NEW YORK SINGS YIDDISH to Return to Central Park's SummerStage
YidLife Crisis will host, with performances from The Mamales, Yair Keydar, Margot Weintraub, and violinist Yosef Kogan.
The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) will present a rollicking line-up of singers, musicians, actors and comedians in a special youth-focused edition of its popular, free annual concert at SummerStage in Central Park. “New York Sings Yiddish: Passing the Torch to a New Generation,” on Thur Sept 17 at 7pm at Rumsey Playfield, is headlined by the boundary-breaking Yiddish rock star from Williamsburg Riki Rose; actor/singer and podcaster Daniella Rabbani; the high-energy trio The Mamales; two-time Star Search champion Yair Keydar; stage and television actor margot weintraub, and the 14-year old violin prodigy Yosef Kogan.
With music direction by Zalmen Mlotek, and musical arrangements by Grammy Award-winner Frank London — who leads his Klezmer All-Stars — this year's show is hosted by the Canadian comedy duo YidLife Crisis. “New York Sings Yiddish” officially kicks off NYTF's record-setting 111th consecutive season.
“New York Sings Yiddish” is a joyful and interactive public event that draws thousands of people from all walks of life. Since 2012, NYTF has been producing this high-spirited event that transforms Central Park's Rumsey Playfield into an open-air musical celebration where the entire audience becomes part of the performance, singing and dancing. Lyrics are projected on giant screens, welcoming all attendees to raise their voices together under the late summer sky.
"This year, we are proud to pass the torch to a new generation of talented and visionary performers who are reinterpreting the treasures of Yiddish," says NYTF's artistic director Zalmen Mlotek. "'New York Sings Yiddish' is our gift to the people of New York at the precise moment it is needed most."
The evening will also feature excerpts from the WNET AllArts Special on “Amid Falling Walls” (Tsvishn Falndike Vent), an in-depth look at NYTF's 2024 Drama Desk Award-winning production. The groundbreaking musical conceived by Avram Mlotek, directed by Motl Didner, with musical curation and direction by Zalmen Mlotek, introduces a remarkable collection of songs written and performed in Holocaust era ghettos, cabarets, partisan encampments, concentration camps, and clandestine theaters.
“New York Sings Yiddish” is presented by Capital One City Parks Foundation, ans SummerStage, in collaboration with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and supported by the Workers Circle, home to yiddishsongs.org, a treasure-trove of free Yiddish sheet music. The event is produced by Moishe Rosenfeld, president of Golden Land Concerts and Connections.
EVENT DETAILS
- Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Time: Doors open at 6:00 PM | Concert begins at 7:00 PM and continues until 9:00 pm
- Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (enter at East 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue)
- Admission: Free and open to all ages
- Seating: First-come, first-served until capacity is reached. Accommodations will be made for special needs.
Hosted this year by the Canadian comedy duo, YidLife Crisis, New York Sings Yiddish is more than just an enjoyable summer evening out in Central Park. It is a celebration of the power of community, shared history, and resistance through song. VIP Seating and Sponsorships are available… please contact, Joseph Mace @ jmace@nytf.org
Learn more about NYTF's season at nytf.org.
