New York Yiddish Troupe Searches for Home | Playbill

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News New York Yiddish Troupe Searches for Home A fire that gutted New York City's Central Synagogue Aug. 28 not only displaced a congregation, but smoked out the city's only Yiddish theater.

A fire that gutted New York City's Central Synagogue Aug. 28 not only displaced a congregation, but smoked out the city's only Yiddish theater.

The New York Times reported Sept. 21 that the 83-year-old Folksbiene Yiddish Theater, which has operated out of the synagogue's nearby community house auditorium since 1973, was told it must vacate the 420 seat space so services could be held there.

"We had no choice," synagogue executive director Livia Thompson told the Times. "It is the largest space we have left for services."

Folksbiene artistic directors Eleanor Reissa and Zalmen Mlotek have been scrambling to find a new venue for their fall show, a musical by Reissa about a girl dealing with her Jewish identity. It was set to open for ten weeks Oct. 31.

The nonprofit Yiddish-language troupe began in 1915 and has put on one play a year since its inception. A Playbill On-Line phone call to Folksbiene was not returned Monday, a Jewish holiday.

-- By Kenneth Jones

 
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