Mark Slobin, acclaimed scholar of East European and American Jewish music, discusses the music of From Shtetl to Stage: A Celebration of Yiddish Music and Culture, presented at Carnegie Hall on April 15. In his presentation, he uses images and recordings that cover a range of Yiddish theater songs, novelty numbers, concert music, and songs of social movements. Chana Pollack, archivist of The Forward newspaper, also gives a brief presentation that showcases Yiddish inked musical newspaper ephemera showing visually via archival ads and photos, some of the ways that Jewish immigrants were offered a platform for entry into the dream of America.

After the presentations, Slobin and Pollack will be joined by Daniel Kahn, Eleanor Reissa, and Lorin Sklamberg for a conversation about the music they are performing on Carnegie Hall’s From Shtetl to Stage program, and on the continued influence of Jewish music in today’s musical culture.