three straight ways to attenuate education loan personal debt just before Biden’s repayments frost finishes
three straight ways to attenuate education loan personal debt just before Biden’s repayments frost finishes People in the us who have been worried about federal student loan payments resuming into the Oct stopped sweat once Chairman Joe Biden’s management made a decision to continue this new freeze into the payments and you will appeal getting an additional five days. Which means the fresh about 42 mil federal education loan borrowers is actually off of the hook up until . Biden’s Agency from Training cautioned this was the brand new “final extension” out-of a stop for the beginner personal debt that has been positioned due to the fact . For those who have figuratively speaking along with your cash provides held up pretty well when you look at the pandemic, make the most of such history months personal loan lenders Avant of one’s moratorium to clear out as often of these loans as you can. step 1. Make payments, even although you won’t need to While it might be appealing to remain “on the break” from the student loans until March, continuous your own typical costs – plus expenses more than their typical lowest – try an intelligent tip, whenever you can afford they. Just like the interest levels to the government student loans is actually suspended on 0%, people money you create now is certainly going completely into the principal of the financing. Which means you’re in a position to bring a great chunk out of your financing harmony. Whenever student loan debt are frozen this past year, the typical balance are $20,one hundred thousand so you’re able to $24,999, centered on Federal Set-aside data. Resuming your instalments early could be out of the question in the event that you’re making reference to other costs, for example for those who ran enhance credit cards throughout a period of unemployment last year. You.S. Studies Assistant Miguel Cardona said inside the an interview last week that authorities try hoping to find alternative methods to relieve the responsibility on the student loan individuals, however in this new interim, your elizabeth those individuals expenses with the aid of less-notice debt consolidating financing. dos. Look for a different installment bundle You can clear their student loan loans faster by altering up your existing commission bundle, especially if the pandemic reduce your earnings also it nevertheless has not yet get back. The federal government now offers income-inspired cost plans that enable consumers to make economical money, predicated on whatever they earn. When you create 20 or 25 years out-of normal costs around a living-determined bundle, your leftover debt would be forgiven. That could be your very best test in the which have a number of their student education loans terminated. Chairman Biden campaigned into cleaning out $ten,000 in pupil debt for every debtor, and you may top Democrats is actually pressing him to consult with $50,100 – however, there are questions today more whether Biden provides the expert so you can forgive substantial beginner personal debt. One particular money-preserving action that have a federal student loan is always to enroll in autopay just like the joining automated dumps often meet the requirements you to have an excellent 0.25% interest avoidance whenever money resume. step three. Re-finance private funds If the figuratively speaking are from a personal lender and not the us government, the new stretched costs stop cannot apply at your. You could attack the beginner debt along side 2nd couples months because of the refinancing the loan given that interest levels into the refi pupil finance regarding private lenders was in fact from the...
Read MoreRising cost of living Is actually Elevating Rates of interest, but People Stand to Work for
Rising cost of living Is actually Elevating Rates of interest, but People Stand to Work for Thomas Brock, CFA, CPA, is a financial top-notch along with 20 years of experience inside the investments, business finance and you may bookkeeping. The guy already manages the new money procedure to own an effective $cuatro mil extremely-local insurer. Lamia Chowdhury are a monetary publisher at the . Lamia offers a comprehensive skillset about content deals career, along with her behave as a creator covers industries just like the varied because the financing, healthcare, traveling and you can dinner. content articles are spellchecked, grammatically best and you can typo-free. editors could possibly get posting articles to have quality, reasoning, move and you can meaning. just uses legitimate sourced elements of advice. This may involve legitimate world source, select monetary e-books, reliable nonprofits, authoritative regulators profile, police arrest records and you may interview which have certified benefits. This current year could have been financially problematic mainly on account of increasing rising cost of living and mounting uncertainty. Because March, the user Price Directory (CPI) provides persistently displayed the greatest 12 months-over-year readings we now have observed in more than forty years. Inflation costs reached as much as nine.1% by – and also remained a lot more than 8% from the time. Multiple issues features triggered the cost tension, including COVID-created likewise have chain interruptions, flooding consumer demand, rigid labor places and geopolitical worry considering the combat during the Ukraine. Eventually, our company is experiencing a scientific instability, in which the need for goods and services outpaces the also have. The higher the brand new pit ranging from consult and offer, the better the interest rate regarding inflation. Unfortunately, prices will continue to go up as long as new pit is obtainable. What is actually Being done To battle Rising cost of living? Brand new You.S. Federal Reserve, that’s accountable for keeping rates balance and you will enhancing employment, has been trying to intimate the latest inflationary pit. It does very by implementing limiting economic procedures made to weaken individual request and slow the speed of which money alter hand. The fresh new Fed’s most notable circulate has been enhancing the government fund rate, the straight away credit rate to own depository organizations, such as for instance banks, while the basis for all offered-label lending arrangements. For the past nine weeks, the speed have leaped out of a target selection of 0% 0.25% to 3.% step 3.25%, the best top because early 2008. The fresh new dramatic improve has already established an obvious ripple influence on finance of all sorts and you will tenures. For example, the average weekly rates having a thirty-seasons, fixed-rate residential financial keeps popped from around 3.25% at the beginning of 2022 in order to 6.75% in the late September. This has had a massive impact on domestic value on the mediocre individual. Considering Zillow, in January, just one having a good credit score you may get an excellent $300,100000 family (which have 20% down) to own a payment per month of approximately $step one,650, inclusive of taxation, charge and you can insurance rates. Now, the latest payment possess increased to over $dos,150 – an alarming 30% boost. Feel the Limiting Economic Procedures Has worked? High interest rates try notably affecting consumers and lowering the request to have fund, nevertheless the Fed’s work have yet , and also make a decisive perception towards the inflation. Of many economists attribute it for the truth the brand new Fed’s toolkit are made to suppress inflation caused by request surprises however, enjoys nothing-to-no impact...
Read MoreOur Blog site Places Your throughout the Driver’s Seat
Our Blog site Places Your throughout the Driver’s Seat Enabling consumers as you achieve their economic specifications is we create, this is why we are equipping you with the help of our expert belief, info, and you will advice to help you get there. https://www.paydayloancolorado.net/black-forest/ Home loan Matters Real estate Options Life & Domestic Re-finance Solutions APM Insider 5 Benefits of Low-Compliant Money A low-compliant loan is people financing that does not follow the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit guidance. These types of regulators-sponsored companies (GSEs) features specific guidelines you to loans-named conforming loans-must satisfy out-of amount borrowed and you can credit rating. Almost every other constraints can also pertain with regards to the property, location, or other information on the transaction. If for example the loan try over the conforming financing limitation dependent on Fannie and you will Freddie , including, it’s a non-conforming mortgage. Except that mortgage numbers, non-compliant fund have there been to suit consumers exactly who slip away from compliant financing requirements for a lot of explanations. Such finance are also also known as non-licensed mortgages otherwise non-QMs. Non-conforming financing program choices may vary off home loan company so you’re able to home loan lender, but all are built to resolve the issues of several consumers face being qualified to possess a mortgage because of mind-a job, earnings from several supplies, if you don’t a card ding in the past. step 1. Versatile Terms It is on label: Non-conforming fund was right here to visit from the cereals. As such, they provide far more independence than simply antique credit advice. The newest loose statutes having low-conforming finance ensure it is lenders to manufacture loan applications one to fulfill borrowers in which he could be. This may mean a performance that’s repaired to possess a specific timeframe just before modifying to help you a variable price-or it will suggest mortgage terms outside the basic fifteen- otherwise 31-season terminology. 2. Much more To shop for Options Non-compliant financing are trying to do their particular material, right? So it’s not surprising that these lending car is also fund an excellent bigger variety of a house than simply conforming funds. They truly are low-warrantable apartments and you can co-ops, including timeshares, fractional ownerships, gadgets during the helped way of living organizations, multi-device condos, and you may equipment inside the ideas that want a registration-such as for instance a nation bar or a golf course-before you could pick. Non-compliant financing may also be used buying a condo you to happens to be inside litigation. The project is still significantly less than framework. Short-identity rentals are permitted. A single organization owns over 10% of all of the units. A lot of the products was hired in order to low-owners. The project’s designer possess yet to show over command over the fresh HOA toward citizens. Remember, after you buy an excellent product for the a bigger venture, the credit status is not the just one lenders has to take for the account. They must assess the developer’s borrowing also and you may look at the project general. For this reason, of many borrowers contained in this larger methods decide for low-conforming financing. step three. Borrowing Leniency Non-compliant loan recommendations are apt to have way more flexibility when it concerns words than simply conforming fund could possibly offer. So it reaches fico scores also. Conforming loans require a minimum credit history from 620. Do you know the credit history need for low-compliant financing? You will be right. They do not have any. Now, this does not mean its a no cost-for-all...
Read MoreКапиба́ра[1], или водосви́нка[2] (лат. Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), — полуводное травоядное млекопитающее из подсемейства водосвинковых (Hydrochoerinae), один из двух (наряду с малой водосвинкой) ныне существующих видов рода водосвинки. Капибара — самый крупный среди современных грызунов.
Этимология Название животного берёт начало от слова ka’apiûara, что на мёртвом языке тупи (родственном языку индейцев гуарани) буквально означает «поедатель тонкой травы» (kaá (трава) + píi (тонкий) + ú (есть) + ara (суффикс, аналогичный русскому суффиксу -тель))[3][4]. В наиболее близкой к оригиналу форме capivara оно вошло в португальский язык и широко употребимо в Бразилии. Уже в форме capibara через испанский слово вошло в английский, русский, японский и ряд других языков. В испаноговорящих странах Латинской Америки также в ходу и другие названия, происходящие из языков местных индейцев: carpincho (Аргентина, Перу и др.), chigüiro (Венесуэла, Колумбия), jochi (Боливия), ñeque (Колумбия) и др. Научное название (как родовое, так и видовое) Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris переводится как «водяная свинья» (др.-греч. ὕδωρ — вода + χοῖρος — свинья), калька с которого послужила основой как для альтернативного русского наименования этого животного — водосвинка, — так и названий его на китайском (水豚), венгерском (Vízidisznó), исландском (Flóðsvín) и некоторых других языках, а также для вариантов, употребимых в Аргентине (chancho de agua и puerco de agua). Внешний вид Длина тела взрослой капибары достигает 1—1,35 м, высота в холке — 50—60 см. Самцы весят 34—63 кг, а самки — 35—65,5 кг (измерения произведены в венесуэльских льяносах)[5]. Самки, как правило, крупнее самцов. Телосложение тяжёлое. Внешне капибара напоминает гигантскую большеголовую морскую свинку. Голова крупная, массивная с широкой, тупой мордой. Верхняя губа толстая. Уши короткие, округлые. Ноздри широко расставлены. Глаза маленькие, расположены высоко на голове и отнесены несколько назад. Хвост рудиментарный. Конечности довольно короткие; передние — 4-палые (пальцев было шесть)[прояснить], задние — 3-палые. Пальцы соединены небольшими плавательными перепонками и снабжены короткими сильными когтями. Капибара выглядит достаточно пушистой, ведь её тело покрыто длинными жёсткими волосами, но не имеет подшёрстка. Окрас капибары варьируется от коричнево-рыжего до сероватого. Нижняя часть тела животного капибара обычно имеет коричнево-желтоватый оттенок. Молодые особи окрашены светлее взрослых[6]. Окрас верхней стороны тела от рыжевато-бурого до сероватого, брюшной, как правило, желтовато-бурый. Молодняк окрашен светлее. У половозрелых самцов на верхней части морды расположен участок кожи с многочисленными крупными сальными железами. У самок имеется 6 пар брюшных сосков. Череп массивный, с широкими и сильными скуловыми дугами. Зубов 20. Щёчные зубы без корней, растут в течение всей жизни животного. Резцы широкие, имеют продольную бороздку на наружной поверхности[5]. Малая и большая берцовые кости частично срастаются между собой. Ключицы нет. Хромосом в диплоидном наборе 66. Вот как описывает капибару Джеральд Даррелл в «Трёх билетах до Эдвенчер»[7]: Этот гигантский грызун представляет собой жирного зверька с продолговатым телом, покрытым жёсткой лохматой шерстью пёстрой коричневой расцветки. Передние лапы у капибары длиннее задних, массивный огузок не имеет хвоста, и поэтому у неё всегда такой вид, будто она вот-вот собирается сесть. У неё крупные лапы с широкими перепончатыми пальцами, а когти на передних лапах, короткие и тупые, удивительно напоминают миниатюрные копыта. Вид у неё весьма аристократический: её плоская широкая голова и тупая, почти квадратная морда имеют благодушно-покровительственное выражение, придающее ей сходство с задумчивым львом. По земле капибара передвигается характерной шаркающей походкой или скачет вразвалку галопом, в воде же плавает и ныряет с поразительной лёгкостью и проворством. Капибара — флегматичный добродушный вегетарианец, лишённый ярких индивидуальных черт, присущих некоторым его сородичам, но этот недостаток восполняется у неё спокойным и дружелюбным нравом. Распространение Капибара встречается по берегам разнообразных водоёмов в тропических и умеренных частях Центральной и Южной Америки, восточнее Анд — от Панамы до Уругвая и северо-востока Аргентины (до 38°17′ ю. ш., провинция Буэнос-Айрес). Отмечена в следующих странах: Аргентина, Боливия, Бразилия, Венесуэла, Гайана, Колумбия, Парагвай, Перу, Уругвай, Французская Гвиана[8]. Область распространения включает бассейны рек Ориноко, Амазонки и Ла-Платы. Основными факторами, ограничивающими распространение, являются температура воздуха и воды. Капибары встречаются в горах до высоты 1300 м над уровнем моря[5]. В 1991 году карликовую разновидность капибары — малую водосвинку...
Read MoreThe Dangers of Diet Plan Soft Drink: Why It misbehaves for Your Wellness
As a prominent alternative to regular soda, diet plan soft drink has gotten enormous popularity throughout the years. Marketed as a healthier choice for weight-conscious individuals, it has actually ended up being a staple in many families. However, in spite of its low-calorie material, there are numerous reasons why diabacore fiyat diet regimen soft drink might not be as valuable as it appears. In this write-up, we explore the prospective risks and unfavorable results that diet regimen soft drink can have on your health and wellness. Artificial Sweeteners and Their Influence The key reason that diet regimen soda is interesting numerous is its use artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin, give the preferred sweetness without the added calories found in regular soft drink. However, research studies have actually increased problems relating to the security of these artificial sweeteners. Research suggests that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body’s natural ability to manage calorie consumption, resulting in boosted food cravings for sugary foods. In many cases, people who consume diet regimen soda may end up compensating by eating much more calories from various other sources, potentially bring about weight gain as opposed to weight reduction. In addition, some studies have connected artificial sweeteners to an enhanced risk of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by a collection of problems, consisting of weight problems, hypertension, and insulin resistance. These searchings for show that the usage of diet soft drink may not always result in better metabolic health and wellness as initially assumed. Sweetening agents can disrupt the body’s all-natural capacity to manage calorie intake. Intake of diet soft drink may result in boosted food cravings for sugary foods. Some studies have actually connected sweetening agents to a boosted danger of metabolic disorder. Results on Intestine Wellness One more area of concern when it pertains to diet regimen soft drink is its impact on intestine wellness. Emerging research study recommends that sweetening agents found in diet regimen soda can modify the structure of digestive tract bacteria, which plays an essential role in general health and well-being. A well balanced hondrexil cruz verde precio intestine microbiome is necessary for appropriate digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. However, the consumption of diet regimen soft drink has actually been associated with a decrease in advantageous gut bacteria and a boost in dangerous bacteria. This inequality in gut flora can potentially cause different health and wellness issues, such as gastrointestinal troubles, swelling, and even state of mind problems. Additionally, the acidic nature of diet soft drink can likewise contribute to digestion problems. The high level of acidity degrees can aggravate the cellular lining of the belly and esophagus, bring about heartburn, heartburn, and other discomforts. Sweetening agents in diet regimen soda can alter the composition of intestine microorganisms. The usage of diet regimen soft drink has actually been related to a decline in advantageous digestive tract bacteria. The high acidity levels in diet regimen soda can result in digestive system issues. Impact on Bone Wellness While diet soda is frequently thought about a much healthier selection than regular soda, it might have adverse impacts on bone wellness. Some studies recommend that the phosphoric acid existing in diet soda can leach calcium from bones, potentially bring about a reduction in bone mineral thickness and an enhanced danger of weakening of bones. Moreover, habitual intake of diet regimen soda has actually been related to an enhanced danger of cracks in older ladies. This connection shows that the long-term effects of diet plan soft drink on bone wellness might surpass its short-term benefits. The phosphoric acid in...
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
_