The new FHA financing program is an interest rate that is insured by the Government Houses Government (FHA)
The new FHA financing program is an interest rate that is insured by the Government Houses Government (FHA) The us government guarantees money to have FHA-approved lenders to help you get rid of the risk of losses in the event that a borrower non-payments to their mortgage payments. And additionally FHA, the government comes with other financial programs in the manner out-of USDA Outlying Casing and you may Virtual assistant. The FHA system is made in reaction into the hasty out of foreclosures and you will non-payments you to definitely occurred regarding the 1930s; to add mortgage lenders with sufficient insurance, also to assist trigger the fresh housing market by making loans obtainable and you can reasonable. Now in 2022 FHA finance are particularly common, particularly that have earliest-day homeowners which have limited money stored getting down costs. FHA financing do not require a massive 20% advance payment like other conventional funds. Usually an enthusiastic FHA financing is amongst the easiest sorts of mortgages to help you be eligible for whilst demands the lowest down fee and you can have less-than-finest credit. An enthusiastic FHA deposit regarding step three.5 % required. Individuals just who do not want a classic advance payment regarding 20% or are unable to get approved having individual home loan insurance should look into if an FHA loan is the greatest selection for its private circumstance. Another advantage out of an enthusiastic FHA mortgage is the fact it could be assumable, meaning that if you would like offer your residence, the buyer can assume the mortgage you have. Those with reduced otherwise poor credit, possess experienced a bankruptcy otherwise was foreclosed upon can be in a position to still be eligible for a keen FHA financing. In basic terms… home loan insurance policies. Just like the a keen FHA loan doesn’t always have the newest tight requirements of a normal loan, it will take one or two categories of financial insurance costs: you’re paid-in complete upfront or, it may be funded towards financial and most other try a payment per month. Together with, FHA fund wanted that the family meet specific conditions and should feel appraised by an FHA-recognized appraiser. FHA Initial home loan advanced (MIP) – Correctly titled, this will be an initial month-to-month premium fee, which means that consumers will pay a paid of 1.75% of the property mortgage, despite the credit history. Example: $300,100000 mortgage x step 1.75% = $5,250. It sum will likely be reduced initial in the closing as an element of the latest settlement charges or are folded to your home loan. Single-home mortgages that have amortization regards to fifteen years otherwise reduced, and that loan-to-worth (LTV) proportion off 78 per cent otherwise faster, will always be excused regarding annual MIP FHA Annual MIP (charged monthly) -Called an annual premium, this is actually a monthly charge that will be figured into your mortgage payment. It is based on a borrower’s loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, loan size, and length of loan. There are different Annual MIP values for loans with a term greater than 15 years and loans with a term of less than or equal to 15 years. Loans with a term of greater than 15 Years and Loan amount < or =$limit. You’ll find restriction FHA loan limits you to vary because of the county The duration of your own yearly MIP is based on new amortization title and you will LTV proportion in your financing origination time. Please consider this MIP graph discovered right here for more information: There are limit FHA financing limitations one vary by the condition...
Read MoreHowever, both you and your bank need to ensure new domestic youre to buy is in acceptable updates
However, both you and your bank need to ensure new domestic youre to buy is in acceptable updates FHA Minimal Assets Conditions To acquire a home having a conventional mortgage means that our home does not need to meet the rigorous requirements other sorts of mortgages may need. It will require certain solutions, nevertheless they should not be the sort of fixes or so thorough that it will prevent you from getting financing. Conventional mortgage loans generally speaking require a downpayment of 20 percent regarding this new appraised worth of our home, while some antique funds wanted below that. If you don’t go with a normal financial, you happen to be playing with an FHA otherwise Virtual assistant mortgage, and therefore want less cash down but have more strict rules regarding updates of the house and you may property. TL;DR (A long time; Don’t Realize) In the event that an assessment suggests significant affairs such as a faltering rooftop, non-functioning resources, mildew otherwise head color, you will probably have to done repairs to carry on with the antique loan. An assessment, Not an evaluation Though playing with a traditional mortgage, the loan lender really wants to verify your house is definitely worth the cost you might be purchasing. The latest appraiser is acting as the new sight of your financial. Consider, an appraisal isn’t the just like a house examination. A review is a bit more thorough. Property are appraised towards the updates. That doesn’t mean things have to settle prime doing work purchase, but you can still find a couple of things that needs to be when you look at the good acquisition. At one time when lenders away from antique funds sensed absolutely nothing more than pest solutions, but today lenders are more mindful. Additional Domestic Possess Property status is the main factor when you look at the determining a house worthy of. The house or property would be neat and really-leftover supply an informed feeling. Several other factor is the chronilogical age Delta personal loans of the house. Head or peeling color could be difficulty when your domestic are oriented in advance of 1978 whenever various kinds of family color consisted of lead. Such things as makeup activities and magnificence aren’t said to be within the assessment, if the decorate are cracking or discover holes for the new wall surface, that will be a challenge for an enthusiastic appraiser. Many loan providers will want the new peeling decorate corrected just before providing the new mortgage. Any holes inside walls or floors of the house can be repaired, and you will damaged window will even typically have to be repaired. Appraisers have a tendency to believe people safety and health products prior to suggesting the new domestic get a conventional mortgage. An appraiser may need one thing feel fixed just like the an ailment prior to a loan are going to be acknowledged. Roof problems are some other red-flag getting appraisers. Of numerous finance companies would like to know you to definitely a threshold enjoys no less than 3 years of great functioning life left on it. Indoor Family Possess In, a keen appraiser have a tendency to note how many rooms, should your heater and you will air conditioning equipment really works, if your devices was present otherwise updated just in case there can be a good accomplished basement otherwise a garage. Appraisers to own old-fashioned loans may have different requirements, but many will note obvious problems. A great rusted gutter or a free floors otherwise platform panel may need to be fixed just before that...
Read MoreEvery little thing You Required to Know About Lending Apps Download And Install
Car loan apps have actually become progressively popular in recent years, of quick loan apps in kenyafering a convenient and fast method to accessibility funds in times of requirement. With the surge of modern technology, downloading and install a lending app is simpler than ever, supplying individuals with a smooth loaning experience. If you are thinking about downloading a lending app, here is every little thing you need to know. What Are Finance Apps? Finance applications are mobile applications that allow customers to make an application for and manage fundings directly from their mobile phones or tablets. These apps enhance the loaning process, providing accessibility to funds in a matter of hours and even mins. With simply a few taps on your device, you can apply for a car loan, upload required papers, and obtain authorization– all without ever leaving your home. Lending apps can be found in different forms, consisting of payday advance applications, personal car loan applications, and peer-to-peer financing applications. Each kind of finance app has its own unique attributes and eligibility demands, so it is important to do your research study prior to downloading and install one. A lot of finance applications require users to create an account and supply personal information, such as their name, address, income, and bank information. This info is used to evaluate the customer’s credit reliability and identify their eligibility for a lending. Pros: Ease: Loan applications provide a practical way to gain access to funds on the go. Rate: With finance applications, debtors can receive authorization and funds rapidly. Accessibility: Funding apps are available 24/7, making it easy to apply for a financing at any moment. Cons: High rates of interest: Some car loan applications charge high-interest prices, making them pricey for debtors. Hidden costs: Some funding apps may have concealed charges or costs that can build up gradually. Safety dangers: Car loan applications may present protection threats, such as data violations or identification burglary. Exactly how to Download a Financing Application Downloading a finance application is a straightforward process that can be performed in just a few easy actions. Right here is a general overview on how to download a car loan app: Step 1: Visit your gadget’s app shop, such as the Apple App Shop or Google Play Shop. Step 2: Look for the loan application you wish to download and install by entering its name in the search bar. Step 3: Click on the application’s symbol to check out even more details, such as reviews, ratings, and screenshots. What to Think about Before Downloading a Finance App Prior to downloading and install a finance application, it is essential to think about numerous aspects to guarantee that you are making a sound monetary choice. Here are some things to think about in the past downloading and install a car loan application: 1. Interest rates: Examine the interest rates and costs connected with the car loan app to identify how much you will be paying in total amount. 2. Settlement terms: Comprehend the payment regards to the car loan, consisting of the size of the car loan, settlement schedule, and any type of fines for late settlements. 3. Safety: Make certain that the lending application is protected and protects your personal info from unapproved access or information breaches. Final thought Financing apps offer a hassle-free and quick means to gain access to funds in times of requirement, making borrowing easier than ever before. By downloading and install a financing application, you can look for and handle fundings straight from your mobile phone, providing you with the flexibility and...
Read MoreAvailing financing to suit your relationships? Keep these key points in your mind
Availing financing to suit your relationships? Keep these key points in your mind Evaluate marriage mortgage offers of numerous banking institutions and NBFCs following favor the deal that every suits you. There can be significant discounts inside attract, control fees or other costs of the evaluating and you will selecting the loan plan very carefully Millennials are eager getting an amazing matrimony for themselves however, usually do not essentially glance at the affect the financials and you can coming requirements. I’ve one particular exemplory case of twenty six-year-dated Nikunj Soni, an enthusiastic Ahmedabad citizen which took a loan getting his marriage into the away from an effective nationalised lender. The guy borrowed Rs dos lakh in the mortgage loan regarding 15 per cent to have an effective 5-seasons title. With this borrowed number, he organised lavish Sangeet Sandhya (dance and you will tunes program) experience through to the wedding day and then make their wedding excellent for tourist. However, as a result of this load of your mortgage, he or she is today purchasing month-to-month EMI of Rs cuatro,758 plus 2 years, to date, keeps reduced Rs step 1.fourteen lakh (approximately). By end of period, he’s going to become spending Rs dos.85 lakh. A lot more, Rs 85,one hundred thousand (approximately) is notice on lent matter. Upon enjoying his monetary load, Soni realized that possibly he should not have chosen to take which loan. I will have begun a drink to build backup funds having it number (instead of the EMI) getting my age parents or invested having upcoming needs in lieu of upkeep so it EMI for five many years. We produced a financial blunder by credit towards relationships, according to him. Relevant reports Based on a survey conducted inside the ong five hundred more youthful respondents from the on the internet wedding planning characteristics corporation, the marriage Brigade, 33 per cent of millennials want to invest around Rs 10 lakh, 35 per cent need to spend between Rs ten-twenty-five lakh, cuatro percent was enthusiastic to spend more than see this here Rs step 1 crore to your the matrimony. This excludes even more costs out-of honeymoon that contributes Rs dos to help you 4 lakh on account of an international travels once the very first liking of the millennial lovers. With respect to paying for the marriage, 42 percent marriage partners decide to contribute plus assistance from its mothers, thirty-two percent choose when the their parents pay money for brand new extravaganza, and you can twenty-six percent told you they wish to spend entirely out of her coupons, as per the survey. Having wedding can cost you that large, an internet survey in away from Tata Capital, the fresh new monetary features arm of your own Tata Classification, showed that a big part-58 percent of them surveyed-considered delivering a marriage mortgage, to partly otherwise totally money marriage expenses. Millennials appear to trust marriage financing is a convenient and simple solution to money marriage by credit away from finance companies, Non-Banking Financial People (NBFCs) otherwise on line fintech companies (has peer-to-fellow networks). Let’s observe how these types of matrimony funds works, masters and you may disadvantages on the mortgage, approach an effective way to pay for your wedding day and a lot more. Wedding loan try a part of the fresh vast umbrella of varied unsecured loans provided by financial institutions and you may fintech businesses. A number of the financial institutions give standalone wedding loan strategy. not, should you never get the wedding loan design on the lender brochure however, you could potentially need a personal loan...
Read MoreYou may either remove good 401(k) mortgage or create an excellent 401(k) hardship withdrawal
You may either remove good 401(k) mortgage or create an excellent 401(k) hardship withdrawal The minimum downpayment needed for financing is the premier test to purchasing a home. Even although you know your earnings is over adequate to service the mortgage repayments, you will possibly not have sufficient protected towards the highest 20% downpayment one to some mortgages want. Most people look at their property and you can thought getting money out of their 401(k) is actually a quick and easy form of meeting this specifications. But not, there are many different criteria and you will drawbacks to consider in advance of withdrawing out-of the 401(k). What is a beneficial 401(k)? A great 401(k) are a friends-backed advancing years account. Its named the 401(k) due to the fact foundation because of it savings bundle ‘s the 401K provision in the Internal revenue service password. Teams lead part of their salaries, and some businesses normally matches they. As opposed to taking a steady interest, you must invest their 401(k) offers to the ties (brings, securities, ETFs, REITs, etc.) to earn income. 401(k) levels has actually around three fundamental advantages to prompt men and women to generate efforts. People earnings resulted in an excellent 401(k) is not taxed People productivity generated toward opportunities out of your 401(k) commonly taxed Employers may matches efforts both partly or completely Yet not, this type of benefits dont are present in place of caveats. The us government doesn’t want their 401(k) as a far greater tax-100 % free checking account (TFSA). Instead, government entities throws particular restrictions and you will punishment on early distributions to help you encourage a lot of time-name expenses to own old age. This type of charges include the 10% detachment fee to have an early on withdrawal. Also the percentage, new taken amount is actually subject to taxation. Next desk can help you see whether you might withdraw money without the punishment. For example off a young detachment punishment, assume you will want to withdraw $fifty,000 to cover down-payment. Of the ten% punishment, the 401(k) balance will decrease of the $55,one hundred thousand. While doing so, loans Lake Bungee the brand new $fifty,100000 that have been withdrawn might possibly be subject to tax, so that the manager of your membership would have to along with spend income taxes during these $fifty,one hundred thousand. Since the regulators discourages early distributions from your 401k, you have access to the cash inside having fun with two different ways. step one. 401(k) Loans A 401(k) loan is a self-issued financing, which means you use from the 401(k) and you will costs return to your bank account. Normally, maximum loan identity is actually 5 years, but that is stretched if for example the financing is employed to get a principal house. Having an excellent 401(k) financing, your steer clear of the ten% very early detachment penalty, together with number may not be at the mercy of income tax. The us government performs this since you need to pay back on your own, and that means you are preserving for the old-age. End early detachment punishment The cash efficiency for your requirements, therefore still rescue getting old age 401(k) mortgage debt isnt factored into the Financial obligation-To-Earnings (DTI) ratio Inability meet up with money does not apply at your credit score Need to be paid off that have notice (typically the Prime Rate + 2-3%) No additional benefits inside the loan title (desire payments commonly contributions and so are unrivaled by your manager) 2. 401(k) “Hardship” Withdrawal For all of us under the period of 59?,...
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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