Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival
Sunday, December 7
The second edition of the Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival celebrates Ashkenazi art, music, dance, and food through a series of workshops, discussions, concerts, and more. The centerpiece concert at Beth El Phoenix features guest artists Jordan Wax and Miryam Coppersmith with the Phoenix-based Little Chef Klezmer Band.
Festival programs engage Phoenix community members of all ages and backgrounds.
The festival is committed to accessibility, with programming offered free of charge with an optional donation.
Please see below for program and registration details.
Lunchtime Concert for Kids & Families
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Jordan Wax presents a concert of bilingual Yiddish/ English songs for kids and families, including selections from his forthcoming full-length studio album of original contemporary Yiddish music for kids and families: Pantakozak and Other New Yiddish Songs for Kids.
Interactive Klezmer Instruments Display
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
See, hear, and play klezmer instruments from the Musical Instrument Museum collection.
Ashkenazi Treats
from Samz Sweetz
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Dance Workshop w/ Miryam Coppersmith
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
Join dance leader Miryam Coppersmith to learn about the history of “dancing Jewish" and explore the different rhythms and dances of Eastern Europe. Dancers of all ages and backgrounds will get to experience unique rhythmic improvisation, characteristic gestures and shapes, and the communal nature of Yiddish dance.
Festival
Zingeray
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Miryam Coppersmith and Jordan Wax lead a Yiddish Zingeray (singalong). Whether learning this music for the first time or recalling old favorites, participants will come together ini to share in the beauty of Yiddish songs. Yiddish / singing experience not required.
The Mirror of Jewish Life: The History and Humor of Yiddish
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Yiddish has been interwoven into Ashkenazi Jewish life for centuries. University of Arizona Professor Dr. Gil Ribak will provide an overview of the history and structure of the Yiddish, discuss the interplay between Yiddish and the rabbinic canon, and provide examples of its inherent humor and wit.
Festival Centerpiece Concert
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
2025 Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival concert featuring musical performances by Jordan Wax and the Little Chef Klezmer Band with special guests, and dancing led by Miryam Coppersmith. Dancing is encouraged but not required!
Tickets & Sponsorships
Featured Artists
Max Schwimmer
Artistic Director
Max Schwimmer is a classically-trained saxophonist, leader of the Little Chef Klezmer Band, and faculty member at Paradise Valley Community College where he founded the PVCC Klezmer Ensemble. He led the first iteration of this festival in 2024 and earlier that year organized a multi-day artist residency showcasing recently-discovered Ukrainian klezmer manuscripts with guest artist Christina Crowder. Max was awarded a 2024 Artist Opportunity Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts grant to study Eastern European and Balkan saxophone styles.
Miryam Coppersmith
Dance Leader
Miryam Coppersmith, a Philadelphia-based performance artist and dance leader trained under Yiddish Dance Master Steve Weintraub, will direct the festival's dance programming. Coppersmith will teach workshops and lead the dance component of the main concert, creating an inclusive environment for participants of all experience levels.
Little Chef Klezmer Band
Resident Ensemble
LCKB is Phoenix's premiere professional Yiddish music ensemble. In January of 2024, LCKB performed in a multi-day artist residency with accordionist Christina Crowder, showcasing recently-discovered klezmer manuscripts from Ukraine, culminating in a concert at Beth El Phoenix. The project was supported by the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, ASU Jewish Studies, and the East Valley JCC, and was featured in the Phoenix Jewish News. Little Chef Klezmer Band has performed throughout the Southwest US, including in El Paso, TX and at Albuquerque’s Klezmerquerque festival in a guest appearance with Jordan Wax.
Jordan Wax
Guest Musical Artist
Jordan Wax is a New Mexico-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer. His debut album, The Heart Deciphers, blends klezmer/lautari sounds from Moldova with American Southwest rock aesthetics. Wax creates bilingual children's programming that helps families establish positive contexts around linguistic diversity, including his upcoming release Pantakozak and Other New Yiddish Songs for Kids.