MISSION STATEMENT:    Lachan, an accomplished community choir, is Toronto's leading exponent of Jewish Choral music. The Choir's intention is to perform a sophisticated Judaic and Hebraic repertoire at the highest standard of excellence, while both educating and entertaining its audience.

In 1993 Cantor Benjamin Z. Maissner created Lachan, Toronto Jewish Chamber Choir, with a group of experienced Toronto-based musicians who share a love of Jewish music. The choir's name is taken from one of the Hebrew words for "melody".

is committed to the performance of Jewish and Jewish-influenced music in both the liturgical and secular traditions, from the Twelfth to the Twenty-First century. The 25-voice choir is also recognized for its unique repertoire of Jewish-Canadian composers, including Louis Applebaum, Srul Irving Glick, Sid Robinovitch and John Weinzweig, among others.

The choir is renowned for its versatility. Lachan has performed in Leonard Bernstein's 'Kaddish' Symphony No. 3 with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra as well as performing a capella settings of songs and psalms by renowned composers from Canada, the United States and Israel. The choir has also commissioned local composers to provide original repertoire.

Lachan is frequently sought as a guest choir on stage and television. The choir has been featured in several documentaries, including Music of the Soul, a documentary on the history of music in liturgy. It has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe.  Lachan has been a featured choir in such venues as Toronto's Ford Centre, Germany's Meistersingerhalle, and in various musical series, Cantorial concerts and choral festivals in North America.

In 2006 we have performed a successful fundraising concert for Beth Ezekiel Synagogue in Owen Sound and are looking forward to our latest concert.

In 2005 Lachan performed a variety at a variety of concerts and venues. We performed at St. Luke's, Burlington, the ROM and Beth Emeth's Holocaust memorial concert and at our own annual concert - SHTETL TO BROADWAY. We also had the opportunity to appear with the National Academy Orchestra, conducted by Boris Brott, in Hamilton at Anshe Sholom and with him and his Orchestra at Windermere House in Muskoka. We sang also during the opening of the general Assembly of UJC/GA Convention held at the Metro Convention Centre. To close out the year, we had a outreach Chanukah concert with the Koffler Centre held at the Leah Posluns Theatre.

Our 2004 season started with a Passover Sing-In at the Holy Blossom Temple. The annual concert in June titled Baroque and Beyond presented Jewish Music from the 12th century to modern times. We sang at the Ashkenaz Festival on Labour Day, adding Yiddish choral singing to the festival which represents Yiddish Culture. The year finished off with our commemoration of Kristallnacht during Holocaust Education Week and then our Chanukah concert at the Leah Posluns Theatre.

In January of 2003 we honoured the celebration of Gershon Kingsley's 80th birthday. We sang many of his pieces and he honoured us by conduction us in one of his own pieces. Our concert Liturgy Throughout the Ages in February was one of the musical events which honoured the centennial celebration of the Adath Israel Congregation. Our annual concert, Our Prophets Proclaim, in May at the Isabel Bader Theatre, was inspired by the 'Vision of Isaiah'. Our year ended with 2 concerts in Ottawa. The first, Music of the Antiquities, took place at the Museum of Civilization to mark the opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition. Later that day we sang as guest choir along with Musica Ebraica at the Agudath Israel Synagogue Chanukah concert.

In March 2002, Lachan was selected as a National Semi-Finalist in the CBC Choral Competition. We also performed at the Community Hallel Passover Concert. In April we were off to Detroit to sing with 3 other selected choirs at the Gala Cantorial Concert at Temple Israel. At our annual concert in May, T'Hillim-A Celebration of Psalms, we were joined by the DaCapo Chamber Choir of Kitchener. The 2002 season concluded with an invitation to sing with Amadeus in October, at their concert 'A Celebration of Life' dedicated to the memory of a great Canadian and Toronto composer Srul Irving Glick.

In November 2000, the choir was the only Canadian representative at Sounds of Healing in Nuremberg, Germany - an international choral gathering which was one of the highlights of the 950th anniversary of the city of Nuremberg. The event featured major Jewish choirs from Israel, the United States and Canada in concerts of remembrance and reconciliation. The choirs were the special guests of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the City of Nuremberg and its Jewish community.  The event produced two commemorative recordings, broadcast in Europe and internationally, and was filmed for a future documentary.