EVENTS
Latin-Jewish Film Festival 2026
EVENT 1 | APRIL 23 · SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
In partnership with CSUN — Presented at California State University, Northridge - Armer Theatre
An Evening with Ruth Behar: Adio Kerida Screening, Q&A & Book Signing
We open the 2026 festival with one of the most beloved works in Latin-Jewish cinema.
Adio Kerida (Goodbye Dear Love) is a deeply personal documentary by acclaimed filmmaker, anthropologist, and MacArthur Fellow Ruth Behar — a search for identity and history among Sephardic Jews with roots in Cuba. Intimate interviews with Sephardic Jews in Cuba and Cuban Miami, woven together with family stories and probing footage of dilapidated Jewish cemeteries and new Judaic rituals in Cuba, create a filmic memoir that offers a uniquely poetic and humanistic anthropological vision.
Following the screening, Ruth Behar will join us in person for a moderated Q&A — a rare opportunity to hear directly from the filmmaker about the making of this intimate and celebrated work, and what it means to hold two homelands in your heart.
The evening concludes with a book signing of Behar's Across So Many Seas, her luminous memoir tracing a Sephardic Jewish family's journey from the Ottoman Empire to Cuba to the United States — a story of belonging, loss, and identity across centuries. (Books available for purchase for $10)
Co-Presented with CSUN
This event is made possible through a partnership with:
NuRoots, the young adult initiative of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles
CSUN College of Arts, Media, and Communication — Entertainment Industry Institute, bringing the story of Latin-Jewish cinema into conversation with the next generation of film industry leaders
CSUN Alumni Association, connecting the festival to a community of Angelenos who call the Valley home
CSUN Jewish Studies Program, grounding the evening in academic dialogue about history, memory, and cultural identity
Kultur Mercado, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridge-building, cultural exploration, and fostering stronger civil societies
Evening Schedule
6:30 PM — Doors Open & Open House
7:00 PM — Welcome Remarks & Screening: Adio Kerida
8:30 PM — Moderated Q&A with Ruth Behar
9:00 PM — Reception & Book Signing
9:30 PM — Close
📍 California State University, Northridge | Register to Reserve your spot
Esperanto: The Other Jewish Language
Invented by L.L. Zamenhof, a Yiddish-speaking Jew, in 1887, Esperanto was envisioned as a neutral, international second language for all, a linguistic answer to the Jewish Question, and a chance at world peace.
Placing an internationalist reading of Yiddish cultural history beside a Jewish look at the history of Esperanto, this lecture will argue that la lingvo internacia has been intimately shaped by the contours of Jewish history writ large.
The talk will also take a look at the quixotic world of contemporary Esperanto culture and what its examination might bring to a better understanding of other language-by-choice communities.
Event Details
📅 Monday, April 20
🕖 6:30 - 8:30 PM PT
🍽 Dinner provided
👥 All are welcome.
Feel free to invite friends with this link: https://bit.ly/41bykNP
This gathering is co-sponsored and hosted by Kultur Mercado, Der Nister, and SoCal Arbeter Ring/Workers Circle.
Yiddish Dance Class
Note: This event is being supported and promoted by Kultur Mercado with our friends Jewish Movement Collective
We're back with some new sweet moves to celebrate Spring’s arrival!
This month we're learning Yiddish Dance with the extraordinarily talented musician and dancer Ethan Kahn. Accompanied by live klezmer, you’ll learn to dance a variety of traditional Yiddish dances with a revival twist. Ethan is not only a Yiddishist and Klezmer fiddler who has been in the LA Yiddish scene for years, he's a skilled teacher who brings his immense joy and artistry to the traditional folk dance while welcoming newcomers into the fold.
No dance experience needed — just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!
w/ Jewish Movement Collective @ The Worker's Circle LA
In a nutshell:
✨ Spirited klezmer tunes
✨ Simple, joyful guided dancing
✨ A room full of connection and delight
RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4cpajci
Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and maybe a friend! Accessibility modifications will be available for anyone who needs them.
The American Question screening
Join us for an evening of film, food, and meaningful conversation.
We’ll screen the documentary The American Question with a shared dinner and a facilitated discussion exploring what it means to live together in a divided time.
Event Details
📅 April 8 🕖 7:00–9:00 PM PT
🍽 Dinner provided
🎥 Film screening + guided discussion
👥 All are welcome.
Feel free to invite friends with this link: https://bit.ly/4c7MTIV
This gathering is co-sponsored and hosted by Kultur Mercado, America's Future, and SoCal Arbeter Ring/Workers Circle as part of the broader National Week of Conversation, hosted in part by Listen First Coalition.
Whether you’re feeling hopeful, frustrated, curious, or unsure about the state of our civic life, this space is for you. Come watch, eat, listen, and share, and be part of a community-centered conversation that makes room for complexity, humanity, and connection. Come as you are.
Leave with new perspectives — and maybe a few new connections, too.
LA Yiddish Day 2025
Join us for LA Yiddish Day 2025!
Kultur Mercado, in partnership with the Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center, Holocaust Museum LA, Der Nister, Sholem Community, HUC-Jewish Language Project, and the California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language (CIYCL), is proud to announce our inaugural LA Yiddish Day, taking place Sunday, November 23, 2025 in Los Angeles.
This day-long celebration will bring together Yiddishists, cultural enthusiasts, educators, students, and the wider Jewish community for lectures, workshops, performances, and community-building centered on the Yiddish language and its enduring legacy.
Programming will feature sessions for both beginners and advanced speakers, cultural events highlighting Yiddish music and literature, and special presentations to connect audiences with the lived experience of the Holocaust through survivor testimony. LA Yiddish Day aims to reignite Yiddish cultural life in Los Angeles by catering to all levels of interest and creating a platform for intergenerational learning and exchange.
Linguistic, Culinary, and Historical Walking Tour of Pico-Robertson
Join us for a fascinating journey through one of Los Angeles’ most vibrant and storied neighborhoods on the Jewish Linguistic and Culinary Walking Tour of Pico-Robertson. Guided by Aaron Castillo-White (Kultur Mercado) Alan Niku (HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project), this unique event invites you to explore the rich tapestry of Jewish life, language, and cuisine that has flourished in Pico-Robertson.
This walking tour will emphasize the incredible linguistic and culinary diversity that has long defined Pico-Robertson as a stronghold of Jewish culture and experience. From the Yiddish-speaking immigrants of Eastern Europe to Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jews and, more recently, speakers of Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Median, Persian, and other languages from the Jewish communities of the Middle East and beyond, Pico-Robertson is a living mosaic of Jewish diasporic influences.
As we walk through the neighborhood, you'll discover how each successive wave of Jewish immigrants has left its mark on the area, shaping its cultural landscape and culinary offerings. Expect to taste a range of traditional foods, learn about the languages that have been spoken in these streets, and hear stories of resilience and adaptation that have kept Jewish culture thriving in Los Angeles.
Whether you are a local or a visitor, this tour offers a rare opportunity to experience the flavors, sounds, and history of Jewish Los Angeles in an intimate and engaging way. Don’t miss this chance to deepen your connection to the Jewish heritage that continues to shape our city.
The Jews of Edirne: The End of Ottoman Europe and the Arrival of Borders
Join us on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 4:00 PM PT for a special conversation with historian and author Professor Jacob Daniels, exploring the shifting world of the Jews of Edirne—a community at the crossroads of empire, culture, and identity.
A Tour of Jewish LA (external event with Qesher)
A Historic Tour of Jewish Los Angeles: From Alta California to the Continuing Allure of Hollywood
Aaron Castillo-White - The history of Los Angeles is deeply intertwined with its Jewish community. Since the city's first census in 1850, Jewish residents have shaped its growth, founding major institutions such as the University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, and Hollywood studios. Their influence extends from early cable cars to the development of Santa Monica, Boyle Heights, and other areas. The story of Jewish Los Angeles is complex. It is the story of the Jewish diaspora, of overcoming adversity, and—above all—of building the second-largest Jewish community in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world.
¡Ya Basta! Screening
This documentary immerses viewers in the ongoing struggle of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. Combining on-the-ground footage, testimony from Indigenous activists, and analysis of global economic forces, it highlights the movement’s fight for land, dignity, and autonomy against neoliberal exploitation. The film explores how the Zapatistas organize through collective governance, education, and cultural expression while inspiring solidarity movements worldwide.
Both a political history and a meditation on resistance, ¡Ya Basta! shows how a marginalized community reshaped global conversations about justice, sovereignty, and the possibility of building a new world from below.
Spontaneous (Dis)Order: Enlightenment Thinking on Anarchist Thought
August 2025 VRG: Spontaneous (Dis)Order: Enlightenment Thinking on Anarchist Thought
with Aaron White
Wednesdays August 6, 13, 20, and 2025, 12:00-1:00 pm EDT
The Enlightenment is often hailed as the age of reason, where the foundations of modern political, social, and economic thought were laid. Key thinkers like John Locke, David Hume, and Adam Smith helped shape the discourse on natural law, human nature, property, and the role of government in civil society. Their ideas continue to influence much of Western political thought.
However, the threads of their philosophies also gave rise to more radical critiques of power, hierarchy, and the state—ideas that later anarchist thinkers such as Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Benjamin Tucker, Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin, and Max Stirner would engage with and reinterpret.
Spontaneous (Dis)Order: Enlightenment Thinkers on Anarchist Thought, is designed to explore the intellectual lineage from Enlightenment thought to the development of modern anarchism. Through a combination of foundational readings from Locke, Hume, and Smith, and later writings by anarchist philosophers, we will investigate how seemingly disparate ideas about order, property, and government evolved into critiques of authority, state power, and coercion. Anarchism’s emphasis on decentralization, mutual aid, and voluntary cooperation will be examined in the context of the Enlightenment’s rational and humanistic ideals.
This VRG is an opportunity to examine anarchist theory not as a standalone radical philosophy, but as a natural evolution—and critique—of the Enlightenment’s ideas of liberty, justice, and the human capacity for self-organization. Join us as we trace the intellectual connections that weave through centuries of thought on power, freedom, and human potential.
Click here for more information.
Dybbuks, Demons, and Mediums in Early Twentieth-Century Jewish Warsaw with Professor Sam Glauber
Step into the shadows of prewar Jewish Warsaw, where mysticism, modernity, and the supernatural collided.
Join us for an evening with Professor Samuel Glauber, a leading scholar of Jewish mysticism and modern Polish-Jewish history, as he explores a little-known world where séances, spirit possession, and folklore were not just entertainment — they were windows into deeper anxieties, spiritual resistance, and cultural identity.
From terrifying dybbuk possessions to real-life mediums channeling lost souls, and the surprising role of demonology in Jewish urban life, Professor Glauber will guide us through a time when belief in the otherworldly offered both psychological refuge and political subversion.
Discover how Jewish mysticism took on new meanings in an era of social upheaval, migration, and emerging secularism, all set against the backdrop of one of pre-War Europe’s most vibrant Jewish cities.
Thanks to our co-sponsors: Der Nister and the Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center.
This is part of our running Yiddish witchcraft, mysticism, and the occult series.
Jordan Wax LIVE IN CONCERT!
Live in Los Angeles! Join us as we enjoy an evening with Jordan Wax, who will be playing music from his debut album, The Heart Deciphers, and from across his repertoire of genre-blending music connecting people across language, culture, and time.
This event is not to be missed.
This event is being sponsored by Kultur Mercado and the Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center
Proceeds from this event will go to Yiddish language and cultural programming across Southern California.
We are offering student discounts. If you are a student and would like a discount code, please email: info@kultumercado.org.
Jordan Wax presents Yiddish Jeopardy + Participatory Language
Join Jordan Wax for an informal gathering that will provide a chance to be together in a multi-level, Yiddish-positive space to practice language use at any level. Jordan will provide some warm-up material, and then we'll get into a riveting game of Yiddish Jeopardy.
This event is open to all levels of knowledge and interest in Yiddish language and culture.
We are offering student discounts. If you are a student and would like a discount code, please email: info@kultumercado.org.
Chaia debut of Yiddish-Electronic in LA
Join us for an electrifying night as Chaia takes the stage with her genre-defying debut album, Yiddish Electronic! Blending traditional Ashkenazi sounds with pulsating electronic beats, Kleztronica is a sonic journey across time, threading personal narratives and familiar songs with new beats.
The evening kicks off at 7:00 PM with a dynamic set of special guests:
Shiri Goldsmith brings the fidl to life,
Janice Mautner Markham leads traditional Yiddish dance, and
Zach Golden stirs the soul with improvised folk cantorial music.
Presented by Der Nister, Kultur Mercado, and Havurah, this one-of-a-kind show invites you to move, listen, and reconnect through a night of good people and great dancing.
Heritage Words Taping w/ Sarah Aroeste
Join us for a live taping of the Heritage Words podcast, featuring special guest, Ladino singer Sarah Aroeste. Heritage Words host Sarah Bunin Benor will interview Aroeste about her family history, how she developed an interest in Ladino, and the heritage words she inherited and continues to use. Aroeste will share and teach some songs, and there will be time for questions from the audience.
Sponsored by the HUC Jewish Language Project, cosponsored by Kultur Mercado, ucLADINO, Bechol Lashon, American Sephardi Federation, and American Ladino League.
No charge, but donations are appreciated. Free parking will be available.
A Taytsh Manifesto - Book Talk
Join Kultur Mercado, Der Nister, and the Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center for a special evening with Professor Saul Noam Zaritt, who will present and discuss his latest work, A Taytsh Manifesto.
Better Together Film Festival
An evening of community, conversation, and cinema at the Better Together Film Festival. This year's featured film is All God's Children (2024), a powerful and intimate documentary exploring the lives of interfaith families navigating identity, tradition, and belonging in contemporary America.
Seed of Doubt - Screening & Discussion
What terrors hide between the words of an old Yiddish prayer? How do doubt and fear take root—and what happens when they grow?
Join us on Sunday, April 9th, 2025, for a special virtual screening of Seed of Doubt (2024), the haunting new Yiddish-language horror film from director Daniel Daniel. Blurring the lines between folklore and modern anxieties, Seed of Doubt digs deep into the shadows of Jewish ritual life, where ancient superstitions and contemporary fears intertwine.
Life in 4D
How do the institutions around us—like family, community, markets, and government—interact to create the world we experience every day? What happens when one dominates at the expense of the others? And how can we rebuild balance in a world that often feels out of sync?
Join us for "Life in 4D" with Professor Lauren Hall, a dynamic exploration of how these four key dimensions work together to shape our personal freedoms, relationships, and futures. Drawing from her groundbreaking work on polycentric governance, care, and social order, Professor Hall will guide us through the ways healthy societies flourish—and what goes wrong when they don’t.
Songs of the Priestess
A rare opportunity to hear Yiddish poems in their original language followed by translation.
Come engage with the poetry, share your ideas on meaning and interpretation, and bring a poem if you' have one you’d like to share. It can be an original or one that inspires you.
Citizen Nawi Screening
Join Kultur Mercado and New Israel Fund’s NIF NewGen for an engaging evening as we screen “Citizen Nawi” (2007), a powerful documentary that tells the story of Ezra Nawi, a queer Mizrahi Israeli peace activist working with Palestinian communities in the South Hebron Hills.
Jewish Linguistic and Culinary Walking Tour of Pico-Robertson
Join us for a fascinating journey through one of Los Angeles’ most vibrant and storied neighborhoods on the Jewish Linguistic and Culinary Walking Tour of Pico-Robertson. Guided by Alan Niku (HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project) and Aaron Castillo-White (Kultur Mercado), this unique event invites you to explore the rich tapestry of Jewish life, language, and cuisine that has flourished in Pico-Robertson.
This walking tour will emphasize the incredible linguistic and culinary diversity that has long defined Pico-Robertson as a stronghold of Jewish culture and experience. From the Yiddish-speaking immigrants of Eastern Europe to Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jews and, more recently, speakers of Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Median, Farsi, and other languages from the Jewish communities of the Middle East and beyond, Pico-Robertson is a living mosaic of Jewish diasporic influences.
As we walk through the neighborhood, you'll discover how each successive wave of Jewish immigrants has left its mark on the area, shaping its cultural landscape and culinary offerings. Expect to taste a range of traditional foods, learn about the languages that have been spoken in these streets, and hear stories of resilience and adaptation that have kept Jewish culture thriving in Los Angeles.
Whether you are a local or a visitor, this tour offers a rare opportunity to experience the flavors, sounds, and history of Jewish Los Angeles in an intimate and engaging way. Don’t miss this chance to deepen your connection to the Jewish heritage that continues to shape our city.
When the Catskills Spoke Yiddish
The Catskills made a big impression on readers of “The Forverts,” the Jewish immigrant community’s Yiddish paper of record. Each summer, subscribers jammed the newspaper’s switchboards to ensure their beloved daily was delivered to their Borscht Belt boarding houses, bungalow colonies, and resorts. Loaded with classified ads for Catskills farmland, boarding houses, hotels, and even Yiddish summer camps, ‘Forverts’ readers and writers found a home in the Borscht Belt for well over a century. Join archivist Chana Pollack on a journey through the historic Forward archives, hear some of what they reported on the Catskills, and see what the tumult was all about.
Kleztronica w/ Chaia
Kleztronica, a place where archival samples of klezmer and Yiddish music combine with racing electronic grooves.
In this night of dance and song, we trace Yiddish radical history and culture, tied together by electronic frenzy.
Come sing in Yiddish, dance Yiddish dances, learn about klezmer history, and meet new and old faces!
This event is all ages and open to anyone.
International Day of Democracy Breakfast
Join your friends at AF-California for a bagel brunch celebrating the International Day of Democracy!
As we enjoy a spread of locally-made bagels, spreads, and juices, we'll hear from featured speaker Rabbi Zach Golden and dive into conversations about the challenges and opportunities that face today's democratic societies.
More speakers will be announced soon.
Whether you're a seasoned activist or someone curious about the future of democracy, this event promises to be insightful and inspiring. Come with an open mind, a healthy appetite, and a passion for building a brighter, more democratic future for all.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Good Fire, Bad Fire: Climate Resilience and the American West
Join us for an insightful virtual discussion on the critical issue of land use management in the American West, focusing on improving public lands and mitigating the increasingly disastrous wildfires that threaten these landscapes. This conversation will bring together experts in the field to discuss innovative approaches and practical solutions for enhancing climate resilience around today's burning issues.
Our distinguished panel includes Madison Yablonski from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), who will share her expertise on market-based solutions to environmental challenges. She will be joined by Sarah Jensen from the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), known for her work in promoting market-based environmentalism, and Aaron Castillo-White from America's Future [AF], who has extensive experience in climate and land management policy across three continents.
This event will delve into the complexities of land use in the context of climate change, addressing how strategic management can protect public lands and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Topics will include the role of public and private partnerships, the importance of economic incentives in conservation, and the future of land stewardship in a changing climate
Whether you're a policymaker, environmental advocate, or simply concerned about the future of the American West, this conversation promises to provide valuable insights and actionable ideas for fostering a more resilient landscape.
Don't miss this opportunity to engage with developing leaders in the field and contribute to the discussion on how to better manage our land for a safer, more sustainable future.
Good Fire, Bad Fire Screening
Join us for a screening of Good Fire, Bad Fire by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC).
This thought-provoking film explores the complex relationship between wildfires and the natural environment, shedding light on wildfire and its beneficial and destructive aspects in the American West.
Following the screening, we'll host a networking session to connect with fellow attendees, including environmental activists, community leaders, and others interested in wildfire management and climate action. Engage in meaningful conversation, exchange ideas, and explore collaborative opportunities to address California's wildfire challenges.
Don't miss this chance to learn, connect, and make a difference in the fight against destructive wildfires while understanding the role of good fire in maintaining ecological balance.
Food and drink will be provided.
RSVP HERE
Night of the Murdered Poets
Join us at the Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center for a poignant commemoration of the Night of the Murdered Poets, honoring the lives and legacy of the Yiddish writers and intellectuals executed by Stalin on August 12, 1952.
This 72nd-anniversary event will take place on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at 1:00 pm.
The Night of the Murdered Poets saw the tragic end of 13 Soviet Jewish intellectuals, including renowned figures such as David Bergelson, Itzik Feffer, Peretz Markish, and Shmuel Halkin, who were falsely accused of espionage and treason. Their contributions to Yiddish literature and culture were immeasurable, and their unjust deaths marked a dark chapter in Jewish and literary history.
Our commemoration will feature readings of selected works by these martyred poets, providing a glimpse into their profound and resilient spirit. We will also sing songs taken from their writings, led by Ruth Judkowitz, Aaron Castill-White and Zach Golden. A candle-lighting ceremony will be held to honor their memory, followed by a moment of silence.
This event is an opportunity to reflect on the enduring power of literature and the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Light refreshments will be served, and attendees are encouraged to engage in a dialogue about the significance of these poets’ work in today’s world.
All are welcome to join us in paying tribute to the Night of the Murdered Poets and ensuring that their voices continue to be heard and remembered.
