YIDLIFE CRISIS: SWEDISHKAYT LIVE! Debuts in Montreal at Segal Centre
Segal Centre to host the premiere of SWEDISHKAYT: YidLife Crisis this season
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 18, 2026
After touring across North America and screening at major Jewish film festivals, the highly anticipated documentary and live performance YidLife Crisis: SWEDISHKAYT Live! returns home for a special Montreal premiere this March! Local cultural comedy icons Jamie Elman and Eli Batalion, collectively known as YidLife Crisis, will host an exclusive live performance and screening at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
The film follows Elman and Batalion on a hilarious and heartfelt journey through Stockholm, Sweden, the last place they expected to find Yiddish not just alive but officially recognized as a minority language and culturally thriving, inspiring a funny, thoughtful, and eye-opening exploration of Jewish identity abroad.
Presented by the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA in association with the Segal Centre, this special one-night event invites audiences to learn, laugh, and be inspired…not necessarily in that order.
Artist Bios Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, better known as YidLife Crisis, are Montreal-based filmmakers, performers, and comedians with more than 25 years of experience in television, theatre, music, and film. Their work includes appearances on Mad Men, House MD, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as programming at renowned festivals like Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, and SXSW.
Their groundbreaking creation, YidLife Crisis, is the world's first Yiddish-language sitcom, blending comedy with cultural insight to explore the complexities of modern Jewish life. With multiple awards, millions of online views, and sold-out live shows across North America and Europe, Elman and Batalion have built a devoted international following.
Their documentary works, including Global Shtetl, Narishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Krakow, Chewdaism: A Taste of Montreal, and Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm, continue to celebrate Jewish identity, humour, and interconnectedness around the world.
Tour & Festival Highlights SWEDISHKAYT: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm has been featured widely across Jewish film festivals and cultural events, including screenings at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Miami Jewish Film Festival, Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival, Dallas Jewish Film Festival, Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival, and many more international celebrations of Jewish cinema and culture. Critics and audiences alike have praised the documentary for its warmth, humour, and human insight. One reviewer called it “the gefilte fish-out-of-water documentary we didn't know we needed,” highlighting the film's charm and cultural resonance.
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