Folksbiene Theatre Sings "This Land is Your Land" in Yiddish at Summerstage Festival in Central Park

Last Wednesday night New York's Central Park was filled with the sound of Yiddish song as the Grammy Award winning ensemble, The Klezmatics, was joined by an all star line up of Yiddish concert and theatre stars: Joanne Borts, Josh “Socalled” Dolgin, Cantor Magda Fishman, Avi Fox Rosen, Sarah Mina Gordon, Daniel Kahn, Elmore James, Lea Kalisch, Daniella Rabbani, Eleanor Reissa, Lorin Sklamberg and Special Guest Dudu Fisher.

The event was presented by Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage in collaboration with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

During the event, lyrics were projected on a giant screen, and made available on audience cellphones via QR codes, as the singers led the audience in an unprecedented community chorus, joyously celebrating our precious cultural legacy. The event included an unprecedented 4000-voice sing-along, celebrating the launch of YiddishSongs.org, home of The Yosl and Chana Mlotek Yiddish Song Collection.

Here is a video clip of the ensemble singing This Land is Your Land in Yiddish.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Human Tree on Candid Camera

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes. 

In this classic episode the Candid Camera crew sets up a hollow tree with a man inside in various spots including Central Park, a New York subway station, and Times Square.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Teaching Dogs Yiddish in Central Park

In September and again in October, the historic Yiddish organization The Workmen's Circle invited owners to bring their dogs for an event in Central Park where dogs are taught commands like 'sit' and 'down' in Yiddish.

As Alix Strauss wrote in The New York Times,

The class was organized by Workmen’s Circle, a progressive Jewish community and education nonprofit. “People want to teach their dog Yiddish,” said David Dossick, the event manager at the Circle. “It’s a New York thing to do.”

Steve Zelman, 69, from Sutton Place, Manhattan, was there with Ollie, his longhaired miniature dachshund to “meet some nice Jewish dogs,” he said.

Edna Schwartz, also 69, came in from Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, with Puma, her miniature poodle, for the training aspect. “My family would yell at us in Yiddish, so this reminds me of my childhood,” she said. “My dog is here to learn how to behave, listen and respond.”

Enjoy!


A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

New York Cantors Perform Wide Range of Jewish Music at Summerstage in Central Park

On June 12, The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Capital One City Parks Foundation's SummerStage presented The New York Cantors, a concert by three young Cantorial superstars to a standing-room-only audience in New York's Central Park. 

As reported by Broadway World News, 

The Cantors lead three vibrant congregations in the New York area-Azi Schwartz at Park Avenue Synagogue, Yaakov (Yanky) Lemmer at Lincoln Square Synagogue and Netanel Hershtik at the Hamptons Synagogue.

The Cantors were accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director of The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Zalmen Mlotek. Special guests joining the show include Shulem, a young Chassidic singing star and recently signed Universal Music/Decca Gold recording artist; Grammy-winning klezmer icon Frank London, a founding member of the Klezmatics, who performed the world premiere of his new klezmer concerto, "Freylekhs - A Klezmer Fantasy for Orchestra and Trumpet."

Also appearing was Andrew Kurtz, Music Director and conductor of the Gulf Coast Symphony. The emcee was Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Chairman of the New York Board of Rabbis and co-host of "The Rabbi and the Rev," a weekly radio program on WABC.

The eclectic program included Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Prayer for the IDF, God Bless America, A Million Dreams (from The Greatest Showman), Funiculi Funicula, Oseh Shalom, Close Every Door (from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and Hatikvah.

We're sorry that we missed the concert (we were attending the "Shtisel-Behind the Scenes" program at Temple Emanu-el that night), but we can all enjoy the musical clips in the video below.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Yiddish Under the Stars - Excerpts from a Folksbiene Night in Central Park

Yiddish Under the Stars, an evening of Yiddish and klezmer music sponsored by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, has become an annual event at Summerstage in New York's Central Park. Last week the stars came out again and gave the lucky New Yorkers in attendance a free concert.

A production of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, hosted by the riotously funny Emmy Award-nominated actress Jackie Hoffman – who plays the role of Yente in the Folksbiene’s upcoming Yiddish version of “Fiddler on the Roof” – the three-hour extravaganza featured over a half-dozen acts which, while all rooted solidly in Yiddish and klezmer tradition, approached it from a variety of angles such that it was almost a mini-version of an entire SummerStage season.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/music/403198/yiddish-under-the-stars-turns-central-park-into-fabulous-panoply-of-sounds/

A production of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, hosted by the riotously funny Emmy Award-nominated actress Jackie Hoffman – who plays the role of Yente in the Folksbiene’s upcoming Yiddish version of “Fiddler on the Roof” – the three-hour extravaganza featured over a half-dozen acts which, while all rooted solidly in Yiddish and klezmer tradition, approached it from a variety of angles such that it was almost a mini-version of an entire SummerStage season.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/music/403198/yiddish-under-the-stars-turns-central-park-into-fabulous-panoply-of-sounds/

A production of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, hosted by the riotously funny Emmy Award-nominated actress Jackie Hoffman – who plays the role of Yente in the Folksbiene’s upcoming Yiddish version of “Fiddler on the Roof” – the three-hour extravaganza featured over a half-dozen acts which, while all rooted solidly in Yiddish and klezmer tradition, approached it from a variety of angles such that it was almost a mini-version of an entire SummerStage season.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/music/403198/yiddish-under-the-stars-turns-central-park-into-fabulous-panoply-of-sounds/

Performers included
– Frank London & His Klezmer All Stars
– Andy Statman
– Cantor Magda Fishman
– Pharaoh’s Daughter with Cantor Basya Schechter
– Golem
– Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird
– Eleanor Reissa
– Zalmen Mlotek

Here's a sampling of the evening's entertainment:

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.