This talk chronicles the results of a federally-funded project at Concordia University "Sonic Heritage Diversity,” a project that explores the disappearing music and musical and listening practices, as well as related intangible cultural heritage, of Montreal Jews of Middle Eastern (Mizrahi) and North African (Sephardic) origin, and more broadly the practices of communities and individuals fitting outside of “Ashkenormative” parameters such as Yemenite, Ethiopian, or Romaniote (Judeo-Greek). This talk will highlight key moments revealed during fieldwork and archival research.

Montreal is currently home to an unusually diverse population of Jews from different origins. While some came to Canada directly from their places of origin, others came from countries like the United States, Israel and France, to which they had originally immigrated often in order to leave situations that had become unsustainable owing to conflict and/or antisemitism. This talk explores the multi-faceted areas to which the project “Sonic Heritage Diversity” contributes, for instance, how the project stimulated the exploration of innovative research methods to preserve disappearing repertoires of intangible heritage in a context in which Canadian Jewish identity is rapidly changing, and previous intra-Jewish ethnic boundaries are shifting and, in some cases, coalescing. The public-facing aspect, including the ongoing creative activation aspect of the project serves as an important resource through which Jewish subjectivities can remember their musical past and engage with it in the present. The talk also highlights rich, community-led depictions of practitioners, their music, and their diverse journeys and encounters.