Photos: National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Hosted Annual Concert At SummerStage

An estimated 2,000 New Yorkers came out to enjoy a line-up of singers, musicians, actors and comedians at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s (NYTF) free annual concert at SummerStage in Central Park on Friday, September 18th.

Led by NYTF’s artistic director, the acclaimed conductor and composer Zalmen Mlotek, and with musical arrangements by Grammy Award-winner Frank London (leading his exuberant Klezmer All-Stars), Zisl Slepovitch, and Avremi Gourarie, “New York Sings Yiddish: Passing the Torch to a New Generation,” featured the boundary-breaking Yiddish rock star from Williamsburg Riki Rose; actor/singer and podcaster Daniella Rabbani; the high-energy trio The Mamales; stage and television actor Margot Weintraub, and the 14-year old violin prodigy Yosef Kogan.

The Canadian comedy duo YidLife Crisis (Jamie Elman and Eli Batalion) kept things moving jauntily, encouraging the inter-generational audience to sing-along and dance. SummerStage’s excellent AV team made it easy by projecting lyrics in both English and Yiddish on giant screens, welcoming all attendees to raise their voices together.

The show’s musical numbers ranged from treasures of the Yiddish theatre, new tunes and a number of songs of resistance, hope and defiance composed during the Holocaust.
 

About National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Founded in 1915 in New York’s Lower East Side, the Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) is the world's oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company and a leading force in preserving Jewish cultural heritage through performance. NYTF produces award-winning plays, musicals, concerts, and educational programs that bridge generations and bring timeless stories to life.  Zalmen Mlotek is the artistic director, Joseph Mace is the managing director, and Motl Didner is the program director. Learn more at nytf.org.

Photo Credit: Tricia Baron