Word to your mazel tov! Paul Shaffer helms rap inspired by synagogue congregant's poem
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- March
- 26
With a little help from the Blues Brothers, Bedford resident Paul Shaffer has collaborated with jazz, R&B and rock legends.
Now, the CBS Orchestra leader can add Larry Levy to that résumé.
Shaffer and Levy are part of the Mount Kisco Hebrew Congregation, which on April 13 will celebrate not only its 100th anniversary but also Levy’s 93rd birthday.
Levy’s poem about the anniversary inspired Shaffer to produce a rap video that uses those words and others written by Jewish rapper Etan G. The result is a video that will be shown at an event celebrating the congregation’s anniversary, but curious Suburbarazzi readers can view it on YouTube right now.
Like many of Shaffer’s efforts, the video is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the tribute itself seems appropriate, especially after reading about Levy’s life in a press release issued by the synagogue this week:
A native of Poland, Levy escaped when he was a teenager and immigrated to Palestine. Shortly after he left, his entire family fell victim to the Holocaust in Poland and was entirely wiped out. While living in Palestine (before the State of Israel was established), Levy met his wife, Toby, and they ultimately decided to move to America, in search of a better life. The moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., where they lived for 60 years. When they grew older, they made the decision to live closer to their children—in northern Westchester, N.Y.—and moved to Mount Kisco in 2000.
Mazel tov, Larry!
(File photo/The Journal News.)
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at 4:28 pm by Chris Serico.
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Is Schaffer in the vide? I didn't see him.
Or did he just exec produce it?
Great question. He's definitely the executive producer, and I'm pretty sure that he's in on the four-person group hug near the very end of the video—on the far right at the 3-minute, 23-second mark.
yes, Paul is in the 4 person hug at the end. I should know, I was there. Paul Shaffer is a good man and felt very good about this project. g
Nice! It's the rapper, himself! Thanks for the confirmation, G!
np – google let me know about this blog. I've disseminated it amongst my minions. Though i think their dinner or 100th b_day dinner already happened. In December i think. In fact, i was told that Larrys b-day is Dec 16, which, cosmically, is my birthday as well, which was def a weird twist of fate how that worked out. Though I could be wrong, I do think the 100th anniversary dinner and Larrys B-day already happened. I will look into it. Great article. thanks for the support. all the best g
G,
The press release that I got indicated that the April 13 event would be celebrating Levy's 93rd birthday, but you might be right about that event probably being a continued celebration of the synagogue's 100th anniversary.
Either way, mazel tov to both Levy and the congregation!
C