SHTETL BERLIN returns!
April 24-28, 2024
Join us in singing, dancing, jamming and shmoozing in venues all around Berlin.
Check out our Festival Schedule below, and Register for Workshops - see you soon!
April 24-28, 2024
Join us in singing, dancing, jamming and shmoozing in venues all around Berlin.
Check out our Festival Schedule below, and Register for Workshops - see you soon!
SHTETL BERLIN 2024 FESTIVAL EVENTS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24 | 19:00-23:00
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
Festival Opening
Third Seder Zingeray
Join us for a joyful opening night to our 2024 festival! A combination Zingeray (sing-along/song-share) and Third Seder.
The Third Seder, which emerged in America in the 1920s, is a tradition of gathering for an evening of performances and community singing to celebrate the social justice and liberation themes of Passover (Peysakh). While it takes inspiration from the traditional ritual dinner, the Third Seder is not a religious event, but rather a chance to explore Yiddish culture's many connections to our ongoing fight for freedom and equality for all.
Hosted by Sasha Lurje and Jake Schneider, this is a community night of singing and community celebration, featuring a zingeray (sing-along) with lyrics provided to sing in Yiddish together, and performances by Luise Fakler, Yael Merlini, Zhenya Oks, Jordan Lee Schnee, Julie Weitz, Rosamond van Wingerden and others.
After the Zingeray we'll get into the festival spirit with a klezmer jam, dancing, and a lekhayim!
Free admission and open to everyone of all ages. Donations gratefully accepted.
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
Festival Opening
Third Seder Zingeray
Join us for a joyful opening night to our 2024 festival! A combination Zingeray (sing-along/song-share) and Third Seder.
The Third Seder, which emerged in America in the 1920s, is a tradition of gathering for an evening of performances and community singing to celebrate the social justice and liberation themes of Passover (Peysakh). While it takes inspiration from the traditional ritual dinner, the Third Seder is not a religious event, but rather a chance to explore Yiddish culture's many connections to our ongoing fight for freedom and equality for all.
Hosted by Sasha Lurje and Jake Schneider, this is a community night of singing and community celebration, featuring a zingeray (sing-along) with lyrics provided to sing in Yiddish together, and performances by Luise Fakler, Yael Merlini, Zhenya Oks, Jordan Lee Schnee, Julie Weitz, Rosamond van Wingerden and others.
After the Zingeray we'll get into the festival spirit with a klezmer jam, dancing, and a lekhayim!
Free admission and open to everyone of all ages. Donations gratefully accepted.
THURSDAY APRIL 25 | 19:00-22:00
Prachtwerk
Ganghoferstraße 2, 12043 Berlin
New Yiddish Song Concert
with
Sveta Kundish & Patrick Farrell (Berlin) - voice and accordion duets
Benjy Fox-Rosen and Isabel Frey (Vienna) - "In Mayn Gortn"
Fran & Flora (UK) - Experimental/folk string and voice duo
Our Opening Concert of the festival features a trio of duos who are exploring the edges of what it means to sing and play Yiddish music. These are of some of the most creative European artists working in Yiddish culture today! Join us for an evening of beautiful, strong, and universal music, deeply rooted in the Yiddish song tradition while also cutting across all lines of genre and category, in the beautiful environs of Prachtwerk in Neukölln.
Tickets 10/15/20 €, available at the door
Presented with support from Österreichisches Kulturforum Berlin
Fran & Flora, visiting us from UK, are a critically acclaimed experimental-folk duo who captivate audiences, combining improvisation and electronics with Jewish archival recordings, recovered manuscripts, and tunes from traditional masters to create a “border-defying” aesthetic (Mojo). Their debut album “Unfurl” (2019) received widespread recognition: “beguiling beauty” (The Wire), “brave and classy” (The Guardian), “indisputable virtuosity” (Songlines Magazine). Their self-produced second album “Precious Collection” was released on April 12, 2024, and has already been named “Folk Album of the Month” by The Guardian.
Check out a video of them here!
Benjy Fox-Rosen & Isabel Frey, visiting us from Vienna, present "In Mayn Gortn" – a musical walk through the garden of Yiddish song. From profound political songs to heartbreaking love ballads, from melancholic melodies to life-affirming, joyful sounds, featuring old and new Yiddish songs, innovative reworkings, and fresh compositions which flow through different genres and styles, Benjy Fox-Rosen and Isabel Frey unfold a kaleidoscope of musical expressions. Their interpretations are not only an homage to traditional Yiddish music, but also a bridge to modern and contemporary musical approaches. Join in on this musical journey of discovery and experience how the garden of Yiddish song blossoms in all its facets.
Check out a video of them here!
Sveta Kundish & Patrick Farrell are among the stars of the new Yiddish music scene, performing their own compositions for voice and accordion throughout Europe and the USA. Their deeply personal repertoire, strongly rooted in Yiddish poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries, integrates elements of art song, folk music, new music and free improvisation. Based in Berlin, they perform in numerous countries and, as teachers, widely share their knowledge of traditional aspects of klezmer music and Yiddish songs as well as the work of creating something new from them. In 2022 their debut album “Nem mayn vort” was released on the Berlin label Danzone.
Check out a video of them here!
Prachtwerk
Ganghoferstraße 2, 12043 Berlin
New Yiddish Song Concert
with
Sveta Kundish & Patrick Farrell (Berlin) - voice and accordion duets
Benjy Fox-Rosen and Isabel Frey (Vienna) - "In Mayn Gortn"
Fran & Flora (UK) - Experimental/folk string and voice duo
Our Opening Concert of the festival features a trio of duos who are exploring the edges of what it means to sing and play Yiddish music. These are of some of the most creative European artists working in Yiddish culture today! Join us for an evening of beautiful, strong, and universal music, deeply rooted in the Yiddish song tradition while also cutting across all lines of genre and category, in the beautiful environs of Prachtwerk in Neukölln.
Tickets 10/15/20 €, available at the door
Presented with support from Österreichisches Kulturforum Berlin
Fran & Flora, visiting us from UK, are a critically acclaimed experimental-folk duo who captivate audiences, combining improvisation and electronics with Jewish archival recordings, recovered manuscripts, and tunes from traditional masters to create a “border-defying” aesthetic (Mojo). Their debut album “Unfurl” (2019) received widespread recognition: “beguiling beauty” (The Wire), “brave and classy” (The Guardian), “indisputable virtuosity” (Songlines Magazine). Their self-produced second album “Precious Collection” was released on April 12, 2024, and has already been named “Folk Album of the Month” by The Guardian.
Check out a video of them here!
Benjy Fox-Rosen & Isabel Frey, visiting us from Vienna, present "In Mayn Gortn" – a musical walk through the garden of Yiddish song. From profound political songs to heartbreaking love ballads, from melancholic melodies to life-affirming, joyful sounds, featuring old and new Yiddish songs, innovative reworkings, and fresh compositions which flow through different genres and styles, Benjy Fox-Rosen and Isabel Frey unfold a kaleidoscope of musical expressions. Their interpretations are not only an homage to traditional Yiddish music, but also a bridge to modern and contemporary musical approaches. Join in on this musical journey of discovery and experience how the garden of Yiddish song blossoms in all its facets.
Check out a video of them here!
Sveta Kundish & Patrick Farrell are among the stars of the new Yiddish music scene, performing their own compositions for voice and accordion throughout Europe and the USA. Their deeply personal repertoire, strongly rooted in Yiddish poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries, integrates elements of art song, folk music, new music and free improvisation. Based in Berlin, they perform in numerous countries and, as teachers, widely share their knowledge of traditional aspects of klezmer music and Yiddish songs as well as the work of creating something new from them. In 2022 their debut album “Nem mayn vort” was released on the Berlin label Danzone.
Check out a video of them here!
FRIDAY APRIL 26 | 17:00
Café Engels
Herrfurthstraße 21, 12049 Berlin
Shmues un Vayn
An informal Yiddish-speaking hangout at a café before the "Shabes in Shtetl" event around the corner. The social club Shmues un Vayn meets twice a month in bars around Berlin to drink wine (and other beverages) and chat only in mame-loshn. This will be the 53rd gathering in two years. All levels welcome. Kumt-zhe redn a yidish vort mit undz!
Café Engels
Herrfurthstraße 21, 12049 Berlin
Shmues un Vayn
An informal Yiddish-speaking hangout at a café before the "Shabes in Shtetl" event around the corner. The social club Shmues un Vayn meets twice a month in bars around Berlin to drink wine (and other beverages) and chat only in mame-loshn. This will be the 53rd gathering in two years. All levels welcome. Kumt-zhe redn a yidish vort mit undz!
FRIDAY APRIL 26 | 19:00-23:00
Interkulturelles Zentrum Genezareth (IZG)
Herrfurthplatz 14, 12049 Berlin
Shabes in Shtetl
An evening of community, sharing songs and poems, and honoring the tradition of gathering on the sabbath to lift ourselves up with music and friends.
Once again, as last year, our shabes event will be hosted by our friends at IZG. This is not a religious event, but rather an evening to visit with friends and family, to light candles, to jam and sing together, to share a glass of wine, and to listen to the words and music of a few of our friends.
Our very special guest for the evening is Cantor Jalda Rebling, who has been an advocate for and performer of Yiddish song and culture in Berlin since the East Berlin days of the 1980’s. One of the first artists to actively promote Yiddish language and culture anywhere in Germany after the beginning of the Yiddish revival, Jalda is also the daughter of legendary Amsterdam/Berlin Yiddish singer Lin Jaldati. From her unique perspective, Jalda will share with us a short performance which will include Yiddish songs, some stories, a communal nign or two, and who knows what else? We are very happy to welcome her into our shabes space!
Also joining us will be Jake Schneider and Katerina Kuznetsova, to share a few Yiddish poems, and Sveta Kundish, to lead us through the candle lighting and brokhes for the evening. Hosted by Sasha Lurje and Craig Judelman, with help from other friends and colleagues.
Bring an instrument to join in jamming, be ready to sing along to some nigunim and songs, and invite your friends and neighbors to join us in a peaceful and community-centered evening.
All are encouraged to bring snacks and beverages to share (we will also provide some for donation). But please respect that it is Peysakh, and don’t bring any bread with you!
Free admission and open to everyone of all ages. Donations gratefully accepted.
Interkulturelles Zentrum Genezareth (IZG)
Herrfurthplatz 14, 12049 Berlin
Shabes in Shtetl
An evening of community, sharing songs and poems, and honoring the tradition of gathering on the sabbath to lift ourselves up with music and friends.
Once again, as last year, our shabes event will be hosted by our friends at IZG. This is not a religious event, but rather an evening to visit with friends and family, to light candles, to jam and sing together, to share a glass of wine, and to listen to the words and music of a few of our friends.
Our very special guest for the evening is Cantor Jalda Rebling, who has been an advocate for and performer of Yiddish song and culture in Berlin since the East Berlin days of the 1980’s. One of the first artists to actively promote Yiddish language and culture anywhere in Germany after the beginning of the Yiddish revival, Jalda is also the daughter of legendary Amsterdam/Berlin Yiddish singer Lin Jaldati. From her unique perspective, Jalda will share with us a short performance which will include Yiddish songs, some stories, a communal nign or two, and who knows what else? We are very happy to welcome her into our shabes space!
Also joining us will be Jake Schneider and Katerina Kuznetsova, to share a few Yiddish poems, and Sveta Kundish, to lead us through the candle lighting and brokhes for the evening. Hosted by Sasha Lurje and Craig Judelman, with help from other friends and colleagues.
Bring an instrument to join in jamming, be ready to sing along to some nigunim and songs, and invite your friends and neighbors to join us in a peaceful and community-centered evening.
All are encouraged to bring snacks and beverages to share (we will also provide some for donation). But please respect that it is Peysakh, and don’t bring any bread with you!
Free admission and open to everyone of all ages. Donations gratefully accepted.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL 27/28 | 12:00-17:00
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
Shtetl Workshops
Shtetl Berlin offers two days of group workshops in Yiddish song and instrumental music (klezmer) for participants of all levels.
Register here!
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
Shtetl Workshops
Shtetl Berlin offers two days of group workshops in Yiddish song and instrumental music (klezmer) for participants of all levels.
Register here!
SATURDAY APRIL 27 | 17:00-18:15
Oblomov
Lenaustraße 7, 12047 Berlin
Pesach in Yiddish Poetry
A Close-Reading Workshop
What is Pesach? Another story from Tanakh, a metaphor for political, spiritual and/or personal liberation, a sweet memory from the childhood family celebrations, a sacred and magical period when Eliyahu ha-Novi makes miracles? All of this, and much more! Pesach gives the possibility of infinite interpretation to Jewish writers and poets.
In this short but intensive session, we will read (in original and English translation) a few examples of such interpretations. We will start with the role of Jewish holidays in the works of Yiddish classics. From that introduction, we will proceed to texts of Yiddish modernist poets (Molodowsky, Korn, Manger, Heler) and see how they process the Pesach narrative.
The language of instruction is English. Speakers of Yiddish at any level, as well as non-speakers, are warmly welcomed.
With instructors Katerina Kuznetsova and Osian Evans Sharma.
The class precedes the big festival jam session, so stay for a drink and some klezmer!
Free event, donations gratefully accepted.
Oblomov
Lenaustraße 7, 12047 Berlin
Pesach in Yiddish Poetry
A Close-Reading Workshop
What is Pesach? Another story from Tanakh, a metaphor for political, spiritual and/or personal liberation, a sweet memory from the childhood family celebrations, a sacred and magical period when Eliyahu ha-Novi makes miracles? All of this, and much more! Pesach gives the possibility of infinite interpretation to Jewish writers and poets.
In this short but intensive session, we will read (in original and English translation) a few examples of such interpretations. We will start with the role of Jewish holidays in the works of Yiddish classics. From that introduction, we will proceed to texts of Yiddish modernist poets (Molodowsky, Korn, Manger, Heler) and see how they process the Pesach narrative.
The language of instruction is English. Speakers of Yiddish at any level, as well as non-speakers, are warmly welcomed.
With instructors Katerina Kuznetsova and Osian Evans Sharma.
The class precedes the big festival jam session, so stay for a drink and some klezmer!
Free event, donations gratefully accepted.
SATURDAY APRIL 27 | 18:30-22:00
Oblomov
Lenaustraße 7, 12047 Berlin
Neukölln Klezmer Session #105
A klezmer jam for all!
At this point, after more than 10 years and more than 100 meetings, the Neukölln Klezmer Sessions need no introduction. Join us at the roots of our festival and organization! Both Ilya Shneyveys and Emil Goldschmidt - two of the founders and original instigators of the Klezmer Sessions - will be on hand to help us remember the tunes!
Oblomov
Lenaustraße 7, 12047 Berlin
Neukölln Klezmer Session #105
A klezmer jam for all!
At this point, after more than 10 years and more than 100 meetings, the Neukölln Klezmer Sessions need no introduction. Join us at the roots of our festival and organization! Both Ilya Shneyveys and Emil Goldschmidt - two of the founders and original instigators of the Klezmer Sessions - will be on hand to help us remember the tunes!
SUNDAY APRIL 28 | 17:30
Meet outside of the Volksbühne Theater
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
"Visit Berlin's Yiddishland" Walking Tour
Join Jake Schneider as he takes you on a one-of-a-kind guided tour of Berlin's Scheunenviertel, where in the early 20th Century Yiddish speaking Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe helped create the most visible Jewish neighborhood in the city.
More information here.
Spots are limited and pre-registration at the link above is required!
Meet outside of the Volksbühne Theater
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
"Visit Berlin's Yiddishland" Walking Tour
Join Jake Schneider as he takes you on a one-of-a-kind guided tour of Berlin's Scheunenviertel, where in the early 20th Century Yiddish speaking Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe helped create the most visible Jewish neighborhood in the city.
More information here.
Spots are limited and pre-registration at the link above is required!
SUNDAY APRIL 28 | 20:00-01:30
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
"Shtetl Fest!" Finale Concert
with
Yuriy Gurzhy & the jUkrainians
Shtetl Berlin Festival Band w/dance leader Sayumi Yoshida
Eleanor Reissa
Forshpil Electric Duo
DJ Shney
We bring our festival weekend to a close with a wonderful party at Grüner Salon! Featuring three full bands plus a DJ and a very special guest star of the Yiddish stage and screen! Join us for a celebratory evening of beats, electronics, folk song, klezmer, shared stories, joyful spontaneous music making, and dancing!
Tickets 15/20/25 €, available here or at the door
co-presented by RomaTrial e.V.
Yuriy Gurzhy & the jUkrainians - Bringing together some of his favorite musical companions for an intense, thoughtful and yet most entertaining journey through his own heritage, Yuriy Gurzhy presents a reflection of his cultural roots, set in a contemporary soundscape of beats, folk song, witty lyrics, shared stories and joyful, spontaneous music making. This band makes you listen, enjoy, celebrate and dance the night away!
With Yuriy Gurzhy (vocals, guitar, tables), Katya Tasheva (vocals), Daria Fomina (flutes, vocals), and Christian Dawid (reeds, vocals).
Eleanor Reissa - Our great friend and one of our favorite people, Eleanor Reissa joins us for a mini-set of high-powered Yiddish song, backed up by our Shtetl Berlin Festival Band. Eleanor Reissa is a storyteller in English and Yiddish – her first language. Her memoir, The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey, sets out to discover the truth about her father, a slave in Auschwitz, as well as the truth about herself. She is a Tony Award-nominated theater director for Those Were the Days, and most recently stars in the German mini-series The Zweiflers, a Cannes’ finalist. And to top it all off, Eleanor’s powerful vocals and passionate collaborations have established her as a leading voice of Jewish song. Don’t miss this rare chance to see her up close in Berlin!
Forshpil Electric Duo - This is what traditional Jewish music sounds like in 2024! Forshpil re-energizes traditional Yiddish songs, Hassidic nigunim and klezmer tunes with modern rhythms, harmonies and instruments. Age-old songs of love and despair induce themselves with psychedelic rock, funk, jazz and other addictive substances. Deeply rooted in tradition, this unlikely fusion feels weirdly authentic. If Pink Floyd and The Doors had ever jammed together at a Jewish wedding it would have sounded like this!
With Sasha Lurje (vocals) and Ilya Shneyveys (keyboards, electronics)
Shtetl Berlin Festival Band - After backing up Eleanor for her set, the Shtetl Band closes the evening with a set of music for dancing. Join together for freylakhs, bulgars, zhoks, and community dancing, under the kind and playful leadership of Sayumi Yoshida, to keep the sweat and sweetness flowing.
With Christian Dawid (tuba), Daria Fomina (flutes), Emil Goldschmidt (clarinet), Craig Judelman (violin), Sanne Möricke (accordion), Ilya Shneyveys (drums), and Sayumi Yoshida (dance leader).
DJ Shney - Our very own DJ Shney - aka Ilya Shneyveys - brings the night to a close with a set of “Kleztronica”. Beats, samples, klezmer - it’s exactly what you think it is! Old recordings meet modern soundscapes for a late-night set of irresistable beats
Grüner Salon
Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin
"Shtetl Fest!" Finale Concert
with
Yuriy Gurzhy & the jUkrainians
Shtetl Berlin Festival Band w/dance leader Sayumi Yoshida
Eleanor Reissa
Forshpil Electric Duo
DJ Shney
We bring our festival weekend to a close with a wonderful party at Grüner Salon! Featuring three full bands plus a DJ and a very special guest star of the Yiddish stage and screen! Join us for a celebratory evening of beats, electronics, folk song, klezmer, shared stories, joyful spontaneous music making, and dancing!
Tickets 15/20/25 €, available here or at the door
co-presented by RomaTrial e.V.
Yuriy Gurzhy & the jUkrainians - Bringing together some of his favorite musical companions for an intense, thoughtful and yet most entertaining journey through his own heritage, Yuriy Gurzhy presents a reflection of his cultural roots, set in a contemporary soundscape of beats, folk song, witty lyrics, shared stories and joyful, spontaneous music making. This band makes you listen, enjoy, celebrate and dance the night away!
With Yuriy Gurzhy (vocals, guitar, tables), Katya Tasheva (vocals), Daria Fomina (flutes, vocals), and Christian Dawid (reeds, vocals).
Eleanor Reissa - Our great friend and one of our favorite people, Eleanor Reissa joins us for a mini-set of high-powered Yiddish song, backed up by our Shtetl Berlin Festival Band. Eleanor Reissa is a storyteller in English and Yiddish – her first language. Her memoir, The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey, sets out to discover the truth about her father, a slave in Auschwitz, as well as the truth about herself. She is a Tony Award-nominated theater director for Those Were the Days, and most recently stars in the German mini-series The Zweiflers, a Cannes’ finalist. And to top it all off, Eleanor’s powerful vocals and passionate collaborations have established her as a leading voice of Jewish song. Don’t miss this rare chance to see her up close in Berlin!
Forshpil Electric Duo - This is what traditional Jewish music sounds like in 2024! Forshpil re-energizes traditional Yiddish songs, Hassidic nigunim and klezmer tunes with modern rhythms, harmonies and instruments. Age-old songs of love and despair induce themselves with psychedelic rock, funk, jazz and other addictive substances. Deeply rooted in tradition, this unlikely fusion feels weirdly authentic. If Pink Floyd and The Doors had ever jammed together at a Jewish wedding it would have sounded like this!
With Sasha Lurje (vocals) and Ilya Shneyveys (keyboards, electronics)
Shtetl Berlin Festival Band - After backing up Eleanor for her set, the Shtetl Band closes the evening with a set of music for dancing. Join together for freylakhs, bulgars, zhoks, and community dancing, under the kind and playful leadership of Sayumi Yoshida, to keep the sweat and sweetness flowing.
With Christian Dawid (tuba), Daria Fomina (flutes), Emil Goldschmidt (clarinet), Craig Judelman (violin), Sanne Möricke (accordion), Ilya Shneyveys (drums), and Sayumi Yoshida (dance leader).
DJ Shney - Our very own DJ Shney - aka Ilya Shneyveys - brings the night to a close with a set of “Kleztronica”. Beats, samples, klezmer - it’s exactly what you think it is! Old recordings meet modern soundscapes for a late-night set of irresistable beats
WHEN |
WHAT |
WHERE |
WED Apr. 24 19:00-23:00 |
Third Seder Zingeray Open the festival with an evening of singing and community, celebrating the social justice themes of Peysakh |
|
THU Apr. 25 19:00-22:00 |
Prachtwerk Ganghoferstr. 2, 12043 Berlin |
|
FRI Apr. 26 17:00 |
Shmues un Vayn Red a bisl mame-loshn! |
|
FRI Apr. 26 19:00-23:00 |
Shabes in Shtetl An evening of community, sharing songs and poems, and honoring the tradition of gathering on the sabbath to lift ourselves up with music and friends |
|
SAT Apr. 27 12:00-17:00 |
||
SAT Apr. 27 17:00-18:15 |
||
SAT Apr. 27 18:30-22:00 |
Oblomov Lenaustr. 7, 12047 Berlin |
|
SUN Apr. 28 12:00-17:00 |
||
SUN Apr 28 17:30 |
outside Volksbühne Theater/ Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz |
|
SUN Apr. 28 20:00-01:30 |
"Shtetl Fest" Finale Concert Dance to the heavy grooves of some of the finest musicians in the international Yiddish music scene! |