Calling Klezmer Musicians and the Klez-Kurious! KlezWest is Hosting Monthly KlezJams in Vancouver
Our monthly klezmer jam is open to klezmer beginners, intermediate, and advanced klezmer players. All klezmer instruments and musicians are welcome to join!
So What is Klezmer Music, Actually?
We may think of Klezmer music as the wedding music of Eastern European Jews, which it is. But Klezmer music is not really one genre of music. It started as a collection of genres that Ashkenazic Jews picked up along their migrations from Germany to Poland, to Ottoman Borderlands and then to America, and performed according to their own tastes.
When we play klezmer or dance to it, we can find a deep, rich, and diverse folk culture which contains all of these elements it picked up along the way: a Polish krakowiak, a Romanian hora, an instrumental take on a Sabbath melody. Today, most of our knowledge of klezmer music comes from New York in the early-to-mid 20th century, when thousands of immigrant Jewish musicians arrived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and found a dynamic new Jewish society eager to hear sounds of the old world.
A century later, there is another layer of nostalgia to this music. The world it came from is gone, and so are the people who remembered it. But since the Klezmer Revival of the late 1970s, there have now been several generations of rediscovery and reinvention, with a thriving cultural world and musicians who have returned to playing this music and making it their own. Contemporary klezmer bands blend influences from jazz and punk to cantorial music and musical theatre. At KlezWest, we are a part of this wider international scene of people learning, playing and dancing this music.
Join Our Monthly Klezmer Jams
KlezWest is an informal group of musicians, dancers, Yiddish speakers and friends who love to explore, play and dance to Klezmer music. We meet monthly to learn songs together, practice different kinds of Yiddish dance, and connect.
KlezWest Jam at the Peretz Centre (2025/26) KlezWest Jam 2025/26, Peretz Centre KlezWest performing at Peretz Peacenik Khanike Party (December 12, 2025, Peretz Centre) KlezWest Jam & Yiddish Folk Dancing (Summer 2025, Peretz Centre)
Started in 2022 by David Kauffman, the klezjam is a unique space where seasoned musicians and players of different instruments, as well as newcomers to the klezmer tradition, can immerse ourselves in Jewish folk music. We learn tuned from different eras, regions, and styles like bulgars, freylekhs, and horas, and create new culture together.
Each jam involves learning a tune by ear and reviewing the ones from previous months. Together, we build a repertoire of music that most people can play without the need to reference sheet music. We’re also trying out some new things starting fall 2026:
For the first half-hour, we learn/review tunes by ear, which is a great time for beginners to join and get in the rhythm with us.
Each month, we’ll choose a tune from the Klezmer Playbook 2 to learn. This book is a great resource because it contains 50 traditional tunes, respectfully transcribed from historical sources and carefully arranged for six different instruments (with editions for each). Plus, there are professionally-recorded playalongs for digital download to help musicians get a sense for the music. (Copies available to borrow, with the option to put in another order together this year).
Yiddish dancing will be scheduled for the last half hour of some of our jams (approximately every other month), helping members gain experience playing for dancers and becoming better accompanists!
We will always have a break with coffee, tea, and snacks for shmoozing (don’t worry).
Playing Music for Yiddish Folk Dancing
One of the unique features of klezmer music is its deep connection to the tradition of Yiddish dance, which is the quintessential part of every simkhe (celebration). Learning to play for dancers and attune to their movements is an incredible way to develop your musical skills.
Yiddish folk dancing workshop with Maia Brown (February 22, 2026, Peretz Centre) Yiddish Folk Dancing at Peretz Peacenik Khanike Party (December 12, 2025, Peretz Centre) Yiddish Folk Dancing (Yiddish in Motion workshop with Emily Glass), Summer 2025 at the Peretz Centre KlezWest performing for dancers at Peretz Pnei Mitzvah Graduation (June 6, 2026, Peretz Centre)
Alongside opportunities to learn to accompany dancers during some of the jams, KlezWest members will also have the chance to perform at events throughout the year. In the last year or so, KlezWest members have accompanied communal celebrations and programs such as Yiddish in Motion dance class and tantzhoyz, the 2025 Peacenik Khanike party, the 2026 Pnei Mitzvah graduation, and the Peretz Centre's 80th anniversary gala.
The next event will be the Peretz Khanike (Hanukkah) party on Saturday, November 28th – so make sure to join the next jam on Sunday, November 8th, plus any extra rehearsals we will schedule to prepare!
An Inclusive Community for All Musicians
Klezmer is a folk music genre (loosely defined), associated with everyday people and self-taught musicians rather than prestigious conservatories. Klezmorim have been roaming musicians, entertainers, migrants, circus and theatre performers, and outcasts. In that tradition, we welcome all musicians and instruments to join our group.
I feel welcomed at KlezJams! The openness to all levels and having masterclasses with visiting musicians expands my abilities and my sense of community. – Elana (2026)
To learn more about klezmer music, you can check out some of the resources we’ve shared on the KlezWest page, or get in touch at klezwest@peretz-centre.org
KlezJams take place on the second Sunday of the month for most of the year! New members are enthusiastically welcomed to sign up for the next jam (by donation, no minimum).
Comments