Ashkenaz Festival: Yosl and the Yingels (Augusta/Baldwin Stage)

Yosl and the Yingels are a Kensington-based, Borscht Belt-inspired Yiddish swing band who are bringing fresh, original Yiddish music to Canadian audiences. Drawing on the wit, warmth, and musical spirit of the Catskills, the band writes songs inspired by the city’s neighbourhoods, and Jewish life. Their repertoire includes songs such as Kim in Kensington (“Come to Kensington”), Thornhill, and Toronto Tramvay – celebrating familiar places with humour, nostalgia, and a distinctly local voice. Led by singer and accordionist Yosl Landau, the band features Jacob Gorzaltsan on clarinet, Drew Jurecka on fiddle, and Bret Higgins on bass. Together they blend klezmer, Yiddish theatre, and Jewish folk influences into vibrant performances filled with storytelling, and humour. Whether performing for longtime Yiddish speakers or audiences discovering the language for the first time, Yosl and the Yingels create an experience that is joyful, energetic, and deeply connected to Toronto’s Jewish community. Their music proves that Yiddish is not only a language of the past; it is still capable of telling new stories about the places and people we know today.