Nestled in the heart of Toronto’s vibrant Annex neighbourhood, the Al Green Theatre at the Miles Nadal JCC is where artistry, culture, and community come together. More than just a performance venue, it is a gathering place for stories that inspire, challenge, and connect us — a home for authentic expression and shared experience.
Featured Programs
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Award-winning author, priest and social justice activist Maggie Helwig joins Toronto urban affairs columnist Shawn Micallef for a timely conversation about Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community.
Together, they’ll explore housing insecurity, compassion, resistance and the power of community through one of Toronto’s most pressing social issues.
Encampment won the 2025 Toronto Book Award and the 2026 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.
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Tue | Oct 13 | 7pm
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Explore the music of the British Invasion
On February 9, 1964, 73 million households watched The Beatles’ first North American performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. That watershed moment changed popular music forever and launched the British Invasion.
Over six weeks, Grammy Award-winning ethnomusicologist Rob Bowman will explore the music and history of The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Who and more.
Mondays | Oct 19-Nov 30 | 1-2:30pm
Also available on Zoom simulcast and weekly recordings
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Discover a new side of Sigmund Freud
From award-winning Israeli filmmaker Yair Qedar comes a cinematic journey into the life and work of Sigmund Freud.
Presented in four acts and combining animation, dreams and insights from leading psychoanalysts, Outsider. Freud explores Freud’s experiences of marginalization as a Jew in Vienna during Hitler’s rise, and how they shaped his theories and personal life.
The film offers an intimate look at Freud’s impact on psychoanalysis, Judaism and the experience of being an outsider.
This in-person screening will be followed by a live Zoom Q&A with director Yair Qedar, moderated by Oren Gozlan.
Presented in partnership with The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation.
Thu | Oct 22 | 1-3pm
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Roots & Recipes: The Great Big Bagel Debate
What makes the perfect bagel? Is it the crust, the chew, the seeds, the schmear — or something you can’t quite put your finger on?
Join us for The Great Big Bagel Debate, where some of Toronto’s favourite bagel makers will come together to share their stories, talk about what makes their bagels unique, and debate what makes a truly great bagel.
We’ll dig into the traditions, techniques and personal touches behind the bagels we know and love — and explore why this humble Jewish staple inspires such strong opinions.
And, of course, you’ll get to taste, compare and decide for yourself.
Thu | Oct 22 | 7–9pm
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Our new film series, Sing Along Cinema, brings everyone into the room together.
Join us for Mamma Mia! and experience the movie in a more active, playful way. Sing along, clap, laugh, move around, take a break and join back in whenever you’re ready.
Created in partnership with the Wagner Green Centre for Access & Inclusion, the series welcomes neurodivergent audiences, families, adults, seniors and anyone looking for a more flexible way to enjoy a movie together.
A low-sensory breakout space will be available nearby for anyone who would benefit from a quieter moment. All films include captioning.
Presented by the Al Green Theatre in partnership with the Wagner Green Centre for Access & Inclusion.
Sat | Oct 24 | 2–4pm
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Celebrate the best in Canadian Jewish literature
Join us to honour the winners of the 2026 Canadian Jewish Literary Awards.
Canadian authors living locally and abroad will discuss their award-winning publications on important Jewish themes and subjects. Awards are presented in categories including Fiction, Jewish Thought and Culture, Biography/Memoir, Yiddish, Children/Young Adult, Holocaust and the Irving Abella Award in History.
Discover diverse new publications that reflect Jewish themes and ideas. Hear award-winning authors discuss their books, enjoy a dessert reception, and purchase autographed copies of their publications.
Sun | Oct 25 | 2-5pm
Join us in person or register to receive the recording.
Join author and historian Flora Cassen for a timely conversation about her new book, Stained Glass: A Reflective History of Antisemitism.
In conversation with columnist and author Phoebe Maltz Bovy, Cassen will explore the history, evolution and enduring impact of antisemitism, looking at how antisemitic ideas have changed over time and how they continue to shape our understanding of Jewish life and history today.
Together, they will discuss the ways history, culture and politics have shaped the conversation around antisemitism, and consider what we can learn from looking at its long and complicated history.
Presented in partnership with The Canadian Jewish News and U of T Press.
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Thu | Oct 29 | 7-8:30pm
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What happens when two families discover that their grandparents came from the same small Polish town before fleeing to survive the Holocaust?
In The Wanderers, author and immigration journalist Daniela Gerson traces her family’s and her wife’s extraordinary stories of survival, displacement and migration across generations and continents.
Join us as part of Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 2026 for a special conversation with Gerson about her book and the family histories that shape our understanding of the past.
Thu | Nov 5 | 7:30pm
Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC
Books will be available for purchase, followed by an author signing.
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Join internationally renowned novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Irving for a special screening of The Cider House Rules, the acclaimed film adaptation of his bestselling novel.
Irving will introduce the film and share reflections on its themes, the making of the movie and behind-the-scenes stories from its journey to the Oscars. Following the screening, stay for an informal community discussion.
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Sun | Nov 1 | 2pm
Peter Harris returns with an 'outrageous' lecture
Modern architects have created many outrageous, astonishing, brilliant and weird dwellings. Some look like spaceships, others like spaced-out castles, and still others like three-dimensional artworks.
Join Dr. Peter Harris for a tour of Capital Hill House, the Winchester House, San Simeon, the Hundertwasser House, the Chemosphere and more. Discover just how untrammelled the architectural imagination can be.
Thu | Nov 12 | 1-2:30pm
Al Green Theatre, Zoom simulcast or recording
About the Al Green Theatre
Our programming reflects the richness and diversity of contemporary Jewish culture, while embracing voices and ideas from across the creative spectrum. From film screenings and live performances to thought-provoking conversations and community celebrations, every event at the Al Green Theatre is curated with care and intelligence — designed to delight audiences and spark meaningful dialogue.
We are proud to offer an elegant, fully equipped theatre experience that combines warmth and sophistication. Whether you’re attending a play, a concert, a festival, or a speaker series, you’ll find yourself immersed in an atmosphere that values artistry and welcomes everyone.
At the Miles Nadal JCC, the Al Green Theatre serves as a cultural hub — a place where Jewish heritage meets modern creativity, where emerging and established artists find common ground, and where the community comes together to explore what it means to express, belong, and celebrate.
Join us in discovering why audiences return again and again — for the quality of our programming, the intimacy of our space, and the joy of connection that only live performance can bring.
Experience the Al Green Theatre — where culture comes alive, community takes the stage, and every story finds its light.
Our Signature Program: The Speakers Annex
The Speakers Annex is Toronto's most exciting new speakers series. Curated by Will Di Novi, the creator of the popular Curious Minds Lectures and Author Events, which ran for almost a decade, this program of lively lectures and enriching conversations features Canada's leading thinkers and speakers, exploring interesting topics in arts, culture, history and beyond.
Bring your friends—and your inquisitive minds—to the warm, convivial atmosphere of the Al Green Theatre in the Miles Nadal JCC, as we turn it into the city's most exciting cultural salon.
Click here to see all upcoming Speaker Annex events.
To learn more, and receive updates on upcoming programs, please sign up for the Speakers Annex newsletter here.
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