Mizrahi Voices: Art, Words & Music by Yemeni Jewish Women

Welcome Mizrahi Heritage Month with an unforgettable evening of storytelling, conversation, and cultural celebration featuring:

🎨 Art exhibition by Karen Pe’er

📚 Author talk & reading with Ayelet Tsabari

🎶 Musical performance by Erez Zobary

With a panel discussion moderated by Sara Yacobi‑Harris (founder of No Silence on Race), this evening blends art, music, literature, and conversation in a rare celebration of Mizrahi heritage – with a focus on voices that are too often overlooked.

About The Artists:

Karen Pe’er

Karen Pe’er is a Toronto-based visual and mixed-media artist whose work explores her Yemenite-Jewish heritage and the experiences of diaspora. As a mother and recent BFA graduate from OCAD, her practice delves into the personal and collective histories of Yemenite Jewish women – highlighting resilience and reclaiming traditions through pieces like Through Their Sacrifices, We Rise.

Learn more: artbykarenpeer.ca

Ayelet Tsabari

Ayelet Tsabari is an award-winning Israeli‑Canadian author of Yemeni descent. Her acclaimed debut story collection The Best Place on Earth won the Sami Rohr Prize and the Edward Lewis Wallant Award. Her memoir ‘The Art of Leaving’ earned the Canadian Jewish Literary Award. Her latest novel Songs for the Brokenhearted won the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction.

Learn more: ayelettsabari.com

Erez Zobary

A powerful voice in Toronto’s R&B scene, Erez Zobary is a Yemeni-Jewish musician whose music blends contemporary soul, pop, and traditional Yemenite melodies. Born and raised in the GTA, she’s been writing and performing since childhood. After initially focusing on universal themes, her 2024 album Erez dives into her Yemenite heritage – sampling her grandmother’s stories of Operation Magic Carpet and singing in Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic

With a voice compared to Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder influences, Erez fuses emotional depth and energetic melodies in live settings. She also balances her music career with teaching and social justice work — bringing storytelling, culture, and activism together through her art .

Learn more: erezzobary.com

Presented in partnership by H.A.M.S.A (Honouring and Affirming Mizrahi and Sepharadi Ancestry) at the Miles Nadal JCC and Koffler Arts. This project was supported by UJA’s Kultura Collective.

For questions contact: emunahw@mnjcc.org