20 Issues Didnt Discover Oportun Monetary
20 Issues Didnt Discover Oportun Monetary Oportun Finacial Company was a relatively the fresh new financial into scene. The company has just went social in addition they had a successful initially personal giving. The organization focuses primarily on signature loans, mortgages, automobile financing, and you can financial courses functions, but there is one thing regarding their viewpoints that’s unique and you will distinct from a great many other loan providers. The approach to ads produced all of us need certainly to find out more about brand new Oportun and you can after looking at the facts, the firm character, in addition to their newest circumstances, we unearthed that this is exactly among the many financial businesses that happen enjoying, regardless if you are looking for that loan or if you are a trader trying diversify your portfolio. Listed below are 20 items that you did not know about Oportun Financial Business that you might become grateful to understand. step 1. They’ve been nevertheless an early organization Opportune very first opened its gates getting business from inside the 2005. They usually have simply held it’s place in company having 14 many years, but at that time, they will have depending a substantial reputation regarding organizations that they serve. Their audience is actually projected is as much as a hundred million United states users. It services within the state from California, and you may they usually have gone a long way in helping individuals who in earlier times did not be eligible for a loan to keep the needed resource so you’re able to improve their standard of living. 2. Opportun suits users who have minimal if any credit history Probably one of the most unique regions of Opportun is they provides a mission to help people that do perhaps not qualify for conventional loans to help you secure investment towards the fundamentals out-of existence. They thought subscribers who possess perhaps not dependent credit history also due to the fact people with a limited background. Almost every other loan providers during the mainstream financial features sector wouldn’t meet the requirements some of the clients one to Opportun caters to. Its mission books per worker of the company to work with those who are really missing out to be eligible for finance hence work because of their individual facts. Hard-working people that gainfully employed, also individuals with low to help you moderate-money account are believed to have vehicle, mortgage and private money which can help them to establish the credit rating. They provide website subscribers a chance to generate and you can have shown its creditworthiness. 3. It run-on a different design The latest model you to Opportun uses helps reasonable-earnings people to prevent planning to option lenders whom charge astronomically high fees for their economic qualities. Opportun have their prices realistic and so they focus on getting small-dollars fund which might be sensible because of their customers. It is estimated that he has got aided to keep over $step 1.5 million inside the notice and you will charges whenever the services is actually opposed so you’re able to alternative loan providers. This is a large amount. cuatro. Opportun has already established praise regarding Date Journal Big date Mag keeps named Opportun as among the Wizard Organizations that are about the company regarding inventing the long run. The reason being of your own creative and you may humanitarian means that they test the fresh birth off qualities. FinTech Breakthrough named Opportun’s signature loans as one of the better consumer lending options in the market. 5. These include nevertheless building and you will...
Read More5 What to See Before you buy Homes to build a house
5 What to See Before you buy Homes to build a house To purchase home to build property is far more advanced than it you are going to first have a look. For almost all, having a house designed to their requisite ‘s the culmination off years of poring over home plan journals and you will driving as a consequence of communities considering established homes to own framework determination. Yet not, the building processes try multifaceted, additionally the parcel or residential property chosen getting design need certainly to satisfy specific requirements. If you long for an outlying pastoral glance at and no residents around the corner or youre more interested in choosing much to your an effective cul-de-sac, there are things to consider when purchasing house to create an effective house. The newest land you purchase lies the origin for your structure processes. step one. You may have to pay for this new land in cash. Lenders are less likely to mortgage money getting raw, undeveloped belongings compared to a current house since there are as well many unknowns which have intense residential property. This is especially true for highest plots from outlying land once the it may be costs-expensive in many cases to take electrical power into website and also make provisions to own a garage, potable water, and an appropriate sewer program. The brand new upside is when you can buy the brand new belongings during the cash, the lending company is more likely to funds the building off a good brand new home. Guess you possess this new residential property otherwise lot outright (rather than that loan). In this case, the financial institution may consider your control because the a deposit to own build funding, that later on end up being transported to the a classic financial during the end of one’s building processes. The fresh exemption compared to that standard rule is when you purchase a package into the a residential advancement where house are presently around design just like the bank knows the new creator has already off the beaten track the new technology facts. Having the right deposit (the total amount may vary by financial), you might be able to financing a good platted package and the cost of building a property in a single structure mortgage you to definitely have a tendency to later on roll on a home loan if the residence is flow-into the able. dos. Pick homes, but get a realtor before making an offer. Area of the fun and you will adventure of creating an alternative home is actually looking for the proper area, thus feel free to scour the web having assets posts, push along areas, otherwise select residential property that is planned for sale during the public auction. However, never generate a deal otherwise put a quote before you could get a realtor you never know the area. If you are using an agent, youll possess specific defenses, such as the capacity to get out of brand new offer if the the home is not suited to build. Suppose you put a 5-acre tract that appears like a beautiful destination to make your rural fantasy household, and has an as-Sale-by-Proprietor check in top. Its just the area youve been searching having, and you are anxious to get they in advance of other people does. In the place of make an offer, name a representative and get the girl regarding property. A knowledgeable representative can frequently let you know whether or not the land are in the a flood ordinary, if outlying liquid and electricity are available...
Read MoreHow do you use a great $five-hundred Pay day loan?
How do you use a great $five-hundred Pay day loan? When you are out of cash, five-hundred bucks is going to be a king’s ransom. When you have a crisis condition your scramble wanting alternatives. Once you select an online payday loan it is rather almost certainly you’ve got fatigued virtually any solutions. But don’t despair. You are able to get a 500 dollars loan now and also have you to punctual cash in your account in only that business day. No matter your credit score, you could potentially fill in the online app and have approved for an effective money loan without a credit assessment now! Each year millions of Us americans you desire urgent guidelines and become to help you cash advance because a choice. They is not for everyone but can do the job. What is a 400 Dollars Financing? A four hundred money payday loan try temporary mortgage you can consult if you want cash for disaster expenses. Usually, you will pay off the loan in one single few loans in Kinsey days, extremely claims set enough time during the 30 days. In a few states, lead lenders can allow individuals to extend their installment months. Its done to make sure the customers was smaller planning to do not have late penalty fees. Ask your direct lender regarding it. While you are approved (many people are), your money is in your checking account t the next business day. As the noted, a big advantageous asset of an on-line five hundred money mortgage ‘s the higher acceptance speed. Also those with bad or poor credit can consult a four hundred dollar payday loan regarding an immediate lender and just have bucks rapidly. $five hundred pay day loan lack any limitations how your spend your finances. But we recommend using only payday loans to own emergency/urgent expenditures such as for instance scientific expenses, automobile solutions, electricity repayments, book, market, or other issues. We’ll maybe not ask you why you are getting your financing. How come an effective $500 Financing Functions? The first step obtaining $500 buck cash advance is merely in order to demand one to. You begin because of the completing the quick, safer on line mode towards asked suggestions while the number your need to obtain. Precision of one’s information is crucial so make sure their study before hitting the complete button. Following, you click complete as well as your consult was processed during the moments (typically 5-60 seconds) while rating an answer! In the event the approved, you are connected right to your own lender who will comment your own loan small print. $five-hundred pay day loan without Credit assessment Is it feasible? You can find different varieties of credit score inspections. Finance companies and you can borrowing unions carry out tough borrowing inspections. All of this form is they get the fico scores out-of the top 3 credit bureaus and employ those individuals Fico scores in order to determine if they’ll provide for you. Banking institutions or other antique lenders simply approve people with a good credit ratings and you can refuse those with less than perfect credit scores. On the web lead pay day loan providers merely perform a flaccid credit query. It is not claimed to your credit bureaus and will not apply at your score. Direct lenders manage your own month-to-month money, and that demonstrates your capability to settle the loan on time. He has got found this is actually the ideal signal of your element to settle your loan. When you require money rapidly, do not let your credit...
Read MoreIn making this new commitment, a bank need play with one of the adopting the steps:
In making this new commitment, a bank need play with one of the adopting the steps: A good securitization exposure can be outlined from inside the twelve CFR 324.dos, because finished sometimes. Increased-chance securitization excludes the most that is recoverable about You.S. government around verify or insurance policies arrangements. Sometimes, the financial institution does not have to trust in every the second parts of information and make increased-risk devotion when the fewer files promote enough study to help make the dedication A lender need certainly to determine whether a beneficial securitization is higher risk established through to suggestions as of the brand new big date of issuance ( i.age., new big date the latest securitization comes toward market toward social for the first time). The lending company need certainly to get this devotion during the time period one create pertain under so it Appendix when your financial were in person obtaining finance or ties of types of underlying the brand new securitization. Higher-chance securitizations is actually recognized as securitization exposures (except securitizations categorized given that trade book), in which, into the aggregate, over fifty percent of one’s assets support the newest securitization see both this new requirements for higher-risk C I money or securities, higher-chance individual finance, or nontraditional mortgage loans, except people classified since the exchange book (a) Getting good securitization collateralized of the a static pool off financing, whoever hidden guarantee alter as a result of the marketing or amortization out-of this type of loans, the new fifty percent tolerance will be calculated based upon installment loan company Victoria TX the brand new level of large-chance property, just like the discussed inside Appendix, belonging to the brand new securitization into go out out of issuance of the securitization. (b) To have a securitization collateralized by a dynamic pool of finance, whose hidden security may transform from the acquisition of a lot more assets, and additionally commands generated throughout good ramp-upwards several months, the newest 50 % tolerance will be calculated based upon new highest quantity of highest-chance possessions, since defined inside Appendix, allowable within the collection guidelines of the securitization. A bank is not needed to evaluate an excellent securitization on a good continued foundation in the event that securitization was collateralized because of the a dynamic pond out of financing; rather, the bank is only required to assess the securitization immediately after. A lender is required to utilize the pointers which is relatively accessible to an advanced investor within the reasonably choosing whether or not an excellent securitization matches brand new 50 percent endurance. Pointers reasonably offered to an advanced individual has, it is not limited to, giving memoranda, indentures, trustee profile, and requests pointers regarding servicers, security professionals, issuers, trustees, otherwise comparable third parties. Whenever deciding whether a beneficial rotating believe otherwise equivalent securitization match this new threshold, a financial can use oriented criteria, model profiles, or restrictions authored in the providing memorandum, indenture, trustee declaration, otherwise similar data. Sufficient pointers essential a financial and come up with a decisive determination may not, in every circumstances, become fairly open to the financial institution as the an enhanced investor. In such a case, the financial institution can get do so their wisdom to make this new dedication. Inside circumstances where an excellent securitization is needed to become consolidated into equilibrium sheet as a result of SFAS 166 and you can SFAS 167, and you will a financial possess access to the desired guidance, a bank get opt for an alternative method of comparing the fresh new securitization to determine should it be greater risk. The financial...
Read MoreCreating Like Across the Age: Brand new Conscious Activity old-Gap Matchmaking
Creating Like Across the Age: Brand new Conscious Activity old-Gap Matchmaking Taking a fresh consider ages-gap dating from contact lens away from Aware Relationship Structure, it part unearths the new steeped prospect of authentic relationship and you can deliberate development in modern love’s ranged forms. During the a quaint town, where in fact the whispers of the breeze carried tales into the the ear canal, existed Margaret, a great saturated lady regarding 54, whoever like lives defied enough time-stored exhibitions.* Happily partnered for many years, Margaret’s heart and you may lives got made room for a few so much more companions, one to 20 years their own elder in addition to most other two decades their own junior. There was Albert, 74, a resigned teacher whoever zest for lifetime is since the exhilarating due to the fact a spring season day. Even after their age, he transmitted a youthful heart that receive pleasure regarding the adventure of the the new. He was understood in the societal circles given that someone who defied the customary boundaries of age, looking at the current with an interested brain. The conferences was basically alive and you can productive, filled with spirited debates one browsed life’s intricacies, but really together with moved with the most recent indie rock groups plus the current fusion food places to eat in town. Because the an individual who considered that studying try a lifelong adventure, Albert appear to went to courses towards the emerging technologies, and happened to be recognized to dabble during the street art from inside the sundays. Its rendezvous was in fact a variety of the fresh deep in addition to playful, with the new contemporary sounds of contemporary musical plus the sweet, fruity notes of newly located drink away from a neighbor hood normal vineyard. For every come across which have Albert is actually an invite to own Margaret to gain access to the world due to an excellent contact which was once the progressive and you can unlock whilst was smart and you may knowledgeable. Margaret got fulfilled Henry, 34, at the a local tango dancing classification. The very first dancing is actually a conversation as opposed to words, a rhythmic mining you to continued long afterwards the music eliminated. That have Henry, she rediscovered the fresh vivacity off youngsters, its laughter ringing from the of several nights it invested to each other, dance or simply just discussing desires under a cover of celebrities. Henry, a improving novelist that have a good penchant to have adventure, produced a touch of whimsy toward their lifetime. His eyes sparkled on limitless fascination off an author whose industry is actually framed because of the moving off imagination and facts. Together, they explored this new city’s invisible bookstores, dined in the quaint absolutely nothing bistros, and you will common their love for the poetic beat off tango significantly less than new delicate shine of the moonlight. For each time having Henry was a beautiful note so you can Margaret out of the new unlimited selection that set ahead, the potential for rediscovering a youthful perspective while also stepping into significant, adult discussions you to touched new spirit. This type of relationships aren’t a new occurrence, yet , it evoke all types of responses and judgments, mainly rooted in societal norms and you can traditional Their particular husband, John, try their particular point, and her primary. Their love was for example a vintage, soothing song, resonating throughout the years, for every single note a nice note away from a lifestyle really stayed to each other. John, a professional...
Read MoreAbout Me
What’s Susan up to?
Penn State Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies will host me as I present a solo program of song and history focusing on the roots of Eastern European Jewish music and related songs.
I have the honor of presenting this year at the annual American Folklore Society's conference. A lecture on papercut arts around the world and a demonstration of my own work will take place during the conference on October 22, 2021!
ELEVEN languages and counting! Over the years, I've crafted ketubot that honor many cultures. In addition to the expected Aramaic, modern Hebrew, English, and even Yiddish, I have included Korean, Kannada, Latin, Arabic, and even the Telugu seen in the cropped image above! What a joy this has been!
What a wonderful experience I shared with the community of Las Cruces, NM and the Guild of American Papercutters when I presented an hour-long lecture on the worldwide history of papercut arts on March 16, 2021. This was in conjunction with the museum's show of Islamic papercut art. We looked at tools, traditions, and especially shared visual vocabularies from India to Mexico, from Persia to China and beyond!
February 18, 2018 - Susan will be hosted by the Sholem Aleichem Center in the Bronx for a concert. Come for a shmuez (a chat) and stay for the music!https://www.pineclubgolf.com/best-electrical-push-carts/
As part of the Sacred: Image, Text, Ritual exhibit at Lebanon Valley College, Susan will be presenting a lecture recital titled "Words as Homeland: Where Jewish Text, Art, and Song Converge to Express a Culture." Thursday, February 8, 2018, 5 pm at the Zimmerman Recital Hall.
A wonderful arts residency in Teaneck, NJ at Congregation Beth Sholom concluded with a full concert, accompanied by Adrian Banner on Piano. Enthusiasm and learning flowed back and forth the entire time. Fabulous community!
What a great night at the Jalopy in Brooklyn on June 16, 2016 as my new trio with Lauren Brody and Jake Shulman-Ment stepped out to strut our stuff! Many languages, many musical cultures, and great joy in blending our voices and instruments.
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In the beautiful summer landscape of Rindge, New Hampshire, I was privileged to teach traditional Jewish papercut arts at the annual National Havurah Committee's Summer Institute. We turned a large, sunny room into an art studio, and the class burst into enthusiastic art creation. I love the celebratory greeting of everyone's creations as skills and appreciation deepen over four days of classes. I'll come to you! Just ask!
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Back to the Catskills, this time teaching for HAZAK, a group under the umbrella of United Synagogue that offers among its programs an annual summer week of learning and camaraderie. I used my lecture/recital format to widen the world of Yiddish song for about 150 life-long learners as we studied, laughed, sang a bit, and grew to know one another in Kerhonkson, NY.
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When Nancy Spielberg screened her film Above and Beyond in Harrisburg's Chisuk Emuna Congregation, I was tapped to create a papercut gift for her. I chose the color scheme of her promotional material and the Hebrew words which translate into "Be strong... and strengthen one another." The filmmaker and I are shown here. (photo by Josh Damrauer)
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Each year the myriad of faith communities in the Harrisburg region come together to celebrate in song. Here's an image of my participation, sharing the beauty of Yiddish song at the Pine Street Presbyterian Church.
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One of three children's programs to wind up a hectic and marvelous Scholar in Residence program at Congregation Beth El in Fairfield, CT. Lectures, singing programs, explorations of Yiddishkayt - and a debut concert of the new Leviton/Brody duo in concert! I'll happily come to your community, too!
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Yiddish Culture on St. Croix! I received the warmest welcome all across the island where I had the opportunities to teach a vocal arts class in a school, offer an adult papercutting workshop, lecture in the synagogue, and get the whole audience at the Reformed Church singing along in multiple languages! Cultural seeds planted and the smiles, voices, and hugs still linger in memory!
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The Judson Church off Washington Square was packed with well over 300 people on December 30, 2014, to honor the memory and brilliance of Adrienne Cooper, and to award Michael Wex with this year's Dreaming in Yiddish prize. Below is an image of the finale of the musical performance of the Kanonen song from Brecht and Weill's Threepenny Opera, translated from the German into Yiddish by Wex himself. An all-star band backed us as we belted out the Army Song and others, accompanied by the brilliant puppetry and staging of Great Small Works and Power Point translations which made the text a little less inscrutable! What a night! Singers below include Sarah Gordon, Eleanor Reissa, Tine Kindermann, Dan Kahn, myself, and others.
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A whirlwind arts week in Caldwell, NJ at Congregation Agudath Israel allowed me to open Jewish folk arts to energetic groups from preschoolers through elders. The tots sang and acted out Yiddish songs with costumes and props, the school students (4 larger groups) explored paper arts and traditional papercutting, and adults were treated to a series of lecture recitals, everything taking place in a large space where I hung over 35 works of framed art. What a fabulous arts residency for all of us together!
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Nearly 100 people attended a lecture/recital stitching together I. B. Singer's writing and the artists who illustrated his books as Susan sang her way through the bookshelves, Sunday, November 16, at Chisuk Emuna Congregation in Harrisburg, PA. This was the second event in the year's programming under a grant from the Koster Foundation.
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I was guest lecturer at Dickinson College today, October 6, singing my way through a program on Jews and Food. Unlike the light weight singalongs I often do on this topic, the class took food songs into the framework of Hasia Diner's examination of the place of food in Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement through acculturation in America. 15 songs unpacked! A great eye-opening experience for all!
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Heeding God's Call is a national organization working at a grassroots level to end gun violence and straw buying. On September 18, within days of two gun murders in Harrisburg, I participated in an interfaith program at the MLK Baptist Church in the heart of our city. We 'sang' Reisen's Dos Naye Lid together as the assembled crowd held colored cards with words in Yiddish and English.
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A happy bride at the huppah with her papercut ketubah! 'Tis the season, and I've been busy with commissions of all sorts!
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A full week of learning and teaching at the Havurah Summer Institute was a welcome experience again this year. Located at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire, about 300 Havurahniks from infancy to elder sage-age filled days and nights with enthusiastic work, food, music, and exploration. I taught classes in Yiddish song and helped create a soundscape for Tisha B'Av this summer. Loved it!!!
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A lovely way to begin the summer's KlezKamp's Wisconsin adventure was a solo concert at Chai Point in Milwaukee. Jill Gellerman and were welcomed to the beautiful facility and then I sang for and with a great crowd of elders, eager to be part of the action!
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Quite a surprise when I met the truck from Welch Signage in Maine, carrying the massive synagogue feature wall I had designed, to see a piece of my own artwork prominently displayed on both sides of the vehicle!
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I performed for over 100 people at beautiful Maris Grove in Pennsylvania's Delaware County on May 13. As part of the PA Humanities Council's program of Commonwealth Speakers, I was able to bring the sound of Yiddish to an audience largely unfamiliar with the language and culture. As always, common threads were immediately found!
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Verrry busy these days creating a synagogue feature wall, but I took time last week to be interviewed for Ted Merwin's article "The Aesthetics of Judaism" in The New York Jewish Week. Here's a quote: "For Susan Leviton, a ketubah-maker, paper-cut artist and Yiddish folk song performer ..., it was during the 1960s and ’70s, when many Jews flocked back to their roots, that Jews... 'took Judaism back into their own hands' and began braiding challahs and tie-dying prayer shawls. Hiddur mitzvah 'alters us as we fulfill a mitzvah or perform a ritual,' she told me. A Midrash (Song of Songs Rabbah 1.15) suggests that observance of the commandments makes Jews beautiful, even as Jews glorify God through hiddur mitzvot."
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An outpouring of love and creativity filled the room as we honored the memory of Adrienne Cooper and saw Jenny Romaine accept the first Dreaming in Yiddish award for her visionary work. Here's Susan on stage with Alicia Svigals, Jake Shulman-Ment, Benjy Fox Rosen, Aaron Alexander, Michael Winograd, and Dan Blacksberg, 12/21/13. (Photo by Bob Blacksberg)
When Goucher College Hillel welcomed a gift of two Torah scrolls, I was honored to craft mantles and wimples. So much silk! Garnet polished to look like pomegranate seeds! Text and the visions of students to work with! A grand experience.
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A totally spectacular group of artists, writers, social activists, and even puppeteers joined me for a week of creative work as I served as Artist in Residence at the 2013 National Havurah Conference Summer Institute in Rindge, NH. In 4 days of intense collective learning and creating, we built a musical theater production in a box (a cranky) and shared the story of the plight of needleworkers, past and present, with 300 others in a rapt audience!
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It was a beautiful day in Baltimore as the Jewish Museum of Maryland presented its annual Risch Memorial Program. I was delighted to be the featured performer, following brief, powerful presentations by Andres Salguero, Ssuuna, and the DC Turkish Folk Music Group. It always touches me to rediscover the points of connection among immigrant communities, regardless of geographic homes, cultures, and reasons for relocation. A brilliant celebration of cultures!
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Over 350 pieces of beautiful Youghiogheny Art Glass hand-cut, and now I'm on to wet-grinding the edges! It's a new skill that I'm happy to add to my resume as I take on the responsibility to create a soaring double wall of glass above the Torah ark for Chisuk Emuna Congregation in Harrisburg, building anew after a destructive fire in 2009. Check back in mid-May for a look at the completed wall!
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Getting closer to a new recording! Michael Winograd spent a day in the studio on March 28 with Frank London, Dan Blacksberg, Hadar Noiberg, and Alec Speigelman to lay down horn tracks for my as-yet-unnamed CD. Dan Kahn joined in as a special guest vocalist. Next will come strings and soon after that the mixing and mastering, printing and artwork, and OT AZOY! A new Yiddish recording!
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A whirl of creative activity has sent me to the sewing machine to craft two Torah mantles for Goucher College Hillel. One of the scrolls is a rescued Torah from Czechoslovakia, so armed with a palette of palest greys, golds, silvers, and ivories, I headed to Chinatown in NYC on a rainy day to seek silks! What a delight to discover Belraf Fabrics, owned by an Uzbeki couple. A trip around the world in fabric! Take a peek here are the first days' construction.
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I'll be guest lecturing at Dickinson College in Professor Ted Merwin's class during the week that we commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. My program on the fire in words and Yiddish song continues to grow as I learn, and to sadly resonate as we all ponder how little has changed in global workplace safely in the last century. See "Upcoming Events" for details.
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Each year as KlezKamp ends, I proclaim, "This was the best ever!" And every year I mean it. And this year I mean it more! The staff concert nearly lifted the roof off what had been, in its glory days The Granite Hotel in the Catskills. My classes (traditional papercutting and "Our Lives are in our Songs") were filled with curious, thoughtful participants who challenged one another to take each idea to a new level. What an experience. Do not miss this next December!! (sneak peek? Check out the KlezKamp post under Upcoming Events for a video clip!)
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December 22, 2012. Kaye Theater in Manhattan. I soared on the energy of dozens of the finest performers of Yiddish song and Klezmer as we paid tribute to Adrienne Cooper's memory in a three-hour concert of the songs she most loved. What a thrill to sing 'Di Arbuzn' a cappella, in three parts with women performers including Alicia Svigals, Lauren Brody, Shura Lipovsky, and Marsha Gildin. It was both a humbling and energizing evening. Sing out!
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I've just been selected as one of ten 2013 Guild of American Papercutters/X-acto Masters. This means over the course of the coming year I will be testing tools and materials and interacting with other artists to hone our skills and increase interest in papercutting arts. Very exciting!
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Are you aware of the Commonwealth Speakers program under the PA Humanities Commission? Every two years, a roster of artists, story-tellers, historians, and musicians selected by the PHC are able to travel the state offering specific programs at no cost to groups (schools, libraries, state parks, etc.!) other than a basic application fee. I just returned from Ohev Sholom in Williamsport and will head to Reading on Thursday to bring Women's Voices in Yiddish Song to the Federation's Friendship Circle there. Visit the website at www.pahumanities.org and check it out! Free programming! What are you waiting for???
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It's been a long time coming, but here I am, immersed in the joy of working in collaboration with brilliant musicians as I prepare a new recording! Production is in the fine hands of Michael Winograd, and the initial tracks have been laid down with David Licht, Jake Shulman-Ment, Carmen Staaf, Garth Stevenson, and Avi Fox-Rosen, with Lauren Brody and others joining in soon! Hmm... mostly Yiddish, with some surprises mixed in, and everything from spare acoustic accompaniment to over-the-top orchestrations. There'll be more and more about the project as it emerges from its infancy, so watch for news! Perhaps a concert or cd release party in your neighborhood down the line...
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Kesher Zion Congregation in Reading, PA welcomed me as artist-in-residence for the weekend of November 9, 2012, as the congregation honored the memories of Dr. Robert Greenberg and Evelyn Blumberg. I was delighted to find myself in the company of the congregation's brilliant Rabbi Minna Bromberg and rooms full of enthusiastic people hungry to experience new 'takes' on Jewish culture. My programming included a presentation of Yiddish songs of spiritual yearning, a lecture on contemporary Jewish ritual art, and then a rollicking concert on Saturday night with the newly expanded Old World Folk Band! Be sure to check the "Upcoming Events" tab to see where else I'm scheduled to spread YIddish culture!
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I can't say enough about the wonderful Tree of Life Congregation in MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, where I just spent a weekend as scholar in residence. If you go to my 'coming events' tab, you may see the whole arc of the weekend, but I want to focus here on the response to my "Rage Against the Sewing Machine" presentation on Saturday night, October 27. Among the folks in attendance were physicians, attorneys, and workplace safety experts who each added to a passionate conversation about the effects of completely unregulated natural gas extraction on West Virginians, coal miners' safety issues, and even the plight of disabled people in sheltered workshops who, like the needle workers of 100 years ago, are largely groups without a voice. 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' And yet we still find inspiration to act for social justice when we learn and sing the songs of our forebears. "Give us bread and give us roses!"
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A radio interview for a BALTIMORE station (WVIE 1370) allowed me to share some insights into the history of labor activism in the United States on September 2, 2012 - Labor Day weekend. So much more meaningful than running to sporting goods stores for sale items, this was a chance to engage listeners in anthemic Yiddish songs and their contexts. So many songs... so little time! But every time a Yiddish song is SUNG, it lives a new life.
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It's late summer, so a trip to the BLOCK AND HEXTER VACATION CENTER in Poyntelle, PA came around on my calendar. My teaching schedule allowed me to alternate sessions with fellow presenter Saul Silas Fahti, as we worked to expand the artistic, musical, polititcal, and in Saul's case, even cosmological horizons of the elders who flocked to the Poconos to participate, learn, and (it's a Jewish camp!) eat 3 squares a day. Whether singing, lecturing, or engaging in issues, I always learn from interactions with program participants. One highlight this year was meeting two Hungarian-born sisters who offered me a macaronic (mixed language) song that alternates lines between Hungarian and German/Yiddish. Will it make the cut on my upcoming recording? Stay tuned!
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A quick trip to MADISON, WISCONSIN as part of "A Bisele KlezKamp" on July 22 was a terrific bright spot in a busy summer season! Over 200 people buzzed around programming by some of the best teacher/artists in the Yiddish folk arts world as Michael Wex, Cookie Segelstein, Lauren Brody, Henry Sapoznik, Sherry Mayrent, Miriam Isaacs, David Spies, Sara Gordon, Kurt Bjorling, Steve Weintraub, and I managed to compress a week's worth of learning into one fabulous day. Keep up-to-date with U. OF WISCONSIN'S MAYRENT CENTER to find out what Yiddish programming will be offered throughout the year before our triumphant return next summer!
On Friday night prior to 'ABKK' I was hosted by Congregation Shaarei Shomayim where I presented an a cappella lecture/recital titled "Healing the World in Yiddish Song." Given the political upheavals and charged emotions in Madison these days, the program was a welcome one. The room was packed with people of all ages, and it was a special joy to me to be singing in a room within Frank Lloyd Wright's historic Unitarian Church, where the congregation meets regularly.
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Lauren Brody and I head to PITTSBURGH on June 3 for two concerts, a family event in the morning, and a full concert in the late afternoon at the JCC, in conjunction with the Jewish Museum's exhibit on the artists who illustrated the works of I.B. Singer. We're working up new material and are delighted that both PennPAT and the PA Humanities Council are supporting the program with generous grants. Come celebrate Yiddish culture!
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Healing the World in Yiddish - This lecture/recital program drew people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages to a program sponsored but DICKINSON COLLEGE, the Literary Heritage Fund, Association for Jewish Studies, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg on April 24. With PowerPoint translations and even a visit from Dan Kahn and the Painted Bird on screen, we explored the drive for human rights that infuses Yiddish song, and the activism that the songs inspire. As part of a series titled "Telling Jewish Stories through the Arts," the evening's riches were obvious as participants lingered over tea and cake and shared the stories that bubbled up in response to the presentation. What a great night!
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On Sunday, April 1, the Jewish Federation of Greater DAYTON and the Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club welcomed Lauren Brody and me for a concert. It was the first time that Lauren and I had the opportunity to present a full concert and we felt like siblings on the stage, finding parallel expressions of meaning and intention in her accordion and my voice without even a nod or a word. Utilizing the full range of her instrument, Lauren crafted a unique setting for each song, and the 'whole cloth' was fantastic.
We're already warming up for an upcoming event in June, so stay tuned for details!!
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MAURICE SENDAK! I write this on the day of Maurice Sendak's passing. (If you haven't heard both the recent Fresh Air interview and the hilarious pair of Colbert interviews with the incomparable Mr. Sendak, go find them NOW and come back here in an hour...) I am grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to spend several months immersed in the life and work of Mr. Sendak, preparing for a program built around the Rosenbach's exhibit of the influences of his Jewish world on his life's work. So on Sunday, April 15, the Haverford Public Library swelled with the sounds of Klezmer as I took over the children's wing of the library to present "Yiddish in the Nutshell" with Ken Ulansey on clarinet and Heath Allen on keyboard. Sendak's early life in a Yiddish-speaking immigrant neighborhood in Brooklyn, the awareness of evil in the world, and the fears and bravery of children shaped much of his life's work, and I blended his personal life into songs and stories for a rollicking hour. The program was interactive, with sing-alongs, props, costumes, and wild Sendakian tales abounding. It was a Yiddishe Vilde 'Rumpus' for everyone's inner child! Pick up a book by Maurice Sendak and look deeply into it. You may be changed!
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LAFAYETTE COLLEGE Hillel hosted me on Tuesday night, March 20 for a program in song and story on the actual history of the Sarajevo Hagaddah. It was a real one-woman show as I demonstrated design, lettering, and gilding techniques of the centuries-old masterpiece, as well as recounted its improbable story interspersed with songs in the Sarajevo dialect of Judeo-Spanish, in Yiddish, and in Hebrew, along with a Moroccan chant - all related to the Hagaddah. The audience included students, college faculty, and local residents, and there was a lively Q and A at the conclusion of the program. Lafayette has a gorgeous old campus perched above the city of Easton at the confluence of the Delaware and Raritan rivers. I hope to return!
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LAUREN BRODY will join me in presenting a full concert in Dayton, Ohio on Sunday, April 1 for the annual event honoring the memory of Lynda A. Cohen. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share the stage and have been working up two terrific sets for the Yiddish club and expected gathered throngs!
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A presentation of my concert "Women's Voices in Yiddish Song" at Penn State University in Middletown, PA on February 23 drew people from Lancaster, York, Lebanon, and the greater Harrisburg area. Having been interviewed for an upcoming article in a Dayton, Ohio paper the night before, I kept thinking during the concert of a particular question I was asked: "What do you want people to take away from your performance?" So I'll tell you: I want people to be so surprised and touched that they come away with a desire to dig a little deeper into Yiddish culture and discover something about themselves. The values and history that are packed into our songs go far in teaching us how to know ourselves if we just open our hearts a bit. That's why I sing. Oh, and also, I sing because I can't NOT sing!!
Only a week to go before Kerhonkson, NY becomes the temporary capital of Yiddishland! This year at KlezKamp I'll be teaching the hands-on papercutting course and a four-session a capella lecture/recital course.
I'm especially looking forward to the time I'll be carving out with fellow PennPAT artist SUSAN WATTS to work on some vocal duets and arrangements, and to begin taking concrete steps towards my NEW RECORDING, which will be produced by the amazing MICHAEL WINOGRAD! Check this website regularly for announcements, too, of a new duo in the works featuring MICHAEL WEX and Susan Leviton. Use your imagination for now - details to follow soon!
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On Sunday, November 20, 2011, I presented a "Conversation with the Artist" in conjunction with the "Making it Better: Folk Art in Pennsylvania Today" exhibit in which one of my papercuts is featured. I demonstrated the art of Jewish papercutting and shared insights into its history and contemporary expressions with about 30 museum-goers. On exhibit through April 29, 2012, Making It Better tells the stories of over 30 master artists whose works represent a wide array of traditions such as African dance, stone wall construction, Native American clay flutes, Pysanky eggs, contemporary blacksmith work, woodcarving, and Vietnamese funerary portraits. I'm honored to have been chosen to have my work represented among so many brilliant examples of folk arts.
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Groundbreaking for Chisuk Emuna Congregation's new synagogue took place in Harrisburg on Sunday, October 16, 2011, and over 350 people celebrated with a block party that featured kugel in a sukkah, carnival food, games and abundant crafts for children, and an afternoon of outstanding music: klezmer, jazz, and old-timey. Bands set up on a concrete pad at one end of the soon-to-be-a-shul property, and music filled the air! I had the pleasure of singing once again with the Old World Folk Band, which has recently welcomed several new musicians as regulars, and which added additional guest performers for the outdoor event.
The synagogue was destroyed by an accidental fire in 2009, and more recently was left homeless when The Flood of 2011 forced the congregation from temporary quarters in the JCC. The sense that the next plague was waiting in the wings was banished by the wonderful welcome to a new neighbrhood, and it looks like the block party may become an annual event!
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A whirlwind few days at the 14th annual IAYC (International Association of Yiddish Clubs) conference in Novi, Michigan offered me the opportunity to perform and teach, and to meet people from all over the country who gathered to celebrate Yiddish culture. Highlights for me were presenting my powerful lecure/recital, "Rage Against the Sewing Machine" in this 100th anniversary year following the Triangle Fire, and joining Dan Kahn on the bandstand following my solo concert.
To see parts of one of my programs at the conference, please visit www.yiddishlives.com/susanleviton
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