A Yiddish Renaissance

AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING ON-DEMAND JULY 26-30.
Program is free, but registration is required at THIS LINK.
For more info visit https://nytf.org/renaissance/

Ashkenaz is pleased to join with dozens of other international Yiddish culture organizations in supporting this virtual concert honoring Zalmen Mlotek’s 50-year career dedicated to Yiddish music and theatre … on the occasion of his 70th Birthday! Featuring hits from award-winning productions by the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, including “Fidller Afn Dakh” (Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish), “Di Goldene Kale (The Golden Bride)”, “On Second Avenue”, “Di Yam Gazlonim” (Yiddish Pirates of Penzance), “Amerike: The Golden Land”, “Soul to Soul”,  The Megile of Itzik Manger,” and more.

For over 50 years, Zalmen Mlotek has been a leader in the revival of Yiddish music and culture. Under his stewardship, NYTF has become a global force in preserving the history of Yiddish and bringing the language and culture to new generations—both those who have familial connections to the language and those who never heard it spoken before. Zalmen sat down with journalist Budd Mishkin to discuss his journey, from his parents and their passion for Yiddish, to his decision to make a career in Yiddish theater, to the ground-breaking production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. 

Zalmen has lifelong roots in Yiddish. His parents built notable careers in Yiddish culture. His own decision to pursue a career in Yiddish theater is a continuation of “the family business” that not only honors his parents and their work but also protects and promotes a culture that was nearly decimated. Today, “there’s more interest in Yiddish and Yiddish culture all around the world,” Zalmen says. “Thanks to the Yiddish language classes and klezmer festivals and Yiddish festivals going around—we’re benefiting from that and contributing to that Renaissance.”

A Yiddish Renaissance is a culmination of this revival and a celebration of what’s to come.