named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
North American Jewish Choral Festival Participation
Regular participation in the North American Jewish Choral Festival, performing as a featured ensemble and representing Yiddish choral music on a national stage.
Outreach Concerts
Year-round performances at cultural institutions, synagogues, and community centers across the New York tri-state area to promote Yiddish music and engage diverse audiences.
Spring and Fall Concert Series
Annual concert series held at Merkin Concert Hall and other venues, featuring themed programs of Yiddish choral music with printed translations and supertitles for audience accessibility.
Yiddish Song Workshop & Sing-Along
Free virtual workshops conducted via Zoom during the pandemic, open to global participants, focusing on thematic Yiddish songs with linguistic, musical, and historical context provided by conductor Binyumen Schaechter.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Community Choral Rehearsals & Performances 2 activities
- Conduct regular choral rehearsals and trainingHolds weekly Monday evening rehearsals in Midtown Manhattan from September to June, supplemented by sectional rehearsals for each voice part between January and March; records all sessions and provides access to support member participation and learning.
- Host virtual Yiddish song engagement eventsOrganized and hosted virtual Yiddish Song Workshop & Sing-Along events during the pandemic, attracting over 1,000 participants globally, and produced the first virtual choir performance published on YouTube in 2021.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Commission and premiere new Yiddish choral worksCreates and expands the repertoire of Yiddish choral music by commissioning and premiering new arrangements and original compositions, including works by Helen Medwedeff Greenberg, Robert Ross, Josh Waletzky, and Mark Zuckerman, with recent seasons featuring eight world premieres and the first-ever performance of “Happy Birthday” in Yiddish.
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Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Ensure accessibility of Yiddish performancesProvides English supertitles, printed translations, spoken introductions, and program notes during concerts to make Yiddish-language performances accessible and understandable to non-Yiddish-speaking audiences.
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
- Present choral performances of Yiddish musicPerforms Yiddish choral music in four-part harmony for diverse audiences at cultural, religious, civic, and concert venues across the New York tri-state area and beyond, including annual concerts at Merkin Concert Hall, summer appearances at the North American Jewish Choral Festival, and special performances at locations such as Carnegie Hall, West Point, Shea Stadium, and the World Trade Center site. Concerts include thematic programming and performances in commemoration of historical events and figures.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Produce recordings of Yiddish choral musicRecords and releases studio and live concert albums of Yiddish choral music, including the 2006 CD "Zingt! A Celebration of Yiddish Choral Music" and a 2007 live-in-concert DVD released in 2009; also produces virtual choir performances and maintains rehearsal recordings for member access.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$6K
Contributions & grants$6K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$2K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$67K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$67K
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020
Who runs it
board members · 4
- CYNTHIA EHRENKRANTZ — DIRECTOR
- GITL SCHAECHTER-VISWANATH — DIRECTOR
- LEAH MONTESINOS — DIRECTOR
- NAN BASES — DIRECTOR
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Binyumen Schaechter Partner — Conductor and executive producer of the chorus's recording
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Partner — Participated in the Annual Interfaith Concert of Remembrance at the cathedral.
- Di Goldene Keyt (The Golden Chain), Ltd. Partner — Founded in 1995 as a nonprofit to support the creation and high-quality performance of Yiddish choral music, affiliated with the Chorus.
- Frederick Jacobsohn Partner — Recording engineer for the chorus's recording
- Jewish Chronicle Partner — Featured in a New Year's Eve playlist article.
- Jewish Music Alliance Partner — Longstanding affiliation; originally founded as the Jewish Workers Music Alliance to support Yiddish choruses, later merged with the Zhitlowsky Foundation.
- Joshua Waletzky Partner — Session producer for the chorus's recording
- Kaufman Music Center Partner — Hosts performances at Merkin Hall as part of a venue partnership.
- Merkin Concert Hall Partner — Venue for the Chorus's annual spring and fall concerts since 2015.
- Museum of Jewish Heritage Partner — Performed at memorial and educational programs hosted by the museum.
- New Jersey Jewish Standard Partner — Featured for its mission to bring Yiddish song to the next generation.
- North American Jewish Choral Festival Partner — Performs annually at the North American Jewish Choral Festival.
- North American Jewish Choral Festival Partner — Recurring performance partner at multiple festival locations including Stamford, Tarrytown, and Kerhonkson.
- Shea Stadium Partner — Performed at a public event at Shea Stadium.
- Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center Partner — Performed concerts at the cultural center in the Bronx.
- Tablet Magazine Partner — Profiled in an article titled "In Tune" about the chorus.
- The Jewish Week Partner — Featured in coverage of the chorus's 100th-anniversary celebration and rare Yiddish rendition of Hatikvah.
- YouTube Network — Posts performance videos on YouTube for public viewing.
- Zhitlowsky Foundation Partner — Merged with the Jewish Music Alliance in 1985, maintaining organizational ties to the Chorus's support network.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collective Learning as Cultural Sustenancemethodology: collective_learning_through_choirBy engaging members in collective study and performance of Yiddish vocal literature, we sustain Yiddish language and culture, because group-based learning strengthens communal identity and intergenerational transmission.
- Contextual Engagement to Deepen Cultural Understandingmethodology: audience_engagement_through_contextual_materialsBy distributing detailed keepsake Journals and using supertitles, we enhance audience engagement and understanding, because providing historical and linguistic context makes Yiddish performances accessible and meaningful to diverse, multilingual audiences.
- Cultural Preservation Through Choral Musicmethodology: cultural_preservation_through_musicBy performing and recording Yiddish choral music — both traditional and contemporary — we preserve and promote Yiddish language and culture, because active musical engagement sustains endangered linguistic heritage through communal participation and accessible artistry.
- Immersive Language Learning for Cultural Authenticitymethodology: immersive_language_learningBy using recordings, translations, and immersive rehearsals, we enable singers without prior Yiddish knowledge to perform authentically, because experiential language acquisition in musical context deepens cultural connection and performance integrity.
- Thematic Programming for Cultural Resiliencemethodology: cultural_resilience_through_defiant_musicBy centering women's voices and performing songs of resistance and defiance, we highlight historical resilience in Yiddish culture, because thematically focused repertoire fosters emotional resonance and reinforces cultural continuity in the face of oppression.