tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76410832101933283112012-01-29T01:55:38.563-05:00Wherein you'll find my calendar of upcoming events, musings on Jewish music, spirituality and humor, and wistful memories of days gone by.Jeffnoreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-66402364656185643652012-01-29T00:36:00.003-05:002012-01-29T01:49:05.438-05:00

The year is officially 1 A.D. (After Debbie) — today was her first yahrtzeit. I'm going to attempt to post something about Debbie each day this week, culminating in Shabbat Shirah, when thousands of people will remember her and sing her beautiful melody for "Shalom Aleichem" in synagogues across the country.At this point I will let Debbie do the singing...and joking. We gave a little concert

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-76545474894669187302012-01-27T16:07:00.010-05:002012-01-29T01:55:38.572-05:00

This Shabbat is the first Yahrtzeit of Debbie's passing according to the Hebrew calendar. These words will introduce a service of her music at my synagogue, Temple Sinai in Sharon, Massachusetts:Like Miriam, whose spirit is felt so keenly in next week’s Torah Portion (Shabbat Shirah), Debbie Friedman brought the Jewish people together with song and dance. As Rabbi Dan Freelander has observed: “

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-66389035287936341482011-02-28T20:38:00.010-05:002011-03-01T10:19:19.924-05:00

With the recent passing of Jack Gottlieb, the Jewish music world has lost a giant. A brilliant and gifted composer, Jack's music was just as captivating and effective in the synagogue as it was on the concert stage (and vice versa.)In October 1980, Jack celebrated his 50th birthday with an extraordinary concert of his music that I was privileged to attend. (More on that very soon.)Several days

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-383558696263154282011-02-06T13:00:00.022-05:002012-01-27T22:35:38.122-05:00

On December 9, 2001, I put together a Chanukah concert for the final day of the URJ Biennial in Boston to benefit the Rashi School. More than a thousand attendees filled the Hynes Convention Center to see Doug Cotler, Julie Silver, Peri Smilow, David Paskin, Yom Hadash, myself, and of course, Debbie Friedman, who pushed her tired voice and gave as rousing a performance as I have ever seen. A

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-80428597809710989052011-01-16T23:37:00.026-05:002011-01-17T01:24:35.391-05:00

In my JUF News article on the passing of Debbie Friedman, z"l, I quoted from her letter to Reform Judaism magazine (above) in reaction to a November 1980 piece by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin (below) on the paradigm shift toward more musical participation that was beginning to take hold in Reform synagogues in the late 1970s.I don't believe that cantors were opposed to participation, per se. But they

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-55609091981763490292011-01-13T23:29:00.009-05:002011-01-15T14:30:21.620-05:00

The JUF News in Chicago has published my very personal reminiscences of Debbie, going back to our first meeting in the Summer of 1969. The article is here.I took these photographs of Debbie song-leading in the dining room at the NFTY Kutz Camp in 1969 or 1970 and they have never been seen before. (For good reason - I'm pretty confident that I will not be remembered as a photographer.)

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-74466614850013484472011-01-13T22:33:00.008-05:002011-01-13T23:29:09.134-05:00

My dear friend (Rabbi) David Paskin has established a website called rememberingdebbie.com. Thanks to his organizing skill (and powers of persuasion!), and thanks to the generosity of Boston's Temple Israel, there will be a memorial concert for Debbie Friedman on Sunday, January 30 at 4 p.m., free and open to the public. Lots of wonderful people will be singing and reminiscing. Click on the

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-82074535142837251212011-01-10T01:45:00.003-05:002011-01-13T22:28:20.374-05:00

Dearest Debbie,You gave us your heart and soul,and a gift of prayer and song that will always be with us.Rest in peace, Sweet Singer.....

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-71610944742476614832010-08-01T16:13:00.004-04:002010-08-01T16:33:12.725-04:00

Hey everybody....I'm here at NewCaje, leading a music seminar with Ellen and Peter Allard, David Paskin and oodles of cool Jewish people! We are learning "Blogging for Musicians." Doesn't that sound like fun? This is me having fun. Tonight will be a rockin concert with Julie Silver, Yom Hadash and Kol B'seder (hm...never heard of them)... If you are anywhere near Boston look us up and drop by

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-2169524059987685492010-05-26T23:57:00.007-04:002011-01-17T01:06:56.011-05:00

When I came to the School of Sacred Music (of Hebrew Union College) in 1974 and began to conduct services as a student-cantor I used a guitar to accompany myself. How else was I going to do it? Since joining NFTY in 1968 I had led dozens, maybe even hundreds of services, always with guitar. It was like a part of my body - I knew no other way. Thanks to my wonderful teachers, in a very short

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-92060207193523123622009-12-18T17:12:00.005-05:002009-12-18T17:53:25.976-05:00

Mazal Tov to journalist/author/critic/blogger and friend, Seth Rogovy, on his eye popping new Bob Dylan Torathon, Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet.I'll wait until I finish the book before offering any critiques, but here's a tip of the shtreimel to Seth, by-way-of the first internet video release of one of my Jewish Dylan parodies. All told, I've done a dozen or so - several made it onto my Live

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-63112844285182971512009-10-29T12:21:00.003-04:002009-10-29T12:33:09.166-04:00

On Sunday November 1, at 12 noon, I'll be visiting my old stomping grounds (1982-2000), Evanston, IL, to sing a family concert at Beth Emet Synagogue in honor of my (former) rabbi, Peter Knobel on the occasion of his impending retirement. Joining me will be long time musical buddies Stuart Rosenberg (violin/mandolin) and Mike Heimlich (bass). Beth Emet's new cantor, Arik Luck, will join me on

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-75925192155953749332009-08-18T13:10:00.001-04:002009-08-18T13:13:05.846-04:00

Jeff Klepper's Blog has been on extended hiatus - more on that later - but will return to the Blogosphere soon!

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-80043284590370750142008-12-01T23:51:00.016-05:002008-12-02T10:28:05.900-05:00

There's music for every taste and more on PBS's new Chanukah concert special, "Lights", now airing nationwide (check your local listings). Produced by (and starring) Craig Taubman, the live concert features Alberto Mizrahi, The Klezmatics, and Joshua Nelson (the Prince of Kosher Gospel), with guest appearances by (among others) jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, actress Mare Winningham, and two young

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-73416800321132167872008-11-10T21:36:00.010-05:002011-01-14T02:10:59.261-05:00

Back a few years ago my good buddy, Chicago folk music legend Stuart Rosenberg, and I, spent a lovely afternoon writing a song to sing on MLK Day. We called it, "We Will Be Free." Today - having just witnessed the election of (soon to be) President Barack Obama - seems like the right time to bring it back.Since we're old enough to remember when "Blowin' in the Wind" was still "in the wind", our

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-68623226096513983292008-11-10T21:02:00.008-05:002008-11-11T16:41:43.591-05:00

Here's a blast from the past.  Kol B'seder from 1979.  Somehow Dan and I were recruited to add our happy-slappy campy kid songs to a couple of episodes of one of the original New York City Jewish cable TV shows, Shalom Corner.  I recently found the almost 30 year old Betamax video in a box of old tapes, then I scoured Ebay for a used (cheap) Betamax.  Bought a nice old one for 65 bucks plus

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-47220591153312687902008-11-09T16:51:00.014-05:002008-11-10T00:18:42.840-05:00

"Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call..." Ok, I admit, the title is a cheesy way to steer a little Dylan traffic here.  But now that we know Barack Obama will be our 44th President - and I can finally get back to blogging again - I want to begin with one of the more interesting cultural sidebars of the campaign: yes, the Dylan-Obama connection.In June of 2008 Dylan told the Times of

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-38040971761317732008-08-04T12:06:00.004-04:002008-08-04T13:20:59.733-04:00

8/3 Sunday - It had been about 10 years since I was in England, when Kol B'seder sang here for the "Festival of Reform Judaism" in the late '90s. In '95 I was invited to teach and perform at Limmud, which then was just a British phenomenon but is now world famous. Over the years, through Caje, Limmud, and Hava Nashira, many strong friendships have developed among music leaders from the American

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-22072003816768141812008-07-23T07:52:00.022-04:002008-07-30T04:42:51.217-04:00

Yaffo in the morning Sunset at Ein Hod What a wonderful time to be in Israel. The country is bustling and growing, the shekel is strong against the dollar (ok, not so great for Americans), and Barack Obama was just in Jerusalem today assuring Israelis that he is on our side.Here's a brief travelog so far.7/20 Sunday - Arrival 5 a.m. Stayed 'overnight' in Yaffo at the new, lovely (and inexpensive)

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-47070289119358919912008-07-23T07:45:00.002-04:002008-07-23T07:51:42.210-04:00

Recently hackers got into my website and hacked the index page. But everything has been fixed and the danger is over. A couple of folks told me that their anti-virus programs screamed bloody murder when they tried to access jeffklepper.com. The files have been cleaned and the passwords changed. I truly hope nobody's computer was messed up. It's a good reminder to get the best anti-virus

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-88520698787432836382008-07-11T16:06:00.011-04:002008-07-17T14:28:24.825-04:00

My last visit to Israel was five years ago. I can stay away no longer! So, I recently cleared some time on my calendar and traded in my last batch of United miles for a ticket. I'm bringing my guitar and some clothes. My hope is to sing in as many places as possible, and to stay in homes wherever I travel. I want to reconnect, see old friends and make new ones. I am not charging a fee for my

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-48638217253236787062008-07-06T00:13:00.015-04:002008-07-11T17:36:10.898-04:00

This past December I was asked to sing at a Chanukah party for Hillel at Harvard University. I was invited by one of my former Bar Mitzvah students.  He's a wonderful fellow (from a great family) and he plays in the Hillel Klezmer Band!  My gosh, how could I say no?  I had no idea what to expect.  I even brought my Jewish comedy videos with me just in case I needed help getting things going.  It

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-23692244596430116262008-05-26T00:07:00.017-04:002008-05-27T18:40:05.045-04:00

Anyone who knows anything about Israeli music probably knows the name Naomi Shemer. By every measure she towered over other Israeli songwriters. For half a century her songs were, literally, the voice of a nation and a people. After her death in 2004 it was revealed that she had appropriated the melody of a Basque folksong for Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. The Jewish people held no grudge.But there

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-40543219828215002682008-05-09T10:44:00.014-04:002009-12-20T17:55:55.331-05:00

Happy Birthday Israel! What a proud and momentous celebration - six decades of statehood. I still treasure the memories of my first trip to Israel in 1978. I lost count of how many times I’ve visited since then, each trip unique and wonderful.No aspect of Israel means more to me than her songs. They are her heartbeat and pulse, her very spirit. They live within me and I take them everywhere I

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-82015736540441805972008-05-02T10:24:00.025-04:002008-05-02T14:41:21.079-04:00

It’s 36 years since Dan and I started singing together, in the Spring of 1972 (the name Kol B’Seder didn’t come until a couple of years later.) So, here’s a Kol B’Seder birthday present from Danny and me: 20 minutes of highlights from our concert last week at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo, NY.This particular concert was a lot of fun, in spite of a very dicey flight situation from Boston. In

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-82298323699739779332008-04-28T21:22:00.013-04:002008-07-12T10:04:53.608-04:00

Though we're now a week plus into counting the Omer, I keep running into folks who swear they knoweth not about one of the coolest Jewish websites in the Liturg-O-Sphere.  I'm referring of course to the Homer Calendar. (Yes, as in Homer Simpson.)  It was researched, written and designed by my friend, health care advocate Brian Rosman, who guested with his family at our seder and presented us with

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-21338615984874922822008-04-28T13:33:00.021-04:002010-05-27T19:12:31.821-04:00

Ok, Pesach is over and we're eight days into the Omer. We have to move on, but if I don't put this up now I'll have to wait a whole 'nother year, and who knows if the world will still be here by then.Michael Dorf, the powerhouse genius behind Oy!hoo, the NYC operation which has pretty much become synonymous with Cutting-Edge-Jewish-Music, posted a Virtual Seder on the cusp of Shabbat Hagadol.

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-69918997985476311282008-04-25T14:07:00.003-04:002008-04-27T11:27:44.215-04:00

Ok, folks, we're in the home stretch and I've saved the best for last.  To get us in the mood for Mike Hammerman's extraordinary Dayeinu (see below), here are a couple of my favorite Dayeinu instrumentals:We begin with the Farbrangen Fiddlers, whose second LP American Chai (1976) is a pre-klezmer masterpiece of Jewish Americana (sadly, unavailable on CD). The Fiddlers' first record had a very

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-72238947666469518932008-04-23T20:51:00.000-04:002008-04-23T23:56:42.456-04:00

We're halfway through Chag Ha-Pesach, and our over-consumption of white flour is beginning to have an effect on the internal organs.  (They do sell whole wheat matzah, which isn't bad, but we never seem to be able to stock enough of it to last through the week.)  So, to help get you through the next few days with a smile, here are a few 'Songs you never learned in shul' relating to - what else? -

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-12348315684457913562008-04-17T15:07:00.000-04:002008-04-17T15:09:20.875-04:00

Wishing you and your family a sweet, healthy, and meaningful Yontif!

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-20533806351495531852008-04-17T14:12:00.003-04:002008-07-12T10:05:37.105-04:00

Maybe you already have these on CD, perhaps on cassette tape, or maybe you don't, but here's some Pesach music to sing at your seder from Kol B'seder.In Every Generation - mp3 - lyrics - music: page1 - page2 - page3  Here is "B'chol dor vador" from the Haggadah (just after Dayeinu), that we must see ourselves as personally delivered from Egypt.  We sing the Hebrew with the traditional wording,

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-61070731664098209972008-04-15T11:35:00.000-04:002008-04-15T12:48:26.659-04:00

As long as we're globetrotting, here is another version of Echad Mi Yode'a, this time in Italian, "Uno Chi Sa?", from the Roman tradition.  My trip to Rome in 1989 (visiting my wife, Deeana, who was doing a fellowship in history at the American Academy) had a profound effect on me.  I found the Roman liturgical  music - which has been carefully preserved for generations - to be meaningful in a

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-25422881341288185912008-04-13T00:38:00.001-04:002008-04-28T21:20:17.382-04:00

Every Pesach I try to convince my wife that I am actually Sephardic, and thus we should be able to eat rice and kitniyot on Pesach.  (I was spoiled by the one year we went to Jerusalem during Pesach and realized I could just walk into Supersol, pretend I was Mizrahi and buy a container of the best hummos I've ever had. Now, that was heaven - on matzah.)  Well, each year she doesn't buy it.  With

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-5391171355488225032008-04-10T15:58:00.000-04:002008-04-13T00:32:02.444-04:00

That is how my grandfather, Bernard "Barney" Klepper, z"l, introduces the Pesach melody taught to him by his Romanian grandfather 100 years ago, on a scratchy old record that floated around my extended family for years until I found out about it and got a taped copy.  (I'm told the original disc no longer exists.) Every time I hear NPR's 'Lost and Found Sound'  I think this recording would be

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-1517734292090543282008-04-09T01:21:00.002-04:002010-05-27T19:08:52.360-04:00

...next line? C'mon..." They're gonna make a big star out of me." Right you are. 'Act Naturally' by the Beatles - written by Buck Owens - and sung by Ringo!Which is just a lead in to this: I have a bit part in the new documentary, Voice Teacher by Danny Mendelson. It's about MY voice teacher, the legendary Donald Roberts. He's the guy who got me singing again. (It only took five years of

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-76767336884144082472008-04-08T20:24:00.000-04:002008-04-16T02:31:48.048-04:00

As one of three cantors on the Editorial Committee of Mishkan T’filah (the new Reform Movement prayerbook) from 1999 to 2005 I was involved in many decisions about the content and form of this new sidur. There were hours of discussions around controversial issues such as, “should the Hebrew prayers be transliterated?” - the vote was yes - or “should the traditional second paragraph of V’ahavta

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7641083210193328311.post-10683072632711697592008-04-07T20:21:00.000-04:002008-04-08T19:06:00.195-04:00

I'm gearing up and should be blogging with some regularity very soon...by Pesach?

Jeffnoreply@blogger.com