Sunday, March 8, 2026
5:00 PM
At the Maine Irish Heritage Center
Irish corned beef dinner or Jewish corned beef sandwich on rye? Why choose one when you can have both?
Join the Maine Jewish Museum and the Maine Irish Heritage Center for our second annual Shalom & Shamrocks, a festive, flavor-forward evening celebrating shared foodways, music, and immigrant histories — bringing together the luck of the Irish and the chutzpah of the Jews for a joyful night in Portland.
What’s on the menu (literally):
Corned beef, cabbage, and colcannon alongside a Jewish deli buffet — plus red ale and Dr. Brown’s.
And for dessert? Guinness stout cupcakes and black-and-white cookies, because Irish-Jewish harmony is sweet.
The story behind the feast:
Did you know the iconic Irish corned beef dinner has Jewish roots?
In the early 20th century, Irish and Jewish immigrants often lived side by side in American cities. Irish immigrants noticed that the corned beef enjoyed by their Jewish neighbors was similar to bacon — but cheaper and more accessible. Kosher butchers, in fact, counted nearly as many Irish customers as Jewish ones.
In that spirit, Shalom & Shamrocks brings together people of all backgrounds to celebrate shared immigrant experiences through food, music, and memory, right here in Portland.
Live music & special guests
- Klezmer musicians
- Will Woodson (flute, uilleann pipes) & Cait Finley (fiddle), performing dynamic Irish music rooted in early-20th-century Irish-American traditions
- Special appearance by Hasia R. Diner, author of Hungering for America, exploring Italian, Irish, and Jewish foodways in the age of migration
🎶 Expect sparky tunes, deep roots, and a room full of joy.
Tickets
- $60 — General admission
- $100 — Supporter ticket (helps fund future programs like this)
🎟️ Space is limited — and we sold out last year — so don’t wait!
Registration information coming soon!
About the Artists:
Hasia R. Diner
Hasia R. Diner is Professor Emerita at the Departments of History and the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, and Director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History. She is the former series editor for our Goldstein-Goren series in American Jewish History. Among her many books are Hungering for America: Italian, Irish and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration, The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000, We Remember With Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence after the Holocaust, 1945–1962, and Immigration: An American History, with Carl Bon Tempo.
Will Woodson & Cait Finley
Will Woodson (flute, uilleann pipes) and Cait Finley (fiddle) play sparky and driving traditional Irish music that’s grounded in the textures and rhythms of the rich Irish-American soundscape of the 1920s and 30s. With roots in the living Irish musical cultures of Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, and a tremendous admiration for the first generation of recorded Irish musicians, the duo conjures up the sounds of the dance halls, vaudeville theaters, and house sessions central to Irish-American music from the first half of the twentieth century. In 2019, the two recorded their debut album, “The Glory Reel” alongside box player and piano accompanist Chris “Junior” Stevens, which Dan Neely of the Irish Echo called “a fabulous album from three of Irish America’s finest.” During the pandemic years, the two made “The Phonograph Project”, a Patreon-supported series examining 78 recordings of traditional Irish music made in New York City in the 1920s and 30s. More recently, they’ve made musical appearances at the St. Louis Tionól, the Patrick J. Touhey Memorial Weekend in Boston and the Ward Archives “Archiving Irish America” conference in Milwaukee. Cait and Will live in Portland, Maine, and host a regular weekly session at The Continental that starts at 8 pm on Sundays. You can find them online at woodsonfinley.com.
Klezmer Musicians
The Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine has hosted a monthly Klezmer Open Jam Session since May 2023. Sponsored by the JCA and led by members of the Maine’s very own klezmer band, the Casco Bay Tummlers, it has proven to be popular with local musicians – of all levels – interested in the music of eastern European Jewry. We have an average attendance of 15-25, so there’s room for you, too! All instruments and singers are welcome. Or just come to listen and enjoy the heimish vibe! (Check out www.mainejewish.org/jcaevents for more info).
The Casco Bay Tummlers have been moving audiences – in their hearts and on their feet – for well over 30 years in southern Maine and beyond. We are very happy that we are still performing and playing for all sorts of celebrations and delighted to have the opportunity to share our love of this music through the JCA’s jam sessions. For more information on the band, visit cascobaytummlers.com. All four of our albums are available at cascobaytummlers.bandcamp.com and on most of your favorite streaming platforms.