The North American Jewish Choral Festival (NAJCF) brings together hundreds of singers from across the country for five days of musical experiences where they can sing their hearts out, learn new skills and connect with fellow singers. Registration is open for NAJCF 2026, set for Aug. 2-6 in Stamford, Connecticut.
“As we lift our voices together in song, the Festival offers an opportunity to explore Jewish choral music and celebrate Jewish heritage and identity,” says Maestro Matthew Lazar, NAJCF founder and director. “There is a feeling of hope and unity as singers share a bonding experience and forge new friendships.”
NAJCF features a variety of musical activities, including daily community sings and evening concerts featuring guest choirs and performers. This summer’s event includes a focus on American Jewish music to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, with compositions by American Jewish composers.
During the Festival, participants can attend workshops on a wide range of informative and entertaining subjects designed for singers of all levels. The seminars are led by a group of Jewish music experts and educators.
To tie in with the 2026 theme, a triple workshop on “Jewish Music in America” will be offered in three sessions: “Sacred Sound and Symphony: American Jewish Choral Synagogue and Classical Music,” focusing on choral music in the synagogue and art music for the concert hall; “Jewishness on Stage: Yiddish Theatre and Broadway,” examining the performers, composers and classic productions that brought the Jewish experience to the center of the stage; and “From Cantors to Chaos: Two Men Who Changed Jewish Music,” which follows the careers of Sholom Secunda and John Zorn—two innovators who took Jewish music in radically different directions.
The Jewish Music in America sessions will be presented by Jeff Janeczko, COO of the Milken Archive of Jewish Music and adjunct assistant professor with the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at UCLA; and Mark Kligman, the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and director of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience.
Some of the additional workshop topics for NAJCF 2026 include:
- “Building Choral Musicianship”
- “Mindful Singing and Personal Prayer”
- “Popular Jewish Music”
- “Texts and Tunes”
- “The Songs of Matti Caspi”
- “From Posture to Performance”
- “Arranging for a Cappella”
- “Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms”
- “Learn to Blow Shofar”
- “Ladino Choral Treasures”
- “Musical Theater Adaptations from the Book of Genesis”
- “Singing on the Right Side of Your Brain”
- “That Kol Nidrei Magical Moment”
- “Sh’ma V’Shir: Songs, Stories and Signs of Hope”
The North American Jewish Choral Festival is a program of Zamir Choral Foundation.
For more information and to register for NAJCF 2026, visit: https://zamirchoralfoundation.org/north-american-jewish-choral-festival/
