Lipa Schmeltzer

Elazar Lipa Schmelczer is an American Hasidic entertainer, singer, actor, and composer, popular in Israel and worldwide.

Musical Career and Controversies

Schmeltzer's albums have gained tremendous popularity within the American Hasidic community due in part to his masterful Yiddish lyrics, original compositions, and, most of all, his innovations in fusing traditional Hasidic music with contemporary music styles.

Schmeltzer's albums have been controversial from the very beginning. Conservative elements within the Hasidic community are unhappy with the spread of Jewish music that is so heavily influenced by contemporary pop music. They further claim that Schmeltzer's identity as a bona-fide Hasid makes it more appealing to a wider Hasidic audience and therefore more likely to introduce contemporary music to their community, which tends to be insular and more reserved. The effect that Schmeltzer's music can have on members, especially younger ones, of the community is deemed dangerous by many Hasidic leaders. A number of communities have banned Schmeltzer's albums.

Proponents argue that Schmeltzer is a maverick in the world of Hasidic music. He pushes the envelope and is innovative in ways that no other Hasidic performer has been. But this is precisely to what the opposing view is objecting.

Schmeltzer is himself a Hasid of Rabbi David Twersky, the Skverer Rebbe and he resides in Airmont, New York with his family. Under the guidance of his Rebbe, he is said to have declined to perform at events with mixed seating for men and women, despite offers of lucrative compensation. Some Hasidic members of the Skvere Community conjecture that Schmeltzer does not follow the directives of the Grand Rabbi, who rejects Schmeltzer's style and performances, while others deny that there has even been any backlash against Lipa from within their community.

The "Big Event" Controversy

In February 2008, publicity started for a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York featuring Lipa and Shlomie Gertner, billed as "The Big Event." A massive amount of publicity was generated in newspapers and radio stations. However, on February 20th 2008 a full-page notice was printed in the newspaper Hamodia (the original of which can be read in Hebrew [http://bp1.blogger.com/_cktCgO7QYZg/R7x6OGNL5xI/AAAAAAAABAA/dGSCdW3ov7c/s1600-h/BigEventKolKoreh11.jpghere] ). The notice stated that it was "a serious prohibition to attend or perform" at the concert, even going so far as to add that it was "forbidden to hire these singers to sing at any party, celebration or charity event." [ [http://bp1.blogger.com/_cktCgO7QYZg/R7x6OGNL5xI/AAAAAAAABAA/dGSCdW3ov7c/s1600-h/BigEventKolKoreh11.jpgBigEventKolKoreh11.jpg (image) ] ]

During the following days, there was much speculation over whether Lipa would perform at the concert in the face of this ban or not. On February 26 2008 it was confirmed that he backed out after discussing the issue with his Rabbi. He was also quoted by the New York Times as saying “I have a career, I have a wife and kids to support, I have a mortgage to pay, I have to get out of the fire.” [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/nyregion/03concert.html?ex=1362200400&en=87dffb35e59d5c56&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss nytimes.com] ] At the same time, Lipa pulled out of a concert sceduled in London later that month with other singers. [ [http://www.vosizneias.com/2008/02/monsey-ny-lipa-shmeltzer-backs-out-of.html VOS IZ NEIAS: (Yiddish: "What's News"): Monsey, NY + Lipa Shmeltzer Backs Out Of London Concert ] ]

In the months after that, controversy grew about the ban and the motives behind it. In particular, people were questioning why the ban was put out so close to the concert date, resulting in the Israeli charity financing the concert losing $700,000 dollars, and also the wording of the ban, which seemed at odds with views the Rabbis who had signed it had expressed elsewhere. [ [http://matzav.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=181&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=507&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2222&hn=matzav&he=.com Matzav.com] ] In an interview in June 2008, Lipa stated “If I knew the truth, the Big Event would not have been cancelled." He added, “many Rabbis have told me that people came to them with false information regarding my concert." [ [http://www.vosizneias.com/16816/2008/06/06/new-york-lipa-in-flammatory-interview-my-mistake-to-cancel-bigevent-concert/ Vos Iz Nieas] ]

Discography

*"Nor B'simcha"
*"Shema"
*"Lemaranan" (Skverer Niggunim)
* "The New Project X"
* "The Next Project X"
* "LIPA Sings Hallel"
* "Lipa L'toivu"
* "Lipa Baderech"
* "Leilu U'leilu"
* "Kenenihora"
* "A Poshiter Yid" Released June, 15 2008

Videography

*"Gelt"
*"Abi M'leibt" (Parody of The Tokens' hit, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight")
*"Diet"
*"The Lipa Experience" 2006 (full length concert recorded December 21 2005 in Brooklyn College)

References

External links

* [http://www.lipaschmeltzer.com Lipa's official website]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7677089265316993272&q=lipa+hasc&ei=gR1oSKjmO5SGrQLNwdzFCg Abi Meleibt (video)]
* [http://www.nahalharedi.org/schmeltzer.wmv Lipa sings with IDF soldiers (video)]
* [http://chaptzem.blogspot.com/2006/01/kiryas-yoel-lipa-schmeltzer-ban-letter.html Letter from Kiryas Yoel banning Lipa Schmeltzer's music]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4928286029921419658&q=lipa Lipa sings Hallel]
* [http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a4813/News/New_York.html Big Event Ban]