New Membership Platform Now Live!

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our new membership platform on the JMI website.

Join a growing movement that celebrates Jewish music, supports artists, and helps shape the future of our cultural heritage.

As a JMI Member, you’ll gain meaningful access to our events, community programmes, and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights while directly sustaining our work.

Explore our Memberships to discover unique ways to connect with Jewish music and support our mission. Whether you join as a Supporter or a Patron, you’ll enjoy benefits such as:

• Complimentary and discounted tickets to JMI concerts and events
• VIP invitations to special gatherings and artist meet-and-greets
• Discounts on JMI community programmes and partner events

Patrons also receive behind-the-scenes access and the opportunity to help shape future initiatives.

Choose the level that feels right for you:

Membership Tiers

• JMI Supporter £120/year or £10/month
• JMI Patron £500+/year or £42/month
• JMI Young (18 to 35) Coming January 2026

 
Visit our Membership Page to learn more and sign up today! We’d be honoured to welcome you into the JMI community.

Announcing JMI’s new Chair of Trustees!

The Jewish Music Institute is delighted to announce that Robert Rinder MBE has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Rob is a barrister, broadcaster and writer with a long-standing commitment to justice, education and cultural life in the United Kingdom. Alongside his legal work, he has contributed widely to public understanding of history, civic identity and the importance of cultural memory. He serves as President of the Orion Orchestra and is an Honorary Colonel of the Royal Corps of Army Music, reflecting his deep support for musicians, performance and arts education. He was awarded an MBE for services to Holocaust education.

Rob brings to JMI not only extensive professional experience but also a profound passion for Jewish culture, creativity and heritage. His conviction that music is both an archive of memory and a bridge to the future aligns closely with the mission of JMI.

A message from Rob Rinder:

“Stepping into the role of Chair of JMI felt less like taking on a position and more like returning to a part of my own cultural home, a place shaped by memory, resilience and the music that has always carried our story forward. Jewish music, from the sacred to the avant garde, has always seemed to me one of the great repositories of our story, a place where memory, imagination and identity meet.

JMI embodies that spirit. It connects communities, celebrates our heritage and cultivates what comes next. I am genuinely delighted to support an organisation that brings the full breadth of Jewish sound to a wider public and nurtures the next generation of musicians, scholars and creators.

It is a privilege to stand with JMI in this vital Work.” 

We are delighted to welcome Rob Rinder as Chair as we continue building a vibrant, confident and diverse future for Jewish music in the UK. His leadership, passion and public voice will amplify JMI’s work at a moment when cultural connection and creativity matter more than ever.

JMI Archive Documentary Premiere

We are excited to announce the release of JMI’s Archive Documentary, a captivating three-part film that traces the journey of the JMI Archive from its origins to its present-day impact.

This documentary features:

• Edoardo Marcarini – JMI Archivist
• Yuval Wajima – JMI Archive Curator
• Tai Rona – Sound Artist

Produced by YYY Magazine and created by Gosh, the film offers a unique insight into the stories, sounds, and creative processes that shape our archive.

JMI Archive on BBC Radio 3

On Saturday 15 November, BBC Radio 3’s Music Planet took listeners on a unique journey into the JMI archives with Israeli DJ and producer Tai Rona.

After days immersed in thousands of rare records and shellacs, Tai created a deep listening set from JMI’s rare collection which he performed live at our Archive Launch event at Stone Nest in May. For the The Jewish Music Institute archive in Three Tracks BBC Show, he selected three remarkable gems: a haunting Sabbath prayer, an evocative Yemeni field recording, and a cross-cultural lullaby.

Presented by Lopa Kothari and produced by Gabriel Francis (Reduced Listening), this episode of Music Planet is available to stream on BBC Sounds until 20 December – don’t miss this deep and remarkable dive into Jewish musical heritage.

You can listen to Tai’s entire performance at Stone Nest on Soundcloud below.

After 12 years of service to JMI we are sad to announce Yvonne Glass will be leaving the JMI Team this week. Yvonne has been invited to act as a consultant over the coming years so this won’t be the last you see of her. We welcome our new Events Manager Gil Karpas and look forward to where we take Jewish Music.

A note from Yvonne:

“I consider myself really fortunate to have spent the last 12 years working for the Jewish Music Institute. I have had the chance to work with amazingly talented musicians, to organise concerts in such venues as the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Union Chapel, Bevis Marks Synagogue and the greatly missed The Spitz and to help arrange conferences, such as the highly acclaimed academic conference Art Musics of Israel at University College, London in March 2011. Of course the bulk of my work has consisted of organising JMI summer schools such as Klezfest and Ot Azoy! / Tumbala where I have had the joy of meeting so many interesting and diverse people, many of whom I hope to stay in touch with.

Continue reading “Yvonne leaves the team after 12 years”