The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance - Ilya Shneyveys and Sarah Myerson
Schedule
Sun Feb 22 2026 at 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
Congregation Netivot Shalom | Berkeley, CA
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Join us on Sunday, 2/22 from 2-5pm with Ilya Shneyveys and Cantor Sarah Myerson! They will teach song and dance in our series Joy of Jewish Music and Dance at Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave, Berkeley. --> Reserve your tickets in advance: https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-022226/
During the first 2 hours we’ll have concurrent Klezmer music and Yiddish dance workshops to choose from, all levels welcome. Bring your instruments, or just bring yourself. Each workshop will teach several fundamentals.
Then participants will have a short break for snacks, and come back together to share what they’ve learned, and dance and play together.
//////////////////////// Artist Bios ///////////////////
Ilya Shneyveys and Cantor Sarah Myerson are a dynamic duo in the Yiddish scene, captivating audiences, inspiring students, and energizing communities around the world. Together, they present a program that bridges the gap between secular and liturgical, with bold and fresh interpretations of traditional Yiddish culture. Their performances, with repertoire ranging from klezmer and Yiddish songs to liturgical music, showcase a deep knowledge of tradition while fearlessly expanding it with new, creative expressions. With impressive proficiency on over 30 instruments between them, and decades of experience as performers, educators, and community organizers, they effortlessly navigate the diverse realms of Yiddishkayt.
Their work includes a wide variety of duo projects, such as Electric Rose (a lo-fi tribute to Rose Cohen) and Shekedina (an exploration of Jewish spiritual chanting). They are founding members of the Brooklyn Klezmer Trio, and frequent collaborators with renowned klezmer, balkan and world music artists. In addition to these projects, Sarah Myerson's original Yiddish songs and liturgical settings, along with Ilya Shneyveys' klezmer compositions and arrangements, highlight their ability to combine past and present, traditional and contemporary. They also incorporate communal dance into their performances, creating an inclusive, interactive experience that builds connection amongst audiences. Rooted in tradition, yet unafraid to innovate, Ilya and Sarah's energetic approach to Yiddish culture reflects their passion for both preserving and evolving this rich heritage.
Sarah Myerson is an ordained cantor actively working to connect egalitarian Jewish religious with secular/cultural Yiddish communities. She serves as the Kol Bo Spiritual Leader of Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Sarah is proficient in Yiddish, and a master of traditional Yiddish singing. She teaches Yiddish song workshops and Yiddish dance workshops in person worldwide, hybrid, and fully remotely online. Sarah leads Yiddish dance at weddings and other events, and performs as a multi-instrumentalist in a variety of musical settings. She also works in related folk music and dance worlds (eg Balkan). She writes and performs original compositions, and is a recipient of the Arthur Einstein Memorial Prize in Composition, the Robison Memorial Prize for academic achievement, and the Richard W. Briskin award. Cantor Myerson has a Master of Sacred Music and Diploma of Hazzan from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and a Bachelor of Music (Composition Honors) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her album Electric Rose: The Rose Cohen Experience is out now! www.cantorsarahmyerson.com
Originally from Riga, Latvia, now based in Brooklyn, NY, Ilya Shneyveys is a accordionist and multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer, arranger, and producer of Yiddish music. With expertise spanning from traditional klezmer accordion to experimental and fusion projects, Ilya performs and teaches at Jewish festivals around the world, in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to your local synagogue catering hall. Ilya is a founding member of Berlin’s Neukölln Klezmer Sessions and Shtetl Berlin, and a long-time faculty member of Yiddish Summer Weimar. His notable projects and collaborations include Forshpil, Alpen Klezmer, KaraYam, Caravan Orchestra, Dobranotch, Shekedina, Black Rooster Kapelye, Michael Winograd and The Klezmatics. Ilya has received multiple awards for his work, including the 2014 RUTH World Music Award at TFF Rudolstadt, the 2017 Shimon-Peres-Prize, and the Eiserne Eversteiner Preis in 2017. https://ilya.shneyveys.com/
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Where is it happening?
Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702-1711, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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