Toronto’s Marquee Queer Jewish Event Returns for 6th Year, Bigger Than Ever!

Gila Münster, Toronto’s premiere Jewish drag queen entertainer, has teamed up with singer-songwriter Yan Simon and professional actress Sarah Freia on the 6th annual “8 Gays of Channukah” queer Jewish event. Between them, they represent Canadian and Israeli Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi Jewish identities across the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum

Gila, Yan and Sarah have collaborated on “8 Gays of Channukah - The Musical,” a full-length musical comedy special focused on queer Jewish storytelling. The “8 Gays of Channukah” has been Toronto’s marquee queer Jewish event since 2019, selling out annually and receiving special attention from media and dignitaries, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. This year’s show features all-original songs by the trio, as well as eight belly-busting and heart-wrenching personal tales to celebrate the eight days of Channukah. Themes explored in the show include making sense of intersectional identities, families dealing with their children’s queerness, the challenges of immigration, and more. The show is for ages 16+, and welcomes people of all walks of life, including allies to the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities.

The show is premiering exclusively at the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre’s Leah Posluns Theatre, a state-of-the-art modular presentation space in the heart of Toronto’s Jewish community. This marks the first time that the “8 Gays of Channukah” is finding a home in a Jewish space after five years of sold-out shows across the city. Gila, Yan, and Sarah were inspired by the historical tale of Channukah, in which a small Jewish minority held on to their identity and pushed back against oppression. This event is an opportunity for the three queer Jewish artists to share their stories directly with their community in an honest storytelling presentation that hopes to inspire empathy and understanding.

“8 Gays of Channukah - The Musical” is a one-night-only event taking place on Sunday, December 15th 2024 from 19:00-21:00. The show is part of the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre’s 2024 Channukah events lineup. An optional meet-and-greet with the artists is available for premium ticket holders.


Experience the Magic

Praise for 8 Gays of Channukah

  • From Zoom latkes to a sold-out drag show: How the queer Jewish community is celebrating its second pandemic Hanukkah

    “Gila Münster, a drag queen based in Toronto, has hosted the event since 2019. Münster is looking forward to this year’s sold-out show, happening in person on Dec. 5 at the Comedy Bar in Toronto, after having to host the show online last year.”
    Read More

  • Make the most of winter at these festive holiday celebrations in Toronto

    “The 8 Gays of Channukah started in 2019 in the city’s gay village. Now it is the biggest annual event in the queer Jewish calendar. This year, a full cast of eight performers, spanning drag queens, burlesque dancers, comics, singers and more promises a fabulous night of entertainment.”
    Read More

  • Israeli-Canadian drag queen Gila Münster reflects on a year mired in right-wing protests and left-wing antisemitism

    “All this has forced Münster into a unique space, navigating a thin line between two increasingly unfriendly political sides. She joins The CJN’s arts podcasters on Culturally Jewish to describe her controversial year, explain the Jewish history of drag and discuss her upcoming annual variety show, 8 Gays of Hanukkah, happening Dec. 17 in Toronto.”
    Read More

  • Hanukkah & Hope

    “On Sunday, December 17, Gila Münster presents 8 Gays of Chanukah Queer Jewish Variety Show! This is the 5th annual rendition of the show, and features a multitude of Toronto’s queer Jewish artists including singers, dancers, and drag performers.”
    Read More

How It All Began - the Origin Story of the “8 Gays of Channukah”

In 2019, Gila Münster was an undergrad at York University. She was slated to perform for the school’s 2SLGBTQIA+ club, but two days before the show she received notice that the event was cancelled and she was banned from the club, simply for sharing that she was planning to visit Israel over the summer.

Heartbroken but determined to find a community that accepted all parts of her, Gila partnered with Hillel Ontario, a Jewish organization serving students on campuses, to start a branch of “Rainbow Jews.” This club welcomed 2SLGBTQIA+ people who were Jewish, regardless of political leaning or religious denomination. This club put forward a request for Gila - could she put together a holiday party for queer Jews?

The 8 Gays of Channukah was born. In December 2019, Gila hosted eight queer Jewish performers at The Drink in Toronto’s gay village for a one-of-a-kind variety show. The sold-out event went digital in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring three performers and Hillel Ontario’s eight campuses. In 2021, Gila hosted eight more performers in a variety show at Comedy Bar. This was also the year she partnered with Machane Lev, North America’s only queer Jewish summer camp, to donate proceeds from the event to their scholarship fund. This collaboration would continue until 2023. In 2022, Gila hosted the event at the Centre for Social Innovation, and finally in 2023 she hosted the event at the historic Longboat Hall.

Over the years, the event had grown to be the biggest queer Jewish event in the Toronto calendar, attracting dedicated fans year after year. Politicians, media personalities and community organizations have rallied around the grassroots effort to share queer Jewish arts. Gila gratefully acknowledges the assistance of countless partners, sponsors, artists, and volunteers for their support over the years. It takes a village to raise a Drag Queen!

Gila, Yan, and Sarah can’t wait to perform their newest show for the community this winter, and lay the groundwork for the next iteration of the show.

Meet the Cast

Gila Münster

Gila (she/her) is the cross dressing and cross stitching Jewish Princess. Since 2019, Gila has performed on and off stages, bringing drag into unconventional venues such as libraries, schools, community centers, lecture halls, unions, workplaces, retirement homes, hospitals, and more. Gila has been the preferred "Drag Queen Story Time" partner of the Toronto Public Library since 2022, including marching with them in the Toronto Pride Parade to protest censorship in front of 2.4 million spectators. Gila is the recipient of the 2023 Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts Creative Maverick Award for her work in using arts to promote the working people. Outside of drag, Gila is a J.D. candidate at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and enjoys spending her (admittedly short) free time stitching and reading.

www.GilaMunster.com | www.Facebook.com/GilaMunsterQueen | www.Instagram.com/GSIProductions www.YouTube.com/GSIProductions | www.Etsy.com/shop/GSIProductions | GilaMunsterQueen@gmail.com

Yan Simon

Yan (he/him) is a singer-songwriter, composer, and musical-theatre actor. Since 2020 Yan has been writing, recording, and independently releasing original pop music to streaming platforms. Drawing inspiration from theatrical story-telling, as well as iconic visual artists such as Lady Gaga and Elton John, Yan’s live performances leave audiences feeling mesmerized and inspired.  

Yan has performed in various venues across the GTA, from headlining in Toronto’s premier creative hub OBJX studio, to Longboat Hall in the 5th 8 Gays of Channukah, to performing at the North York General Hospitals’ Annual Pride Celebrations from 2022-2024.

Yan has worked with JDY Theatre as a performer and composer, writing the original score for the company’s production “Train for Two”, as well as the soundtrack for the original musical “The Old House”. Over the past year, Yan has returned to his musical-theatre roots in productions of Rent, Guys and Dolls, the Ottawa Fringe Festival original musical Trainwreck, and Spring Awakening in the lead role of Melchior.
Outside of music and theatre, Yan is a certified Personal Trainer, and loves spending time with his partner Aaron and their cat Gina.

www.YanSimonMusic.com | www.TikTok.com/@YanSimonMusic | www.Instagram.com/YanSimonMusic www.Facebook.com/YanSimonMusic | www.Youtube.com/Channel/UCEGQMIOsCOjq6Cw2yOk9kxg

Sarah Freia

Sarah (she/her) is a multilingual actor, comedian, singer, and published writer. She has lived and studied in Paris, London, and Toronto. She recently graduated with an International B.A. in French and Hispanic literature and a French B.Ed (Sorbonne Université / Glendon Campus), and is currently enrolled in the acclaimed The Second City Grad Revue improv program. Sarah is rarely seen without a coffee, or her miniature dachshund, Alphonse.

www.SarahFreia.ca | www.Instagram.com/SarahFreia | www.TikTok.com/SarahFreia | www.YouTube.com/SarahFreia www.Facebook.com/SarahFreia

Meet the Crew

Hershel Blatt - Director

Hershel (he/him) is a Jewish-Queer-Canadian actor and emerging writer/director. Theatre Credits include: Exagoge (La Mama/NYC), Summer of Semitism (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre), A Bear Awake in Winter (Canadian Stage/Next Stage Theatre Festival), The Stone Woman (Let Me In), as well as workshops of new plays across the U.S and Canada. Film and TV: "Murdoch Mysteries," "The Madness," "The Love Club," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2," "The Boys," "Wedding Season," "What Would Sal Do," "White Lie." Voice: Motivated! (Broadway Video/Audible). As a playwright, he has been workshopping his first play Ahava Later. He is a University of Toronto and Sheridan College graduate and now splits his time between Toronto and New York.

Jesse Levy - Stagehand

Jesse (she/her) is a dynamic musical theatre performer with a deep passion for storytelling. With strong formal training under her belt, Jesse is committed to using the stage as a platform to tell important and impactful stories, shedding light on diverse perspectives and human experiences. She is excited to be part of the creative team bringing the 6th annual 8 Gays of Channukah to life!

Aaron Penciner - Stage Manager

Aaron (he/him) is excited to be joining this year's crew for his very first 8 Gays of Chanukah. For the past 8 years, he has been involved in theatre productions throughout Ontario (from Hamilton to Ottawa), doing everything from lighting design, to stage managing, to acting. Aaron is excited to reconnect with the Toronto Jewish community where he grew up, and work with an incredible team to blend his passions for theatre, Jewish heritage, and the queer experience. When Aaron isn't thinking about theatre, he is working hard in medical school.