Theatre, Ladino and Hassidic Melodies. Synagogue Nights return this Autumn with an exciting programme of events
We are excited to announce our 2024 programme of our audiences’ much-loved Synagogue Nights: a series of intimate performances in our 150-year old former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. Starting this October, you can see theatre shows and live music, with shows celebrating Jewish art in all its diversity.
This autumn, Synagogue Nights are back with a packed programme of events, spanning multiple genres, including puppetry, Ladino music and much more. This season celebrates Jewish art in all its diversity with some special Sephardi highlights, as a nod to the museum’s Spanish and Portuguese synagogue’s 150th anniversary.
Manchester Jewish Museum’s Creative Producer, Elysia Lukoszevieze said:
“This year’s Autumn Season showcases the beautifully diverse, eclectic, and ambitious work being made by Jewish creatives from the UK and further afield. From contemporary Ladino songwriting to classical Italian baroque recitals, this programme has something for everyone. I am so excited to bring these events to our stunning synagogue and share them with our audiences.”
The season will begin on Sunday, 27 October with an electrifying performance by Nani Noam Vazana. Nani is one of few artists in the world that writes and composes new songs in the endangered Ladino language – the language, close to Spanish, spoken by the Jewish population of multifaith Spain in the 15th century.
Nani learned Ladino from her Moroccan grandmother in hiding, as her father forbade them to speak the language at home. In her fourth solo album, Ke Haber (‘What’s New’), she revitalizes the ancient, matriarchal language and culture, bringing it into the 21st century with powerful lyrics that explore themes of migration, gender, and female empowerment. The music blends tradition with modernity, evoking the lively atmosphere of a marketplace through a mix of raw, flamenco-inspired vocals and unexpected instrumentation.
On Thursday, 31 October, the museum will welcome Dekel, Israel-born singer-songwriter, whose vibrant, yet gentle music spans various eclectic genres, from folky jazz to indie alternative. Dekel and her band will be performing songs from their new album ‘Starlings’. Dekel began writing “Starlings” in September 2023, but the events of 7th October and the unimaginable fallout thereafter put everything on hold.
On returning to work on the album a month or so later, Dekel says she “felt like I was starting something completely new. I was changing the whole approach and the DNA of the project. I’m always trying to create an accurate musical signature, I try to have a clear focus, it means a lot to me to work and present music in this way. On this album I feel I managed to do that in a very deep way through the lyrics, melodies and the overall essence.” Featuring cello, accordion, acoustic guitar, clarinet, Dekel’s songs are beautifully sculpted and inspired by her Jewish spiritual world.
The last show of the season will take place on Sunday, 17 November with “Matriarch”, Jessica Litwak’s one-woman play about getting through hard times by calling on the ancestors for help and wisdom. Shemie is on the brink of giving up on life, but everything changes when she’s visited by the prophetess Miriam. Miriam takes her on a journey through ancestral landscapes, where Shemie witnesses powerful pairs of women supporting each other with acts of courage and compassion. These moments of connection and strength inspire Shemie to find hope and keep going.
At its heart, this puppet play is about healing through the wisdom and love of those who came before us. Its message is clear: Don’t give up. Sometimes, the door to love and freedom is just behind you. With humor, poetry, and a fresh feminist perspective, this play offers a touching and poetic look at biblical matriarchs and the power of connection.
