture an immersive experience in each painting that envelops the viewer in my work, my vision of the blooms, the secrets they must share. So real, they're unreal, the work compels you to reach for a touch or lean in for the scent of the bloom.

I work in watercolors to gain the transparency of oils and vibrancy of acrylics and the beguiling nature of water; an attempt to control the uncontrollable. The combination is a viewing intimacy; my pieces are luscious, inviting and vibrant.

Questions? Please contact me via phone or email. marylyngough@gmail.com or 415-250-4990

Part of EJC's Staged Reading Series!

This event is sold out. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door before the reading on a first-come first-served basis.

Join Eastside Jewish Commons and Third Rail Repertory Theatre for a one-night-only staged reading of Andrea Stolowitz’s elegant and enchanting Antarktikos, winner of the Oregon Book Award for Drama.

Somewhere between Oregon and Antarctica lie several points on a continuum: Susan, a writer at an artists’ residency at the South Pole; Captain Robert Falcon Scott, leader of the British Antarctic expedition of 1912; and Hilary, Susan’s 21-year-old daughter. When an insomniac EMT named Alex becomes the hapless link among them, time collapses, geographies blend, and destinies emerge.

Antarkitos by Andrea Stolowitz, directed by Gemma Whelan

Featuring: Maureen Porter*, Kayla Hanson*, Murri Lazaroff-Babin, and Damon Kupper.

Stage Manager: Ava Schmidt*

Presented in Partnership with Third Rail Repertory Theatre

Talkback to follow Reading

All Ages Sliding Scale $10-$20 TICKETS HERE

No one Turned Away for lack of Funds, please contact us if money is an obstacle: ericstern@ejcpdx.org

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theater and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

What is a Staged Reading?

A staged reading is a form of theater where actors read from scripts while performing on stage with minimal or no sets, costumes, or props. It is a rehearsed, intermediate step between a table read and a full production, often featuring basic movement (blocking) and acting.

Andrea Stolowitz is an internationally produced playwright and librettist and a three-time winner of the Oregon Book Award in drama. Andrea is the recipient of the 2024 Miller Foundation mid-career artists fellowship, a recipient of the NYC Mayor’s Office Women in Theatre, Film, and Television Fund, and the recipient of the seven-year playwright residency at New Dramatists (NYC). Andrea's plays have been developed and presented nationally and internationally at theaters such as Artists Repertory Theatre, Hand2Mouth Theatre, The Long Wharf, The Old Globe, The Cherry Lane, New York Stage and Film, The Abbey Theatre, TheatreJ, and The Cork Midsummer Festival. The LA Times calls Andrea’s work “heartbreaking” and the Orange County Register characterizes her approach as a “brave refusal to sugarcoat issues and tough decisions.” Andrea’s play “The Berlin Diaries” will be published by Concord in late 2026. Andrea is currently the playwright-in-residence at The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. MFA: UCSD

The  Zamru Ensemble lands in Portland for a one-of-a-kind evening blending Jewish sacred music with improvisation, groove, and community singing. Join a participatory concert of ancient Hebrew melodies combined with the new sounds of contemporary, contemplative Jewish music. TICKETS HERE

Jon Fisch is one of only a handful of comedians who has appeared on both The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Jon has performed at multiple comedy festivals including the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, the Great American Comedy Festival and Montreal's prestigious “Just for Laughs" Festival.

All ages $25 Advance/$27 door TICKETS HERE

Full Bio

Jon has appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the Late Show with David Letterman, has been featured in Maxim Magazine, and was the host of the widely popular podcast, “In the Tank”. A prolific monologist with universal appeal, Jon focuses on the idiosyncrasies of city living. Shortly after moving to NYC from his native Boston, he was chosen as one of Comedy Central’s Fresh Faces of Comedy and named one of Back Stage Magazine’s 10 Standout Stand-ups.

His appearance on Last Comic Standing 4 – where he was the New York City Capital One Audience Favorite – earned him wide recognition and a new legion of fans. His other TV appearances include Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, VH1, Celebrity Apprentice, and 3 Men and a Chick Flick on the WE Network where he served as a host. Interestingly, the credit people seem most impressed by was that he was handpicked to open for Jerry Seinfeld in 2009 at Gotham Comedy Club.

Jon has performed at multiple festivals including the 2007 HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the 2010 Great American Comedy Festival at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk, Nebraska. In addition, he was a critical favorite at the prestigious Montreal “Just for Laughs” Festival where he appeared in both the “New Faces” showcase and the Club Series show “Dating It.” Following his impressive performances, Jon was singled out by the Hollywood Reporter and the Montreal Gazette as a “stand out performer”. Most recently, he was invited to perform at this year’s TBS “Just For Laughs” Comedy Festival in Chicago.

Jon also tours the country performing in theaters and colleges, corporate events and clubs. A staple in the NYC scene, he is a favorite at Gotham Comedy Club, the Comedy Cellar, and the World Famous Comic Strip Live.

From the “Pearl of the Black Sea” to the Western Seaboard, Kommuna Lux returns to U.S. stages this spring, bringing their signature blend of Ukrainian folk, klezmer, and Balkan swing to audiences. Known for turning concerts into vibrant cultural experiences, the ensemble continues to channel its growing international platform toward urgently needed humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

All Ages $22 advanced, $25/door TICKETS HERE

Come fall in love with Odesa, Ukraine, the Pearl of the Black Sea! Kommuna Lux brings you the heritage music of their beloved hometown. Klezmer, Balkan, and Urban Chanson, with a dash of Ukrainian Folk and powered by rocket fuel, Kommuna Lux impacts the crowd with a nostalgic, high-energy Big Band sound from the bygone days of speakeasies and rum runners.

These conservatory-trained musicians started out playing flash mobs in the markets, piers, and streets of Odesa, and quickly moved up to local and national stages. After winning Germany’s “Iron Eversteiner” prize for folk music, they began touring the world.

Led by clarinetist Volodymyr Gitin and featuring Taras Luka (accor-dion), Mykola Shevelov (drums), Yevhenii Beltiukov (vocals, guitar), and Serhii Zhuravel (trumpet), Kommuna Lux delivers a sound that is emotionally immediate no matter the language.

Through their nonprofit KMLX, Kommuna Lux has raised more than $50,000 in direct aid, including specialized hospital beds for burn victims in partnership with the Rotary Club of Ukraine, as well as rescue vehicles for frontline efforts.

ZACHOR | זכור | REMEMBER!

Art/Lab: Innovating Jewish Arts and Culture 

is proud to present the work of our 2025-26 Artists Fellowship Cohort following their nine months of art practice, text study and dialogue on the place of Memory in Jewish culture and practice.

Join our cohort creatives as they present new works in visual art, written word and music. We are honored to share work from Rachel Attias, Rachael Baskind, Zalmy Berkowitz, Brenda Bingham, Stashia Cabral, Andrew Cohen, Julie Hammond, Stephen Lorber, and David Rosman.

TICKETS HERE

Part of EJC's Staged Reading Series! Join Eastside Jewish Commons and Cygnet Productions for a one-night-only staged reading of Sarah Mantell's Everything that Never Happened!

Whether or not you know Shakespeare or Shylock, this provocative work plays between the gaps in the classic tale of Merchant of Venice to expose the realities of Jewish history. Sarah Mantell’s time-bending story, rich with humor and heartbreak, bridges the 16th century with today and beyond. What do we lose or gain by leaving our own culture? And what sacrifices does love demand of fathers and daughters, lovers and friends?

Talkback to follow Reading

All Ages Sliding Scale $10-$20

TICKETS HERE

No one Turned Away for lack of Funds, please contact us if money is an obstacle: cary@ejcpdx.org

What is a Staged Reading?

A staged reading is a form of theater where actors read from scripts while performing on stage with minimal or no sets, costumes, or props. It is a rehearsed, intermediate step between a table read and a full production, often featuring basic movement (blocking) and acting.

Louanne Moldovan is the Artistic Director of Cygnet Productions, launched in 1992 in David Morrison Books – the perfect venue for theatrical works adapted from literature. With the mission to produce socially-conscious, politically-relevant entertainment, Cygnet’s work is acclaimed for its distinctive, absorbing, spicy adaptations from books, letters, short stories and epic poems. This material draws Portland’s most luminous acting talents, and has earned Cygnet the sobriquet of Portland’s “literary cabaret.”

JFCS’ Stretch & Schmooze Senior Yoga

Tuesday, May 19, 3-5pm

at Eastside Jewish Commons

Community members 60+: Join JFCS May 19 at 3pm for our May Senior Social Hour, a yoga class where you can move, breathe, and connect in community. Enjoy gentle, guided movement designed to support strength, flexibility, and relaxation—no experience needed. We’ll offer options for every body, including chair-based movements and modifications for those who prefer not to get on the floor. Come as you are, move at your own pace, and stay afterward to schmooze with friends old and new. No cost to attend but RSVP is required.  To RSVP, visit www.jfcs-portland.org/senior-social-hour

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

In this joint concert, Dr. Ariel Lazarus-an award-winning composer, guitarist, and scholar of Sephardi culture and Shir Ifrah - a renowned vocalist and expert in moroccan piyyut (Jewish liturgical song) come together for a deeply rooted musical journey that intertwines the rich traditions of Ladino song and Andalusian–Moroccan music, infused with a contemporary Israeli voice.

Ladino romansas and canciones meet North African rhythms and Mediterranean-inspired compositions, creating a vibrant musical tapestry. Both artists are dedicated to preserving and reimagining their Sephardi heritage, crafting a program that brings to life the expressive power of the Sephardi voice and guitar.

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. PLEASE CONSIDER BUYING TIX TO THE LAST SHOW OF THE FEST ON SUNDAY

Festival headliner Yair Dalal is a world-famous Israeli musician, composer, and peace activist of Iraqi-Jewish descent. Born in 1955, his work is characterized by a fusion of Middle Eastern, Jewish, and Arabic musical traditions, often influenced by his Iraqi roots and the desert environment. Yair will be joined by master Israeli percussionist Dror Sinai.

All Ages, $30/Adv, $35/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

Please join us for a night of Yiddish Dancing with live klezmer performed by Christina Crowder and the Zamlers with Jimmy Austin and Yankl Falk! Yiddish dance is joyous, expressive, communal, and very approachable for new dancers. We’ll start with a lesson from 6:15-7pm, taught by Maia Brown. Shortly after 7pm, we’ll have two sets of live music. In the spirit of Yiddish tradition we welcome every generation onto the dance floor. However you feel called to join — moving, singing, or simply soaking it in — you are welcome.

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

The Inner Secrets of Klezmer Dance Tunes 

Like most traditional musics, the “klezmer” in klezmer music isn’t the notes on the page, it’s what’s between your ears. Whether you’re familiar with klezmer or new to the genre, this workshop will take a deep dive into tunes from the heart of klezmer repertoire—freylekhs, khosidl, and bulgar—to find the Jewishness “embedded" in the tunes. We will explore the distinctive elements of klezmer style through phrasing, ornamentation, elaboration, and creating groovy dance textures, along with a conversation about “rhetoric” in certain kinds of tunes that resonate with Jewish philosophy. All instruments welcome, charts provided as needed. 

TICKETS HERE

All Ages, $30/Adv, $35/Door

Christina Crowder is an accordionist with thirty years of experience as a researcher, performer and educator in klezmer music and Asheknazic expressive culture.

Christina is the Executive Director of the Klezmer Institute, a digital-first organization founded to support Ashkenazic expressive culture through research, teaching, publishing, and programming. The Institute’s flagship projects, the Klezmer Archive Project (KA), and the Kiselof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project (KMDMP), have been awarded three grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

EJC is very sorry to inform the public that tomorrow's Maeve Stier concert has been cancelled: The bad news is that the artist has injured her hand, the good news is that she is healing and will be available for a redo later this summer. Current ticket holders will be notified about next steps.

Maeve Stier is a singer-accordionist based in Portland, OR. Since returning from their Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, they have been bringing their eclectic arrangements of jazz, folk, klezmer, and opera to street corners and stages all over the Pacific Northwest

“Maeve Stier netted the afternoon’s longest standing ovation. Dressed in a sort of 1930s Paris chic outfit and carrying an accordion, they sat, adjusted the mic, then proceeded to stun the audience, belting out an operatic performance of one of Gilda’s arias from Act I of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” A stunned audience sat, open-mouthed, during the surprise performance — one doesn’t expect an operatically trained soprano to be behind a squeezebox. They leapt to their feet when [Maeve] finished.”

— Portland Tribune

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

EJC and Congregation Ahavath Achim warmly invite you to a special Sephardic Mother’s Day Brunch, a celebration of culture, community, and the mothers who nourish us in every sense. With live background music!

Gather around a table filled with delicious Sephardic flavors while enjoying the rich musical traditions of the Sephardic and Mizrachi worlds.

This intimate and festive gathering offers a chance to honor all mothers, connect across generations, and experience the beauty of Sephardic heritage through food, music, and shared joy. All are welcome! Tickets are limited!

Adult non-member - $45

Child non-member (under 13) - $22

Congregation Ahavath Achim adult member - $36

Congregation Ahavath Achim child member (under 13) - $18

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

Girls in Trouble is Alicia Jo Rabins' critically-acclaimed musical midrash and storytelling project, bringing ancient legends of Biblical women to life. Weaving music and poetry into beautiful, haunting melodies, Girls in Trouble captivates audiences with feminist indie-folk songs ranging from orchestral strings to bluegrass-inflected ballads, each telling the story of a different woman in Torah. Alicia will be joined by beloved Portland musicians Aaron Hartman (bass), Rachel Brashear (keys/guitar) and Ji Tanzer (drums). Fresh from recording a new album at SE Portland's Hallowed Halls studio, they'll be debuting brand-new songs and playing some old favorites, inviting listeners to join the healing, feminist reinterpretation of Torah.

Wendy Abram (with Alex Farmer) Opens!

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

Learn how to imitate the tone and inflection of unaccompanied Yiddish folksong in this deep dive workshop! Join Chaia, New York-based Yiddish vocalist, as she guides us through her favorite folksongs from historic Yiddish singer Lifshe Schaechter-Widman and teaches us the tips and tricks of the style! All levels welcome.

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Chaia is a composer combining Yiddish archival practice and electronic club music. She weaves archival Yiddish audio with techno and ambient frameworks, creating hybrid folk-electronic compositions that situate ancestral sound within global and liberatory rave culture. In live performance, she brings together accordion, vocals, and samples, inviting audiences to engage with ritual and the echoes of ancestral memory.

Chaia was raised in the klezmer tradition and mentored by Yiddish music pioneers Hankus Netsky, Jeff Warschauer, and Basya Schechter. She now works closely with Yiddish archives to identify, highlight, and catalog Yiddish material for her electronic work. These include the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, The Yiddish Book Center, Yiddish Song of the Week, and the personal archives of Netsky and the Hoffman Family. Chaia’s work has been supported by New York State’s Council for the Arts, the Brooklyn Arts Council, The Goethe Institute, and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance.

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

TICKETS HERE

Join us for a noon concert with world-class cellist Diane Chaplin as she plays a solo concert spanning her repertoire of music by Jewish composers, Klezmer and Jewish concert music and more!

Free/All Ages

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

Shpilkis is Seattle’s slammin’ klezmer brass band bringing you old-school Yiddish grooves with tuchus-shaking energy. Shpilkis is a high energy klezmer brass band who play thoughtful arrangements of old-school tukhes-shaking grooves. They bring a unique sound to celebrations, shows, and festivals all around the Pacific Northwest, Founded in 2017, Shpilkis’ raucous sound is influenced by modern brass band culture while rooted in an old tradition of Yiddish music. This event will have a dance leader so bring your dancing shoes!

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026!

TICKETS HERE

Yoni Avi Battat amplifies and transforms the echoes of his Iraqi-Jewish ancestry to broaden perspectives, touch hearts, and build community.

CONCERT DESCRIPTION:

Fragments is a collection of original and traditional music that invites listeners into the complexity of Yoni Avi Battat’s fragmented Iraqi-Jewish identity. Inspired by traditional Arab musical forms, the project combines Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Yiddish lyrics to express the fragmenting effects of migration, lost languages, colonialism, assimilation, and erasure. Described as "an education for the ear and the soul," this concert aims to complicate and nuance your understanding of Arab and Jewish history, culture, and identity. In doing so, Fragments offers visibility and recognition for the many unseen Middle Eastern Jews in America, while making room for listeners of all backgrounds to find resonance and healing in its message.

This intimate evening of story-telling and music will feature Battat on oud and vocals, and artistic supertitles that translate the lyrics in real time.

All Ages, $22/Adv, $25/Door

Kids Ages 6-12 $11 (kids under 6 free).

We are thrilled to announce the Portland Jewish Music Festival 2026! Now in its second year, this celebration of Jewish musical traditions from throughout the diaspora and Israel will fill EJC for more than a week with top-tier artists from near and far. Your Festival pass for The Portland Jewish Music Festival is HERE. Pass includes access to all shows, film and lectures for a total of 15% off all shows and guaranteed entrance (pass does not include workshops/Mother’s Day event, pass is non-transferable). A limited number of passes are available, so buy now because once they're gone...they're gone!

29th Street Writers Afternoon of Author Readings

About the reading: This has been a difficult time and as writers we wonder what our creativity means and can do against the daily onslaught that challenges us from the global down to the personal. As a long-standing group, The 29th Street Writers know that our power lies in our community, the writers around the table, the readers of our work, the friends we draw close, the people in this room, and in similar rooms all over the country, and world, that believe that writing/art of all kinds, unite us and shed light on the climate we find ourselves in. And by shedding light, it lessens the darkness we feel.

Our readers this afternoon include: Ila Suzanne Gray, Kathleen Haley, Kathleen Saadat, Ellen Goldberg, Mimi Maduro and Amy Schutzer

All Ages, free and open to the public but please register. Consider making a donation to EJC at checkout

Though none of us can remember the exact year, The 29th Street Writers have been learning & writing together for more than 40 years. Our first public readings were an off-shoot from writing classes we took with Judith Barrington. We continued as a group of strong, dedicated women writers for decades after those classes ended. At the center of this group is the writing and our commitment to it, and support of each other as writers. From that center we continuously challenge ourselves, exploring language, taboos, poetic forms, class, race, sex, love and metaphor. We have been published in many magazines, journals, anthologies, chapbooks and books.