Conney Project on Jewish Arts

Founded in 2004, the Conney Project on Jewish Arts is an initiative of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that is made possible by the generosity of Marv and Mildred Conney. The Conney Project aims to speak to people across communities, and celebrate what’s special about Jewish arts and culture, while creating visionary programming—events, exhibits, readings, and performances—that gathers people together around Jewish culture to meet our current moment with empathy, nuance, and the potential for change. All of our current programming is housed under the thematic umbrella “Big Tent: Inclusive Jewish Futures & Foundations.”

For the 2025-2026 academic year, we’ll be welcoming artists whose work speaks to Judeo-Arabic Hybridities and Jewish Sonic Experiences, and we hope you’ll join us for our events!

On October 25^th at 7:30pm at the Madison Central Library, Conney Project director Erika Meitner will be in conversation with award-winning author André Aciman, in partnership with the Wisconsin Book Festival. Aciman will be talking about his memoir Roman Year, which captures the period of his adolescence in 1966 that began when he and his Sephardic Jewish family were expelled from their home in Alexandria, Egypt after the government under Gamal Abdel Nasser seized his father’s factory, and Aciman, his younger brother, and his deaf mother moved into a rented apartment in Rome’s Via Clelia.

From October 23^rd through October 25^th, via the Mead Witter School of Music, the Conney Project will be co-sponsoring KlezFest Midwest 2025, with performances by local bands Tsuzamen and Yid Vicious, and a Showcase Concert with virtuoso clarinetist David Krakauer and his band the Lower East Side Legacy. For more information, please see the KlezFest website.

On March 19^th,  also in conjunction with the Mead Witter School of Music, the Conney Project will be bringing Ya Ghorbati: Divas in Exile to Collins Recital Hall in Hamel Music Center at 7:30pm. Singer Laura Elkeslassy and her band will present the songs and stories of Judeo-Arab divas from midcentury North Africa, weaving together Sephardi folk and sacred music, spanning from traditional Adalusi style, to popular Chaabi, to Francarabe Cabaret.

This selection of Jewish arts and cultural initiatives reflects the Conney Project’s mission—to have Jewish arts integrated into wider arts communities, draw in robust and diverse audiences, and bring people together while celebrating Jewish culture. All Conney Project events are free and open to the public. You can find additional information on our Events page.