April 18, 2003/Nisan 16 5763, Vol. 55, No. 34
Klezmer kabbalatTemple Emanuel forms band
LEISAH NAMM
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 Members of the Temple Emanuel Rural Street Klezmer Band include, from left, Samantha Volk, Ben Negley, Director Julie Ivanhoe, Chuck Gealer and Rick Krecker. Photo by Susan Schanerman |
Certain services are accompanied by music from the Rural Street Klezmer Band, which was founded in October 2002.
The band plays traditional klezmer music - instrumental Jewish folk music - and performs at occasional Kabbalat services at Emanuel; they also performed during Purim services.
"Klezmer music connects us with our Eastern European roots," says Susan Schanerman, Temple Emanuel's cantorial soloist and director of education. "It was the music that our families danced and sang to in generations past."
The band has also performed at Temple Havurat Emet's March 9 Torah dedication in Sun Lakes and for the Phoenix Holocaust Survivor's Association at Beth El Congregation in Phoenix. In May, they will perform at an Elk's Club meeting.
The 10 band members, ages 13 to adult, play the following instruments: piano, two violins, flute, clarinet, trombone, two trumpets, guitar and percussion.
Schanerman calls the band's performance an "inspiring addition" to the music of Emanuel's Shabbat service.
"Congregants clap and sway as they feel its power," she says. "It is especially wonderful to see our teen congregants performing the music of their great-grandparents. This is one more way that we can perpetuate our rich musical traditions."
Chuck Gealer, who plays clarinet for the group, says the band provides "a way to participate in an important part of our culture through the music."
So far, all the musicians are members of the synagogue. "We emphasize keeping our musicians in our congregation active in the band, but would not say no to musicians from other temples interested in rehearsing with us," says Julie Ivanhoe, the group's conductor and director. They rehearse for an hour on Sundays during the school year, though the schedule may change slightly during the summer.
What lies in the future for the Rural Street band?
"We will continue to add to our repertoire of music and will explore some new editions of klezmer music," says Ivanhoe. "We are working on adding electric violin, percussion and saxophone to current instrumentation." They are also considering learning some of the more traditional melodies for Shabbat services, she adds.
The Rural Street Klezmer Band will play during Kabbalat Shabbat services at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 16, at Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. Call 480-838-1414.