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Announcing the Kultura 2026 Project Grants

For thousands of community members, arts and culture are an important way to connect with Jewish identity and community.

Kultura Collective, a UJA arts and culture initiative, convenes a network of Jewish arts, culture, and heritage organizations—each with the mission of helping Jewish culture transform and enrich lives across Toronto and beyond. Each year, guided by its arts advisory lay committee, Kultura Collective distributes grants to support large-scale collaborative projects that would not otherwise be possible.

We are proud to announce this year’s grantees—a lineup of creative projects that will engage diverse audiences and meaningfully explore Jewish identity and traditions.

  • Toronto Holocaust Museum presents Yom HaShoah V'Hagvurah 2026: Community Commemoration. On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 13, the Toronto Holocaust Museum will present the 81st annual Yom HaShoah commemoration. The program will explore remembrance and music through the lens of family, its devastation during the Holocaust and its central role in survival and renewal postwar. In collaboration with the Ontario Jewish Archives, Ashkenaz Festival, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Canadian Society for Yad Vashem, Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program, Facing History and Ourselves, and March of the Living Canada. Learn more and get tickets.
  • Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company presents Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. HGJTC will present the highly anticipated theatrical event: Fiddler on the Roof, performed exclusively in Yiddish with English and Russian subtitles from May 25 to June 7. Recognized as a New York Times Critics’ Pick, this distinguished rendition provides audiences with a unique and impactful experience, highlighting the musical’s Eastern European heritage through its original language, music, and historical context. In collaboration with the Ontario Jewish Archives, Ashkenaz Foundation, Koffler Arts, Jewish Music Week, Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, Miles Nadal JCC, Committee for Yiddish, and more. Learn more and get tickets.
  • Jewish Music Week and Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation present a Special Music Event with former hostage Alon Ohel. A powerful and inspirational evening with the former hostage, who survived 738 days in Hamas captivity. On May 27, in an interview moderated by Avi Benlolo, Alon will share his story of resilience and survival, and discuss how music helped him keep going for over two years in brutal captivity. Joined by his brother Ronen on guitar, Alon on piano will captivate the audience with their performance and demonstrate the incredible power of music to heal. With community support from Allied Voices for Israel and International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.
  • Toronto Jewish Film Foundation presents the Artist in Residence 2026: Michel Kichka. This multi-event project will take a deep dive into the life and work of beloved Israeli cartoonist and illustrator Michel Kichka. It’s an opportunity to celebrate Jewish life and identity through the work of this renowned artist. It will take place during the 34th Toronto Jewish Film Festival running from June 4-14, including both adult and FilmMatters student programming. In collaboration with the Miles Nadal JCC, Toronto International Comic Arts Festival, Anne Tannenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, (University of Toronto), Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, (York University).
  • Ashkenaz Foundation presents Summer Jam 2026. This is the fourth edition of the Summer Jam concert series, which will run in July and August, on alternating Monday nights in Earl Bales Park. It presents four double-bill concerts pairing a Jewish roots performance with a rock or jam-band tribute act. With free admission, vendors, and kid-friendly activities, it’s a festive atmosphere perfect for the whole family. In collaboration with Kultura and other community partners.
  • Miles Nadal JCC presents Storylines: A Jewish Storytelling Festival. A two-night downtown–uptown celebration of contemporary Jewish storytelling on November 22 (Leah Poslun's Theatre) and November 29 (Al Green Theatre). Guided by a shared theme, the festival features curated community storytellers with professional voices, supported through coaching by Ronit Rubinstein. Workshops offered at both JCCs will build accessible pathways into Jewish creativity. Each night will be recorded by the CJN podcast, who will air the festival in January 2027. In collaboration with the Prosserman JCC, Ontario Jewish Archives, and the CJN Podcast Network.

For more details about these projects—and the Toronto Jewish arts, culture, and heritage scene—follow Kultura Collective on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter!

 

Photo: Jonni Super, Ashkenaz Foundation, Summer Jam 2025