named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Concerts and Special Events
Live music performances, cabarets, and cultural events celebrating Jewish and Yiddish heritage, often featuring guest artists and collaborations.
FYUTS (Folksbiene Youth Theatre)
Educational program engaging young people in Yiddish language and culture through theatre training and performance opportunities.
Outreach & Education
Community engagement initiatives, school programs, and workshops designed to teach Yiddish culture and language to diverse audiences.
Yiddish Theatre Productions
Professional theatrical productions in Yiddish, often with English and Russian supertitles, including plays, musicals, and revivals of classic works.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 2 activities
- Present concerts celebrating Yiddish music and cultural themesPresents concerts featuring Yiddish songs and music, including the annual "Soul to Soul" tour and Central Park SummerStage performances, often enhanced with historical imagery and multilingual elements to explore Jewish identity and intercultural connections.
- Showcase emerging artists in Yiddish and contemporary performanceHosts performances and galas featuring young artists, including productions like "Drag: The Musical" and concerts in partnership with cultural institutions, to promote the next generation of Yiddish cultural expression.
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Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 1 activity
- Develop educational resources for Yiddish language and songCreates enduring educational materials, including video series and structured programs, to support the study and preservation of Yiddish language and musical heritage.
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Post-Performance Audience Engagement 1 activity
- Host post-performance discussions and educational eventsHosts post-show discussions with cast and creative teams, as well as educational programs such as line-by-line analyses of Yiddish songs, guest performances, and audience sing-alongs led by the Artistic Director.
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Jewish Holiday and Shabbat Community Events 1 activity
- Organize public cultural celebrations and holiday eventsHosts public events such as Chanukah celebrations featuring music in Yiddish and other languages, candle-lighting ceremonies, and distribution of traditional foods, as well as Purim-related readings and performances.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Produce Yiddish-language theater and musical performancesProduces professional theater productions and musical adaptations in Yiddish, including revivals like "Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish" and original works such as a musical adaptation of the Purim story, often incorporating English supertitles for accessibility.
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Jewish Community Media Production 1 activity
- Produce and distribute educational video content in YiddishCreates and distributes the "15 Minute Yiddish" video series, which teaches Yiddish vocabulary, expressions, and cultural context through short-form entertainment, reaching over 700,000 viewers worldwide.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.63M
Contributions & grants$1.62M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$7K0%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$1.12M
Program expenses53%
Admin / overhead22%
Fundraising25%
Salaries & benefits$651K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$877K
Cash$699K
Investments$25K
Liabilities$716K
Net assets$161K
Liquid reserves7.7 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -20.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZALMEN MLOTEK | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 40 | $176K |
| JOSEPH MACE | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 40 | $142K |
| MATTHEW DIDNER | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 40 | $119K |
| STEVE ROSS | MARKETING DIRECTOR | 40 | $65K |
| DOMINICK BALLETTA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PRODUCER | 40 | $54K |
board members · 19
- CAROL LEVIN — TRUSTEE
- DAVID TEYF — TRUSTEE
- DEENA BERNSTEIN — TRUSTEE
- ERIKA WITOVER — CHAIR, NOMINATING
- FRANCES KROSHINSKY — TRUSTEE
- JAY WISNICKI — TRUSTEE
- JEFFREY S WIESENFELD — TREASURER
- JOSEPH POTASNIK — TRUSTEE
- JUDITH FRIEDMAN ROSEN — VICE PRESIDENT
- KAREN FRIEDMAN — CHAIR, STRATEGIC PLANNING
- KEN ROSEN — SECRETARY
- LOUIS GALPERN — TRUSTEE
- MARK MLOTEK — PRESIDENT
- MARK SARNA — TRUSTEE
- MINNA SEITELMAN — CO-CHAIR
- PENNY GRAULICH — TRUSTEE
- SANDRA F CAHN — CO-CHAIR
- SERYL RITTER — CHAIR, DEVELOPMENT
- THEODORE FEDER — TRUSTEE
relationships · 22
Who they work with
- Beth El, New Rochelle Partner — Rabbi Viki Bedo from Beth El, New Rochelle participates in post-performance events
- Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Partner — Co-presented a Chanukah celebration event with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Partner — Collaborates with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene to present public performances in Central Park.
- CauseLab Partner — Manages marketing for the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- Congregation B'nai Torah Partner — Hosted a joint performance event with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene in Boca Raton.
- Forverts Partner — Source of archival Yiddish song material collected by Chana and Yosl Mlotek for the column "Pearls of Yiddish Poetry."
- IMPACT Repertory Theatre Youth Ensemble Partner — Collaborates with the IMPACT Repertory Theatre Youth Ensemble as featured performers in the Soul to Soul concert.
- Intuitive Production Management Partner — Handles production management for the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- Kane St. Synagogue Partner — Rabbi Michelle Dardashti from Kane St. Synagogue participates in post-performance events
- Lilith Magazine Partner — Susan Weidman Schneider, Founding Editor of Lilith Magazine, participates in post-performance events
- Motl Didner Partner — Lead instructor and performer in the "15 Minute Yiddish" series.
- National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Partner — Implied self-reference as the organization carrying out the mission
- Shira Dicker Media International Partner — Handles public relations for the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- Shireinu Choir of Long Island Partner — Features the Shireinu Choir of Long Island as performers in the Soul to Soul concert.
- Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Partner — Provided Cantor Daniel Singer to lead the Chanukah candle lighting ceremony at a joint public event.
- Talent Management Solutions – Ariana Levine Partner — Provides human resources services for the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- UpClick Digital Partner — Responsible for the website of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
- Workers Circle / Arbeter Ring Partner — Partners with Workers Circle / Arbeter Ring for a reading of the Megile featuring its representative.
- YIVO Partner — Collaborates with YIVO in hosting a reading of the Megile as part of a post-concert event.
- Yiddish Book Center Partner — Collaborates with Yiddish Book Center, featuring its representative in a reading of the Megile.
- Yiddish Forverts Partner — Partners with Yiddish Forverts, featuring its representative in a reading of the Megile.
- Yiddish New York Partner — Collaborates with Yiddish New York, featuring its representative in a reading of the Megile.
strategies · 3
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.
- Cultural Bridging Through Shared Historiesmethodology: cultural_bridging_through_theatreBy drawing parallels between Jewish and African-American experiences of oppression and resistance—through musical collaboration and narrative parallels—we build intercultural empathy and solidarity because shared emotional and historical understanding fosters connection across communities.
- Cultural Preservation Through Performing Artsmethodology: cultural_preservation_through_artsBy using theater, music, and storytelling to dramatize the Jewish experience, we preserve and revitalize Yiddish culture because artistic expression sustains cultural memory and identity across generations.
- Intergenerational Transmission of Cultural Knowledgemethodology: intergenerational_cultural_transmissionBy incorporating family legacy, archival materials, and community engagement into programming, we strengthen the continuity of Yiddish song and culture because connecting present audiences to historical sources deepens cultural rootedness and relevance.