
Upshtat Zingerai in Performance
About the Event:
Chicago-based klezmer band Upshtat Zingerai has emerged over the last several years as a central force in the continuity and evolution of klezmer music and Yiddish dance — the traditional music and folk dance of Eastern European Jews — in Chicago. Join us as Upshtat Zingerai performs soulful klezmer melodies that have traveled where Eastern European Jews have lived over time, infusing additional cultural music traditions and stories that ensemble members have collected along the way. Experience the joy, connection, and resilience created through this rich cultural tradition, giving us a window into Jewish cultural history and diasporic living traditions.
Dancing will be led by Judy Sweet; no prior dance experience is necessary to join in this celebratory fun.
Join us before the event as The Jewish Museum of Chicago sells a variety of art from community members. A cash bar will be available.
Ethan Aronson - octave mandolin
Emma Blau - trombone
Hannah Mira Friedland - fiddle
Jonah Lazarus - percussion
Max Lazarus - alto saxophone, woodwinds
Qi Yang - accordion
Judy Sweet - dance leader
- Please visit our FAQ for more information.

Upshtat Zingerai
Chicago-based band Upshtat Zingerai performs electrifying klezmer music for weddings and simkhes (joyous occasions), facilitates Y...

Ethan Aronson
Ethan Aronson (he/they) is a Chicago-based klezmer musician, Jewish prayer leader, mandolinist, and community organizer. He has le...

Emma Blau
Emma Blau, ”Tromblau", is a Chicago-based trombonist, composer, DJ and Jewish Educator born and raised in New York City. She ...

Hannah Mira Friedland
Hannah Mira Friedland is a fiddler, violist, Yiddish dance leader, and cultural worker in Chicago. Raised in a family of musicians...

Jonah Lazarus
Jonah Lazarus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator, from Oak Park, IL. Coming from a family of Jewish artists, social...

Max Lazarus
Max Lazarus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, sound engineer, and educator based in Chicago, IL. He stays busy perfo...

Qi Yang
Having grown up in the classical and church music tradition on piano, Qi Yang eventually stumbled upon banjo and accordion. He is ...

Judy Sweet
An accordionist, dancer, educator, and interdisciplinary community arts leader, Judy Sweet has been immersed in Yiddish dance ...




