Upcoming Events

Symposium on Sound and Hate Studies

April 10, 2026 

This half-day symposium at UCLA will explore the intersection of sound and hate, focusing on how auditory experiences can propagate, resist, and reflect social animosities. Through discussions and lectures, the event will present unique perspectives on various forms of hate from the lens of sound studies, drawing on diverse fields to examine a wide range of social animosities. The symposium aims to deepen the understanding of how sound influences, challenges, and shapes the dynamics of hate in society

Conference: “Sonic Representations of Jewishness, On Screen and Off”

April 19-21, 2026 

This three-day conference features academic papers, two keynote presentations, and three special performances and screenings (all free)that explore Jews’ longstanding involvement with film and television, including the significance of Jewish heritage and Jewishness both on screen and behind the scenes. Given the centrality of music to Jewish culture, this conference focuses especially on how portrayals of Jewishness are reinforced or made more complicated through music and sound in screen culture.
Day 1 includes a keynote address by UCLA's new Dean of the Herb Alpert School of Music, Michael Beckerman, entitled “In Search of Ness-ness—Between Neutrality and Caricature in Jewish Film Music,” followed by a panel on sonic markers of identity in popular song and film. A roundtable discussion follows with experts on Kon’s life and work. The afternoon program features a special live performance of a little-known Yiddish opera Bas-Sheve (1924) by composer Henech Kon - (ticketed separately here) The opera will be followed by a screening of a 1937 Yiddish film The Jolly Paupers, also scored by Kon - (ticketed separately here)
Day 2 focuses on panels about Jewishness in opera and musical theater, followed by a multimedia presentation by film director Beth Lane exploring the musical aspects of her award-winning documentary, UnBroken (2023, streaming on Netflix). The evening program features a conversation with the conference’s second keynote speaker, celebrated film, TV, and concert composer, four-time Emmy® Award-nominated and Grammy® winner, Sharon Farber.
Day 3 explores a wide range of subjects, including panels entitled “Jewish Music in Morocco,” “Liturgical Sounds on Screen,” and “Multifaceted Jewishness in Popular Culture.” The day concludes with the official premiere of the Milken Center’s documentary, Immigrant Songs: Yiddish Theater and the American Jewish Experience (soon to be streaming on Amazon Prime), introduced by the film’s director, Jeff Janeczko, followed by a Q&A panel. (ticketed separately here)