An Evening with Esther
An Evening with Esther celebrates Persian Jewish culture and the enduring figure of Queen Esther through food, music, storytelling, and conversation throughout the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Presented with CJP and Vilna Community Creative Fellows Tutti Druyan, Miriam Anzovin, and Sara Gardner, the evening connects centuries-old Persian Jewish traditions with contemporary artistic and cultural perspectives.
The program includes a culinary presentation and tasting, a performance by Kantika, and a discussion about Esther’s legacy. Kantika, led by vocalist and songwriter Tutti Druyan, brings together Sephardic melodies in Ladino with original songs in English and Hebrew. Its collaboration with Puerto Rican saxophonist and composer Edmar Colón and drummer, producer, and sound engineer Shaqed Druyan incorporates improvisation, atmospheric sound, and personal storytelling.
When: Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 5 to 9 pm.
Venue: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115.
Location: The program takes place throughout the Museum.
Schedule: The culinary program runs from 5 to 7 pm in the Bertucci Education Studio. The Kantika performance is scheduled for 7 to 7:30 pm in Calderwood Hall, with doors opening at 6:15 pm. The conversation on Esther’s legacy follows from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in Calderwood Hall.
Culinary Program: “Noosh-e jān,” meaning “Bon appetit,” explores the culinary traditions of Jewish Persia. Culinary historian and instructor Sara M. Gardner curates an edible tableau featuring flavors inspired by those traditions, with opportunities for guests to learn and sample.
Music: Kantika combines traditional Sephardic music in Ladino with new compositions in English and Hebrew. The project draws on varied musical influences and emphasizes cultural memory, collaboration, improvisation, and the ability of music to connect generations and traditions.
Conversation: Digital storyteller Miriam Anzovin and Laura Conrad Mandel discuss contemporary interpretations of Esther’s legacy. Anzovin is known for the “Daf Reactions” and “Jewish Lore Reactions” social-media series, in which she responds to Jewish learning with a mix of sincerity and humor while relating ancient teachings to modern internet culture. Mandel is Managing Director of Program Strategy and Impact at The Vilna Shul and a former founding Executive Director of the Jewish Arts Collaborative. She is also Immediate Past Board Chair of the Council of American Jewish Museums, co-chair of the Boston Lyric Stage Advisory Committee, and a board member of the Boston Lyric Opera.
Lineup: Tutti Druyan leads Kantika as its vocalist and songwriter. The project also features Edmar Colón and Shaqed Druyan. Miriam Anzovin participates in the Esther conversation, and Sara M. Gardner leads the culinary portion.
Featured Artists: Sara Gardner is a scholar of Sephardic Jewish literature, culture, and cuisine from the medieval period to the present. She has taught Jewish foodways and identity for more than a decade, presented at international food and gastronomy conferences, published academic work, and authored *The Rosh Hashanah Seder Cookbook*. She was a 2016–2017 Fulbright Graduate Research Scholar and received her PhD in Spanish and Portuguese Studies from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities in 2026. As a JArts/Vilna Shul Community Creative Fellow, she taught Jewish cooking workshops in the Greater Boston area and organized a Sephardic Caribbean culinary pop-up.
Tickets: Price not available.
Accessibility: To request accessible or wheelchair seating, call the Box Office at 617-278-5156.
Parking and Directions: Directions and parking information are available through the Museum.