Recently, we sat down with Cantor David Lipp of Congregation Adath Jeshurun (AJ). We asked him about how he became the cantor at AJ, if there is a Kentucky-style of Jewish music, and what his perfect day in Louisville entails.
Who is Cantor David Lipp?
Cantor Lipp came to Louisville a little over 30 years ago after graduating from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He had several options, but Louisville was the best fit for his family. His wife is Rabbi Laura Metzger — who currently serves as a community rabbi in Louisville — and AJ had an outreach director position for her.
Before he decided to become a cantor, he was an actor in Chicago and Minneapolis. More recently, he was a featured soloist for Voces Novae. Cantor Lipp said that the founder, Frank Heller, wanted the volunteer chorale to have “a lot of different kinds of musical experience and different languages” — including Jewish music.
What does a cantor do?
Cantor Lipp said, “I do not all of what a rabbi does, but a lot of what a rabbi does. I do a lot of the same kinds of teaching.”
He not only leads the worship services, but also teaches congregants. “There are all sorts of rules about how you sing different parts of the service,” Cantor Lipp said. “There’s a kind of musical expertise that’s required, both to know for myself in order to present, but then also to teach to my congregants. Any Jewish adult in our context can lead any service, assuming they have the expertise. And part of my job is to teach that expertise to others.”
Kentucky style of Jewish music
Cantor Lipp explained that “Jews have lived all over the world and wherever we live, we have adapted or assimilated aspects of the musical traditions where we’ve been.”
We asked him if he’d noticed a Kentucky style of Jewish music. He said, “Jewish music has the kind of elasticity that it can be adjusted and heard in more than one style.”
For example, he cited local musician Bridget Kaelin, who has “written a couple of Jewish pieces from her bluegrass ethos.” Give her version of the Dreidel Song a listen.
Cantor Lipp also mentioned Nathan Salsburg, another Kentucky artist. He said that while Salsburg’s music wasn’t bluegrass per say, “He’s a local musician whose music might have some kind of future effect on Jewish music.”
If you’re looking for another local band, Cantor Lipp named one in the Eastern European klezmer genre — Lost Tribe.
Cantor Lipp’s favorite bookstore
We spoke a bit about a celebration called the Simchat Torah. Cantor Lipp said it entails a “dance with the Torah.” He said, “Jews are known as the people of the book... If you come to my house, there is not a room that doesn’t have books in it.”
So you know we had to ask: What is Cantor Lipp’s favorite local bookstore? It’s Carmichael’s. He said, “It’s always fun to go into a store and just kind of get lost.”
Cantor Lipp’s perfect day in Louisville
We asked him what three things he would do for a perfect day in Louisville.
- Museums. Cantor Lipp particularly loves to go to KMAC Contemporary Art Museum with his wife. He said, “I like the fact that it is small enough, you can actually see all of it and not feel like, ‘Oh my god, FOMO.’” He also loves 21c Museum Hotel and the cinema at the Speed.
- The Louisville Orchestra. Cantor Lipp said he is a “Big fan of the orchestra. Love Teddy Abrams and what he’s done with the orchestra and really with the city. He’s so reimagined what the orchestra can be.” Cantor Lipp and his wife subscribe to the Baird Coffee Series.
- Restaurants. Cantor Lipp said, “There are a number of restaurants that I really like, and they’re all in a two block radius.” He said that Kashmir is his “Cheers” because “They know my name. I sit down and they bring me tea. I don’t have to ask.” He also loves Roots, Queen of Sheba, and Heine Brothers Coffee.
