Temple Beth Sholom of Roslyn Heights is bringing the Yiddish Theater to Long Island for an electrifying, theatrical concert on Monday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m.
This live show, called “Soul to Soul,” is a hit that has toured the country and made international appearances. Conceived by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s artistic director Zalmen Mlotek, this high-energy concert with stirring songs in Yiddish (with supertitles) and in English, celebrates the historic partnership between African Americans and Jews during the Civil Rights Era.
The moving musical selections are accompanied by an interwoven narrative, complete with multimedia imagery and video.
The very talented cast includes Lisa Fishman, Cantor Magda Fishman, Tony Perry, and Broadway veteran Elmore James. The show is especially relevant now, according to its creators, as it reflects the need for unity and healing in today’s world.
The award-winning NYTF, now in its 109th season, is the world’s oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company and the longest consecutively producing theatre in the United States.
The company, which resides in New York City at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, presents plays, musicals, concerts, lectures, and interactive workshops.
One of its recent productions, composer Barry Manilow and lyricist Bruce Sussman’s “Harmony,” a musical in English about a German male singing group forced to disband during the Holocaust, moved to Broadway last fall, where it ran for several months.
NYTF’s “Soul to Soul” one-night-only performance at Temple Beth Sholom on June 3 will benefit the synagogue’s ongoing inclusion efforts, which have enabled the religious school to accommodate special- needs children as well as those on the autism spectrum.
In fact, TBS has mainstreamed these students into its regular classes “to mirror the trend in public schools and in response to parents’ requests,” said educational director Sharon Solomon. “To make their transition successful, we give the children added support, such as one-to-one tutoring from special-education teachers.”
And that is not all. It takes a village to ensure that all students make progress: from the temple’s Inclusion Committee members, who have raised funds and awareness, to the teens who aid classroom teachers and the high school seniors who “shadow” students.
“Our program is based on academics,” Solomon explained, “but there’s also a social element. Classmates see kids with special needs or requirements as part of the community and they’re very accepting and speak up on their behalf. There’s also a staffed resource room for students who need to take a break from their classroom.”.
Another aspect of being an inclusive and welcoming congregation involves making the temple accessible to people with special physical needs, as it did by installing a ramp at the building’s Roslyn Road entrance, said Pearl Halegua, a former TBS president.
Other measures have included making restrooms at the synagogue fully accessible and purchasing prayer books with large type for the visually impaired.
Making the temple and religious school inclusive is an ongoing effort, which Halegua said requires designated funds each year.
Former TBS Rabbi Alan Lucas was a champion of the Inclusion Initiative and Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon, the temple’s new senior rabbi, is also highly supportive, she said, adding that Cantor Barnoy is a key member of the Inclusion Committee.
Temple Beth Sholom has the honor of bringing “Soul to Soul” to Long Island this spring. Please save the date of June 3rd for this compelling performance. For further information, or to become a concert sponsor, please contact the temple office at 516-621-2288 or email mainoffice@tbsroslyn.org.
