ENSEMBLE 
M’CHAIYA

We bring the music and dance to your fellow homeschoolers, first grade and up! Our programs are engaging, interactive, budget-friendly, and are focused on traditional Jewish music and dance.

Exploring Jewish culture through music and dance

Today, everyone has heard of Israel and most people have heard of Klezmer, a musical style that came of age in America, brought by Ashkenazic Jews from Eastern Europe. However, few people, even those with Jewish backgrounds, know much, if anything, about the Jewish Sephardim. This program explores both of these groups.

Everyone is directly involved by singing in non-English languages, playing percussion (the band brings some hand drums), and dancing circle and line dances led by the musicians as they play their instruments.

Unique instrument­ation

Gorgeous musical scales like Hijaz ride on asymmetrical rhythms as the band members play traditional ethnic instruments, like the Bulgarian end-blown flute, and Balkan percussion alongside the violin, mandolin, and guitar.

Most of our musicians are multi-instrumentalists, a fact which allows the band to create an ever changing color, but whatever the sound, every number grabs your attention, gets your feet tapping, urging you to dance.

These programs increase student awareness of the world, society, and history.

If you don’t see what you are looking for, contact us! Our presentations are very flexible and customizable.

Experienced

Since 1983, this Evanston, IL band has toured in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Two members, Jutta Distler and Terran Doehrer, were teachers at the Arcturus Teacher Training Program for Waldorf schools and taught dance classes at the Chicago Waldorf School for six years and at the Wauconda Da Vinci Waldorf School for four years.

Flexible and affordable

We are happy to customize our programs to fit your interests and to adjust the band’s size to your budget and needs.