The Chopped Liver River Band
Klezmer Band Affiliated with Congregation Shaarai Shomayim Lancaster PA
About the Band
Band's $10,000 donation
ain't no chopped liver
By LORI VAN INGEN, Staff
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Sep 01, 2007 12:34 AM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Congregation Shaarai Shomayim is benefiting from the
popularity of chopped liver — Chopped Liver River Band, that is.
The klezmer band has donated $10,000 to the historic Lancaster congregation for
its new sound system from the proceeds of its performances and sale of its CD,
"Shmear of Chopped Liver."
"Klezmer," which is the Hebrew word for a musical instrument, is a style of
nonliturgical Jewish music dating back to the 15th century.
However, it became popular in Eastern Europe two centuries ago, Chopped Liver
River Band musical director Alan Levine said.
"When immigrants came here, they brought the music with them," Levine said.
"There were dozens of klezmer bands in New York City in the 1930s. It died out
for a while, but came back in the '60s when folk music (became popular)."
The local klezmer band began when members of Shaarai Shomayim's synagogue choir
started talking about the various instruments each played in college and high
school. They decided to dust off their instruments and get together for some fun
times playing them, business manager Jeffrey Woodman said.
Throughout the years, the band's core group has remained fairly the same, with
the loss of one and addition of a couple others. "We have 16 members or however
many show up," Levine said.
Its members play clarinet, saxophone, flute, violin, trombone, trumpet, guitar,
bass, keyboard and "a bunch" of percussion.
The Chopped Liver River Band's overall theme is to play various types of Jewish
music, including klezmer, Yiddish songs and Hebrew liturgy. But it also plays
big band and Broadway tunes.
Starting its 10th year — "nine more than we envisioned," Levine said — the
Chopped Liver River Band continues its mission to educate the community about
klezmer music.
"It's a novelty for this community and central Pennsylvania where Jews are in
the minority," Woodman said. "It's a thrill for us to give (klezmer) history and
educate the community."
The Chopped Liver River Band performs regularly every other year at Longwood
Gardens and every year at Ten Thousand Villages' holiday festival, Harrisburg
Arts Fest and Italian Lake, Harrisburg.
It also has performed in such venues as Fulton Opera House; Long's Park;
Lancaster Community Day festival; York, Reading and Lancaster Jewish Community
Centers; an occasional wedding or bar mitzvah; at retirement communities; and
for other religious denominations, such as the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Lancaster.
"They greatly appreciate the upbeat sound and dance to it," Levine said.
"The audience gets up dancing and clapping and participating in various ways.
(The music) always makes the audience happy," Woodman said.