Step two: Opting for The Company, Strengthening Web site and Floor Preparations
Step two: Opting for The Company, Strengthening Web site and Floor Preparations The answer to an optimistic home-building feel was understanding the build procedure and exactly how a homes loan work. Being mindful of this, our company is discussing such six easy steps so you can securing a good BankWest framework mortgage and finally converting they with the a permanent home loan. Step 1: Pre-Approving Your Permanent Home loan The initial meantime build financing allows for improves or draws to fund building expenses during structure otherwise renovations. Desire try paid off month-to-month about this financing and has now an effective limit identity regarding 1 year. You will need to performs directly along with your financial during this time for you to to ensure a smooth changeover anywhere between money. When your residence is situated, a permanent loan otherwise mortgage is designed to pay the latest meantime financing. The loan might possibly be reduced monthly getting an occasion upwards so you can 30 years. Step one from inside the building your dream house is interviewing the BankWest financial to determine exactly how much you could potentially use to possess your construction investment. BankWest necessitates that you pre-qualify for your long lasting financial before the interim build financing is actually thought. So you can pre-qualify, you must show that your income covers mortgage payments, closing costs or other financing costs. Additionally, all of our loan providers will at any current debts you ount. Please remember, you can find loan applications readily available that enable borrowers to buy or construct a property with brief down repayments. Qualifications and requires will be based mainly on financial and credit record. Considering your own personal disease, your financial normally define the options. So you can pre-qualify for a loan amount and get price, you need to deliver the following the suggestions each applicant, also a complete mortgage application: W-2(s) for the past a couple income tax decades Current shell out stubs within the previous thirty days Tax returns (one another private and you will organization) for the most previous a couple of years, with all accessories Most recent bank and you may financial support statements, exhibiting finance designed for closing costs and you can down-payment Additional information may be needed, but the things listed above should provide a robust signal off what you can manage to obtain. Fundamentally, BankWest usually request a credit file for all candidates to assist determine a max amount borrowed. Whenever this paperwork might have been done, might discovered a good faith estimate and you can a cost worksheet demonstrating structure financing and you will permanent financial costs, dependent financing number. The building Mortgage Techniques Please just remember that , financial change inside build mortgage process could possibly get effect your qualifications having long lasting funding. People change are normally taken for: their a position condition, diminished income, enhanced costs otherwise late payments on your own credit history. For those who have people monetary otherwise a career changes for the term of meantime construction loan, it is important to to work alongside the lender to assure that you have an up-to-date plan for the fresh permanent financial support. Today the fun begins! It is critical to prefer a reliable family creator to help you manage the floor package that can see your existing and you can upcoming requires. This type of requires should be thought about before very first complete try inspired, given that change throughout the design can result in costly changes orders. A reputable standard contractor should become aware of the can cost you associated along with your strengthening...
Read MoreDating site eHarmony aims to dominate United kingdom sector
Dating site eHarmony aims to dominate United kingdom sector But many people that are politically really liberal otherwise middle out of the street would say merely they require a relationship companion just who try somebody with profile, values, ethics Alone? Solitary? Looking for like? The new manager of your own dating site eHarmony, Greg Waldorf, just might have the ability to help if you try “philosophy orientated”, perhaps not unduly neurotic therefore haven’t been married more about three minutes. A hair loss Californian thinking-confessed technical lover putting on a dull business suit, Waldorf, 42, appears an unlikely cupid. However, their webpages claims to be responsible for a staggering 542 wedding events daily in the usa nearly one out of five You marriage ceremonies. Waldorf dreams so you can recite one to trick in the united kingdom, where eHarmony revealed 1 . 5 years in the past and you may will become ong paid dating sites next a couple of years. ??com. In place of simply allowing the participants search through thousands of profiles, they uses a complex “compatibility complimentary system” according to a great 250-concern during the-breadth quiz to recognize potential soulmates./p> “Its a clinically shown coordinating program that is functioning incredibly well for 10 years in assisting anybody discover high matchmaking,” states Waldorf. The guy claims one even in an economic downturn, its really worth paying ? thirty days for the chance to meet up with the passion for their life: “It is worthy of while making a little capital in this area of your lifestyle because it’s very important to obtain a good relationship. It can sound simple but it affects every bit of your welfare.” Profitable as 2004, eHarmony’s annual cash try said to be in the region of $250m and also the company is planning to go societal during the next few years, netting a possible luck for the founders and an excellent clutch out of big-name venture capital buyers together with Sequoia Capital, which had been an early on backer off YouTube and you can Google, and Technology Crossover Options, which put currency behind the brand new travelling webpages Travelport. Built because of the a good il medical psychologist when you look at the 2000, eHarmony is the second greatest repaid-having dating site in the us, trailing the newest common Suits “The aim is to feel a independent organization to own a few years,” states Waldorf. “A keen IPO [stockmarket flotation] would-be a good milestone along the way that I’d feel pleased to lead the firm due to.” It is milking a wholesome sector, depending on the research corporation comScore hence says the audience out of matchmaking websites in the usa rose by the 13% across the one year so you can July, outpacing an effective nine% increase in complete internet explore. “There have been a resurgence previously season,” states Andrew Lipsman, an excellent comScore specialist, just who states increasingly advanced level dating software is luring internet users right back on likes away from Myspace and you can Twitter. “The fresh new sector got quite stagnated since networks came up.” But not, eHarmony isn’t necessarily everybody’s cup of teas. It identifies in itself, slightly sniffily, given that “a relationship website cute Murfreesboro, TN girls not a dating website”. Its copywriter, Neil Clark Warren, is actually a gold-haired, septuagenarian, devout Christian who very first had an enthusiastic alliance with an excellent socially old-fashioned evangelical organization, Concentrate on the Loved ones. Waldorf, leader due to the fact 2006, does not instance eHarmony getting called “conservative” but he couches its notice within the traditionalist words, emphasising its...
Read MorePlay Blackjack for Enjoyable: A Guide to Enjoying the Game
Blackjack is a prominent card video game that has actually been taken pleasure in by countless gamers worldwide. With its straightforward guidelines and amazing gameplay, it uses an awesome experience for both beginners and experienced players. If you’re seeking to play blackjack for fun and wish to discover more about the video game, this guide is for you. In this post, we’ll cover the standard rules of blackjack, various variants of the game, techniques to improve your chances, and where you can play online completely free. So allow’s dive in! Understanding the Basics of Blackjack Blackjack, additionally called 21, is a card game where the goal is to have a hand value that is better to 21 than the dealership’s hand without going beyond 21. The game is had fun with one or more decks of cards, typically 52 cards per deck. Each card in blackjack has a details value. Number cards (2-10) deserve their stated value, face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) deserve 10, and the Ace can be worth either 1 or 11, relying on the player’s option. The video game starts with each gamer obtaining 2 cards, and the supplier likewise receives 2 cards, with one card face-up and the various other face-down. Players after that have the alternative to “hit” (obtain an additional card) or “stand” (maintain their existing hand) to get closer to 21. If a player’s hand exceeds 21, they “breast” and lose the round. If a gamer’s hand is better to 21 than the dealership’s hand without going beyond 21, they win. If the player and the dealership have the exact same hand value, it causes a “press” or a connection, and the gamer obtains their wager back. The video game continues till all gamers have actually finished their hands, and the supplier exposes their face-down card. The dealer must adhere to specific regulations on when to hit or stand, depending upon the total value of their hand. Exploring Different Variants of Blackjack While the standard rules of blackjack stay the very same, there are several variations of the game that you can attempt to add more excitement and range to your gameplay. Some popular variants include: Spanish 21: This variant gets rid of all the 10s from the deck however offers extra bonus payouts for certain card combinations. Pontoon: In Pontoon, the dealer’s cards are both face-down, which adds an added layer of challenge for the gamers. Dual Direct exposure: In this variant, both of the supplier’s cards are face-up, giving gamers with even more info to make their choices. Perfect vulkanvegas Pairs: Perfect Pairs enables players to position a side bet on whether their initial cards will be a set, offering added winning possibilities. Each variation has its very own set of policies and strategies, so make certain to acquaint on your own with the certain regulations prior to diving in. Approaches to Enhance Your Chances While blackjack is a game of both luck and skill, carrying out particular techniques can help boost your possibilities of winning. Here are a couple of methods to take into consideration: Standard Strategy: Fundamental method is a collection of guidelines that advises gamers on the most effective action to take based on their hand and the dealer’s upcard. It provides guidance on when to hit, stand, increase down, or split sets. Learning and making use of standard technique can dramatically lower your house edge. Card Counting: Card checking is a method that includes monitoring the pinas bet online casino cards that have been played to determine the proportion of high to reduced cards continuing...
Read MoreWhat is an Excellent Cholesterol Level? Recognizing the Relevance of Cholesterol in Your Health
Cholesterol is a ceraceous compound discovered in your blood and also cells. While it is often associated with negative wellness results, such as heart problem, cholesterol optiheart cena is in fact important for the correct functioning of your body. As a matter of fact, it plays an essential duty in hormone manufacturing, cell membrane layer maintenance, and also the synthesis of vitamin D. Nonetheless, not all cholesterol is created equal. There are two sorts of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) as well as high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDl cholesterol is frequently referred to as “poor” cholesterol due to the fact that it can develop in your arteries and bring about blockages, raising your danger of heart disease. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol due to the fact that it helps remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries, decreasing your danger of cardiovascular disease. The Relevance of Preserving a Healthy Cholesterol Degree Having a healthy cholesterol level is crucial for preserving great overall health and wellness. High degrees of LDL cholesterol can result in the formation of plaque in the arteries, a condition referred to as atherosclerosis, which can restrict blood flow and also boost the danger of heart attacks and strokes. On the other hand, high levels of HDL cholesterol can help safeguard versus heart disease by getting rid of LDL cholesterol from the arteries. It is necessary to note that cholesterol degrees can vary based upon factors such as age, sex, and also private health and wellness conditions. To establish whether your cholesterol level is within a healthy and balanced variety, a blood examination referred to as a lipid profile is normally performed. Normally, complete cholesterol levels must be maintained below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) for ideal health. Nonetheless, it is the private degrees of LDL and also HDL cholesterol that provide an even more exact assessment of your heart health and wellness. LDL Cholesterol: Preferably, LDL cholesterol levels must be below 100 mg/dL. Nevertheless, if you have underlying wellness problems such as diabetic issues or cardiovascular disease, your physician may suggest even reduced levels. HDL Cholesterol: For males, HDL cholesterol degrees ought to be above 40 mg/dL, while for females, it must be above 50 mg/dL. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are usually related to a lower danger of cardiovascular disease. Just How to Preserve Healthy Cholesterol Levels While genetics contribute in establishing your cholesterol levels, way of living selections and also dietary habits can have a significant effect. Here are some approaches to assist keep healthy and balanced cholesterol levels: Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet: Integrate foods rich in soluble fiber, such as oats, beans, as well as fruits, as they can aid reduced LDL cholesterol levels. Prevent saturated and also trans fats found in red meat, full-fat milk items, and also processed foods, as they can raise LDL cholesterol degrees. Exercise Routinely: Taking part in physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes most days of the week can assist boost HDL cholesterol degrees as well as reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Preserve a Healthy Weight: Being obese or obese can boost your LDL cholesterol levels, so preserving a healthy and balanced weight via a balanced diet regimen as well as routine exercise is important. Avoid Smoking: Cigarette smoking can decrease your HDL cholesterol and also damages the wall surfaces of your capillary, making it simpler for LDL cholesterol to build up. Limit Alcohol Usage: While moderate alcohol intake may have some wellness benefits, extreme drinking can lead to keramin high cholesterol levels and various other health problems. Consult Your Healthcare Provider If you have...
Read MoreProducts in the resorts bar once their conference soon escalates from good flirtatious talk to a good sexually-recharged midnight swim
Products in the resorts bar once their conference soon escalates from good flirtatious talk to a good sexually-recharged midnight swim It is a nice, tender, comedy flick that reimagines a classic Fontana, KS sexy women story in the an alternative way, perhaps pivoting out-of their correct intimate possible, but becoming a narrative regarding care about-like and you can believe because it does therefore Notting Mountain, The laptop, Very Woman – it’s not hard to find the obvious personal choice towards Valentine’s, but what if you like something else? What if you prefer an undervalued intimate motion picture, and maybe even a motion picture you had never felt for the Characteristic Getaway just before? Our company is right here to greatly help. Eight of your important members offered selections to discover the best significantly less than-the-radar personal films you can observe this Valentine’s. That have explanations why and you may finding them online (in the event that offered). I am an excellent sucker to own an effective riff to your Cyrano de- Bergerac. It could be my personal English significant records, personal years of teenage unrequited like, or simply the fact I liked Steve Martin’s Roxanne as i try younger, but there is however anything eternal regarding it story off term courtesy an alternate person’s sound. My personal 2nd option for so it list has been Joe Wright’s intimate and you can great Cyrano, a profoundly undervalued music sort of the fresh vintage tale that have Peter Dinklage and you may songs of the Dessners of your own Federal glory. But We went with something a tiny lightweight, a good Netflix rom-com named New 1 / 2 of It, a movie that ought to enjoys turned into Leah Lewis into the a superstar. He’s a secret simply Joanna is aware of – the woman is never ever told her husband about their relationship – plus one she thinks of if in case something commonly heading well inside their unique marriage This new with ease charismatic Lewis takes on Ellie Chu, the fresh new silent girl inside Squahamish whose front hustle is doing their classmates’ homework for the money. If area sportsman requires their own to greatly help woo his break Aster, Ellie looks like that have thinking for Aster by herself. It would be an educated personal selection for those people instead of some body to watch a motion picture that have towards the Valentine’s day to find out one to you have got to love your self first are its happier. – Brian Tallerico One of my personal favorite romances that not adequate folks have viewed was Massy Tadjedin’s sore and meditative debut element “Last night” (not to getting mistaken for the brand new 1998 apocalyptic Canadian motion picture out-of the same name). Mostly invest New york throughout you to go out plus one nights, the film a-listers Keira Knightley and you can Sam Worthington due to the fact Joanna and Michael, a rich younger pair whose wedding is obviously fraying. 24 hours after the couple keeps an enormous endeavor, Michael continues a corporate travel and you may discovers himself physically pulled in order to his co-staff member Laura (Eva Mendes). Michael have not duped towards his spouse before, but the temperatures he seems getting Laura, combined with the latest harm the guy feels after the prior night of argument, is just too big strong. Immediately after a number of lines were crossed, what exactly is yet another? These moments is intercut having of them off Joanna because she reconnects along with her ex-boyfriend Alex (Guillaume Canet) that is...
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.
____
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!
_____________________________
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.
______________________
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)
___________________
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.
____________
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!
______________________
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!
______________
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.
______________________
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!
_________
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.
____________
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!
________
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.
_____________
A happy bride at the huppah with her papercut ketubah! 'Tis the season, and I've been busy with commissions of all sorts!
___________
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!!!
_____________
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!
____________
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!
___________
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!
_____________
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."
_________
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.
_____________________
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!
____________
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!
________
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!
_________________
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!
__________________
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.
___________________
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.
_________
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!)
__________________
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!
_________
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!
_______________
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???
________________
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...
____
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!
____________________
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!"
___________
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.
__________________
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!
______________________
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.
_______________________
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!
__________________________
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!
_______________________
________________________
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!!
_____________________________
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!
________________________
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!
__________________________
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!
_______________________________
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!
_________________________
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.
_________________________
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!
___________________
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
_