Yiddish Songs at an Exhibition: Musical Expression of the Paintings of Mayer Kirshenblatt, with Sharon Bernstein

Click here to register for this free in-person program co-presented by Workers Circle / Arbeter Ring of Northern California, the Jewish Folk Chorus of San Francisco, and KlezCalifornia. The Library is located at 1835 Ellis Street in San Francisco, with free garage parking at 1227 Pierce Street between Ellis and Eddy.  

Sharon Bernstein will offer a unique multi-media performance set to paintings by self-taught Toronto artist Mayer Kirshenblatt (1915-2009). Kirshenblatt’s vibrant portraits and stories of his home town Apt, Poland before the Holocaust inspire a rich blend of traditional song and contemporary sound. Images of the paintings connected with the songs complete this experience that recreates the sights and sounds of a Jewish Polish town. Inspired by and presented in conjunction with the book and exhibition They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memories of Jewish Life in Poland Before the Holocaust by Mayer Kirshenblatt and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett.

Sharon Bernstein is a singer, pianist, composer, and cantor, exploring resonances between text and music, tradition and innovation. Her work is built on rhythms, melodies, and harmonies from across the Jewish spectrum, including Yiddish songs, Hasidic niggunim, Italian Jewish musical traditions, and original compositions and arrangements. She recently published the book and CD healing journey Under the Wings of Rafa’el, and she serves as the cantor for Congregation Sha’ar Zahav.