Mostly Kosher, the acclaimed Klezmer/Rock band, radically reconstructs Judaic and American cultural music through ravenous klezmer beats and arresting Yiddish refrains. Mostly Kosher is a musical feast that explodes into a global food-fight of Jazz, Latin, Rock, and Folk, and comes to Lani Hall just in time to kick off the holiday season, including a post-concert meet 'n greet reception with treats. Led by frontman Leeav Sofer, one of Jewish Journal’s "30 under 30" most accomplished professionals in the Los Angeles Jewish diaspora, Mostly Kosher is comprised of some of the highest regarded Los Angeles musicians: violinist Janice Mautner Markham, drummer Eric Hagstrom, bassist Adam Levy, accordionist Gee Rabe, guitarist Nadav Peled, trombonist Bob Lawrence, and Ben Tevik on clarinet and sax.

Mostly Kosher is a fixture at renowned California stages such as the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Skirball Cultural Center, Torrance Center for the Arts, and Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. They have also graced the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for a live television broadcast to over half a million viewers numerous times 2015-2023. The ensemble has headlined multiple summer festivals including the Silicon Valley Jewish Music Festival and Claremont Folk Festival.

Mostly Kosher had the honor of being the first Jewish music ensemble at the Disney parks with 2022 marking their sixth season performing during the 2-month long Festival of Holidays. Mostly Kosher was credited for “stealing the Festival of Holidays Show” by the acclaimed Fresh Baked Disney podcast. For the 2017 holiday season, Mostly Kosher added Epcot Center in Florida to their list of holiday performance venues, becoming Disney’s first Jewish cultural music performed on both coasts.

Staying true to giving back to the community, Mostly Kosher is proud to be teaching artists for Urban Voices Project, performing and educating in underserved areas in and around Southern California including prisons, community clinics and shelters serving men and women suffering from homelessness. MK is also a mentor ensemble to the Jewish Youth Orchestra, a project of the Jewish Federation of San Gabriel Valley, offering performance opportunities and ongoing workshops for middle school and high school musicians.

The band’s self-titled debut album has won international acclaim by World Music Network, Songlines Magazine, and BBC radio. The first track, Ikh Hob Dikh Tsufil Lib (I Love You Much Too Much), was recognized as one of World Music Network’s Top 6 Songs of 2014. Mostly Kosher’s music videos have been garnering accolades on the film festival circuit, receiving two nominations at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema and Best Music Video at the Glendale International Film Festival. 2021 marked the indie film debut of Mostly Kosher, as they are featured in the wedding scene of the feature film, “The Accursed”, starring Izabela Vidovic and Melora Walters.

In 2022 Mostly Kosher was honored to be included in the flagship series, “Secret Chord”, a live concert taping sponsored by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Mostly Kosher is in full swing with their 2024/2025 season with a schedule of concerts from Northern California to Midwest and East Coast Tours before returning home to their Disneyland residency. Tour venues and Festivals include the Des Moines Center for Performing Arts, San Jose Jazz, Holland Michigan International Festival and Ferguson Center in Newport News, Virginia. The band is currently working on their much-anticipated holiday album. This event is made possible by the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music with additional support from the David Vickter Foundation.

For questions please contact us at: undergrads@international.ucla.edu

Sponsor(s): The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience