The Schiff Family at the Old Broadway Synagogue

Among the founding families of the Old Broadway Synagogue were the Morris and Rachel Schiff. I have been in touch with their grandsons, Bob Schiff and Joel Schiff. Joel was kind enough to send me some family photos. Unfortunately, Morris and Rachel died before Joel was born, and he does not know much about them. I would love to learn more about the Schiffs so if anyone has any information, please share it with me.

Here are some photos:

Here is a photo of Morris Schiff in some sort of store. My guess is that it is a second hand store since there are a number of disparate objects in the photo, in addition to Morris.

Morris and Rachel Schiff, in later years.

Sidney (son of Morris and Rachel) and Anne Schiff ([arents of Joel Schiff). Probably shortly after their wedding in 1938.

Here are the yahrzeit plaques for Morris and Rachel:

May their memory be for a blessing!

KLEZMER´S BOYZ OF SUMMER! June 16, 2024

KLEZMER´S BOYZ OF SUMMER!

Featuring music by Alex Parke (clarinet), Raffi Boden (cello)

 & Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer)

Sunday night, June 16, 7:30pm

at the Old Broadway Synagogue

(15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan)

Suggested donation: $10

A concert featuring three of the contemporary Yiddish music scene's leading performers - featuring the Old Broadway debut of São Paulo-based clarinetist Alex Parke, well-regarded for a performance style that captures the nuances of old-time 20th century European and New York klezmer clarinetists such as Titunshneyder, Belf, Brandwein and Tarras. Parke is accompanied by Raffi Boden (cello) and Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer). This program is presented by the Old Broadway Synagogue in partnership with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Yiddish New York.

Biographies of performers:

Alex Parke is a clarinetist, ethnomusicologist, and composer working in NYC and São Paulo who specializes in Klezmer and Brazilian music. He has performed with leading figures in the contemporary klezmer scene such as Frank London, Michael Winograd, Jake Shulman-Ment, Christina Crowder, Ilya Shneyveys, Pete Rushefsky. Parke is well-regarded for a performance style that captures the nuances of old-time 20th century European and New York klezmer clarinetists such as Titunshneyder, Belf, Brandwein and Tarras. He works as a freelancer in NYC and São Paulo and has been part of various musical projects, gaining renown for his musicality and musical intention.

Raffi Boden has forged his own expansive style on the cello, combining his fluency on the instrument with a reverence for folk traditions and a flair for experimentation and improvisation. Since graduating from the Juilliard School, Raffi has cultivated a multi-dimensional career as a NY-based freelance musician, performing in ensembles from experimental chamber trios to raucous klezmer big bands and in venues ranging from intimate neighborhood haunts to Carnegie Hall. He's active in the klezmer scene in NY, where he plays with the acclaimed band Mamaliga – their debut album of original klezmer music was hailed as "virtuosic and vibrant." He's also part of chamber jazz group Arco Belo, with whom he's toured internationally and performed at the Kennedy Center; of Ensemble Phoenicia, a group dedicated to middle eastern contemporary classical music; and Levyosn, a yiddish song quartet. Raffi holds a Master’s from the Juilliard School and a B.M./B.A. from Oberlin College & Conservatory.

Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl) A leading performer, composer and researcher of the Jewish tsimbl (cimbalom or hammered dulcimer), Rushefsky tours and records internationally with violinist Itzhak Perlman as part of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and collaborates with a number of leading figures in the contemporary klezmer scene including Andy Statman, Adrianne Greenbaum, Steven Greenman, Joel Rubin, Eleonore Biezunski, Michael Alpert, Madeline Solomon, Zhenya Lopatnik, Zoe Aqua, Jake Shulman-Ment, Keryn Kleiman, Eleonore Weill, Alex Parke, Ira Temple, Lauren Brody, Avi Fox-Rosen and Michael Winograd. Since 2006 he has served as Executive Director of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of diverse immigrant music traditions from around the world. He is a founder of the annual Yiddish New York festival, curated the Yiddish program at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has authored a number of articles on traditional music and culture.

We are grateful for the support of the Atran Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

KLEZMER on OL' BROADWAY!

 

KLEZMER on OL' BROADWAY!

Featuring music by Andy Statman (clarinet), Dan Blacksberg (trombone) & Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer)

Sunday night, April 7, 7:30pm

at the Old Broadway Synagogue

(15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan)

Suggested donation: $10

A concert featuring three of the contemporary Yiddish music scene's leading performers - NEA National Heritage Fellow Andy Statman (clarinet), Dan Blacksberg (trombone) and Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer) exploring the repertoire of klezmer legends Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras, who was Statman's teacher. This program is presented by the Old Broadway Synagogue in partnership with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Yiddish New York.

Biographies of performers:

A virtuosic musician known for his pioneering work in Klezmer, bluegrass, jazz, and other disparate styles, Grammy-nominated Andy Statman rose out of New York’s folk and string band scene in the mid-’70s, first establishing himself as a mandolin master then helping to ignite the klezmer revival as a clarinetist. He learned the craft of klezmer through a long-term mentorship with the legendary clarinetist Dave Tarras, and continues to draw inspiration from the recordings of Bill Monroe, the sounds of New York City, and his wife Barbara. Statman was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2012. He tours nationally with the Andy Statman Trio (Larry Eagle - drums, Jim Whitney - bass) as well as with violinist Itzhak Perlman, and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry with bluegrass guitarist Jake Eddy. 

Philadelphia native Dan Blacksberg (trombone) has created a singular musical voice as a trombonist, composer, and educator. One of the foremost practitioners of klezmer trombone and a respected voice in jazz and experimental music, Dan is known for a formidable virtuosity and versatility. This has led to performances with artists such klezmer masters as Frank London, Elaine Hoffman Watts and Adrienne Cooper, and experimentalists like Anthony Braxton and extreme doom metal band The Body. Dan composes music from danceable klezmer melodies on Radiant Others, to genre-busting projects like his Hasidic doom metal band Deveykus and Name Of the Sea, Dan forges music that “aims to infuse the fearless avant-garde with timeless sounds and techniques, and vice versa.” (WXPN’s The Key) Dan currently teaches jazz and klezmer at Temple University, and coordinates the Instrumental and Dance programs at Yiddish New York with Deb Strauss. He also makes the Radiant Others Klezmer Podcast.

Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl) A leading performer, composer and researcher of the Jewish tsimbl (cimbalom or hammered dulcimer), Rushefsky tours and records internationally with violinist Itzhak Perlman as part of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and collaborates with a number of leading figures in the contemporary klezmer scene including Andy Statman, Adrianne Greenbaum, Steven Greenman, Joel Rubin, Eleonore Biezunski, Michael Alpert, Madeline Solomon, Zhenya Lopatnik, Zoe Aqua, Jake Shulman-Ment, Keryn Kleiman, Eleonore Weill, Alex Parke, Ira Temple, Lauren Brody, Avi Fox-Rosen and Michael Winograd. Since 2006 he has served as Executive Director of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of diverse immigrant music traditions from around the world. He is a founder of the annual Yiddish New York festival, curated the Yiddish program at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has authored a number of articles on traditional music and culture.

We are grateful for the support of the Atran Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Celebrate Purim at Old Broadway!

 

OL' BROADWAY PURIM PARTY!

Featuring music by Avi Fox-Rosen (guitar/mandolin) & Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer) 

Saturday Night, March 23, 8:30PM Megillah Reading, 9:15PM Party at the Old Broadway Synagogue (15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan)

Admission Free!

Join us for the Old Broadway Synagogue's Purim Service and Party (15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan) on Saturday, March 23, 2024. After reading the Megillah, we'll feature music by two of the contemporary Yiddish music scene's leading performers - Avi Fox-Rosen (guitar/mandolin) and Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer). Plus food, friends and fun! This program is presented by the Old Broadway Synagogue in partnership with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Yiddish New York.

The fun continues on Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 8:00am with Shacharis, Megillah and a festive breakfast!

Biographies of performers:

Avi Fox-Rosen is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn, NY, equally at home in theater, rock, Yiddish, klezmer or improvisational music worlds. He’s collaborated with many of the leading lights in Yiddish music over the last 20 years including Adrienne Cooper, Daniel Kahn, Sarah Gordon, Michael Winograd, Basya Schechter, Matt Darriau, Frank London and many others, including his brother, bassist and singer Benjy Fox-Rosen. Avi’s a member of .357 Lover, whose dynamics include power-chord riffs and densely-packed, narrative structures, a homunculus of Queen and Tiny Tim. As a songwriter, Avi makes music with a sardonic sense of humor, dense and dark lyrics, and enchantingly twisted melodies. New York Music Daily has heralded Avi’s work as “consistently excellent”.

Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl) A leading performer, composer and researcher of the Jewish tsimbl (cimbalom or hammered dulcimer), Rushefsky tours and records internationally with violinist Itzhak Perlman as part of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and collaborates with a number of leading figures in the contemporary klezmer scene including Andy Statman, Adrianne Greenbaum, Steven Greenman, Joel Rubin, Eleonore Biezunski, Michael Alpert, Madeline Solomon, Zhenya Lopatnik, Zoe Aqua, Jake Shulman-Ment, Keryn Kleiman, Eleonore Weill, Alex Parke, and Michael Winograd. Since 2006 he has served as Executive Director of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of diverse immigrant music traditions from around the world. He is a founder of the annual Yiddish New York festival, curated the Yiddish program at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has authored a number of articles on traditional music and culture.

Klezmer Concert, March 3 at 7:30pm

 

The Old Broadway Synagogue, 

Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Yiddish New York present:

KLEZMER RETURNS TO OL' BROADWAY

Abigale Reisman (violin), Jake Shulman-Ment (violin) 

& Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer)

Sunday, March 3, 7:30pm at the Old Broadway Synagogue

(15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan)

Suggested donation: $10

Join us as klezmer music returns to the Old Broadway Synagogue (15 Old Broadway between 125th & 126th Streets in Manhattan) at 7:30pm on Sunday, March 3, 2024. We'll be featuring three of the contemporary klezmer scene's leading performers - Abigale Reisman (violin), Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer) and Jake Shulman-Ment (violin). A rare opportunity to see three of klezmer's leading string musicians performing together in a special program of klezmer melodies new and old. This program is presented by the Old Broadway Synagogue in partnership with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Yiddish New York.

Biographies of performers:

One of the Boston area's leading klezmer musicians, Abigale Reisman (violin) has established herself as an expressive and thoughtful fidl player with a lot to say. She is particularly interested in mimicking the human voice through the violin and connecting her playing to the rhythms and accents of the Yiddish language. Abigale is a performer, composer, and arranger with the International Jewish Music Festival award winning band, Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band. She regularly performs in a duo with renowned klezmer scholar and performer Hankus Netsky. Abigale is also a co-founder of Thread Ensemble, an experimental trio that creates music out of interactions with their audiences. She recently received The Iguana Grant from Club Passim to create a series of videos showcasing the klezmer violin. Abigale earned her Bachelor’s degree at The Manhattan School of Music in Classical Violin Performance and went on to receive her Master’s degree at The New England Conservatory in Contemporary Improvisation. Abigale lives by the sea with her two Hemingway cats and her husband Charles.

Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl) A leading performer, composer and researcher of the Jewish tsimbl (cimbalom or hammered dulcimer), Rushefsky tours and records internationally with violinist Itzhak Perlman as part of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and collaborates with a number of leading figures in the contemporary klezmer scene including Andy Statman, Adrianne Greenbaum, Steven Greenman, Joel Rubin, Eleonore Biezunski, Michael Alpert, Madeline Solomon, Zhenya Lopatnik, Zoe Aqua, Jake Shulman-Ment, Keryn Kleiman, Eleonore Weill, Alex Parke, and Michael Winograd. Since 2006 he has served as Executive Director of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of diverse immigrant music traditions from around the world. He is a founder of the annual Yiddish New York festival, curated the Yiddish program at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has authored a number of articles on traditional music and culture.

Jake Shulman-Ment (violin) is at the helm of a new generation of Klezmer and Yiddish music performers. He tours and records internationally in addition to being a widely sought-out teacher of the klezmer fiddle tradition at festivals around the globe. He collected, studied, performed, and documented traditional music in Romania as a Fulbright scholar, and has lived and traveled in Hungary and Greece, learning traditional violin styles. In 2018 he received the prestigious NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship in Folk/Traditional Arts. He was a featured subject of Csaba Bereczki’s full-length documentary film Soul Exodus, and appears on HBO’s Succession, Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman, and a host of other film and theater productions. Jake’s debut solo album, A Redele (A Wheel) (Oriente Musik, 2012) was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award. His new group, Midwood, released its first album, Out of the Narrows, (Chant Records) in May 2018