Dec 4 (2-4:30pm) / Oakland (private home, wheelchair accessible. Address shared upon registration)

$20-25 per person at the door (no one turned away)

From North Africa to the Balkans, Kantikas are songs that were passed down orally from generation to generation throughout the Sephardic diaspora, and express different moments from a womans' life cycle, including birth and death, lullabies, cooking songs, incantations for health, blessings at the mikvah, and more. We will learn a few of these, with a Chanukah song or two thrown in for good measure. Come sing!

In partnership with Sephardi sisters of the Bay.

Participants are invited to bring food and drink from Sephardic culinary traditions.

This workshop is intended for female-identified individuals whose family lineage is from the Sephardic (Iberian) and Spanish-speaking diaspora, including Latinx Jewish womyn.

About Rachel:

Rachel Valfer is a local singer and oud (Arabic lute) player who loves to share her passion. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel and Palestine for six years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and sings with several ensembles in the Bay Area in in Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi, Greek, Turkish, Ladino, and Armenian. Rachel began her study of Ladino music in high school many years ago!