Since 1995, Congregation Nahalat Shalom has been a very active participant in the current klezmer music and dance revival which has been joyously working its way around the world since the 1970's. In December of 1995, The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band, consisting of a few heder students and their talented parents, made its debut by accompanying the community on a few Yiddish Hanukkah songs and klezmer dances at Nahalat Shalom's Hanukkah service. Today, The Community Klezmer band (which is really more of a mixed orchestra) consists of 20 or so members of various ages playing a wide variety of instruments. About half of the band's personnel are also members of the congregation, and several continue in the band's tradition of 'family bands' within the band. The Community Klezmer band has several members who are not members of the Congregation and many who are not Jewish; neither is a requirement to play in the band. The band is very fortunate to have these members who contribute so much of their time, talents and joy to the music and community events.  

In addition to being part of a fun and creative community project and sharing a unique camaraderie, the 20 members of the band are drawn to klezmer music for a variety of reasons: its beauty, its exotic sounding scales and modes, its technical challenges, the connection it makes to Jewish roots and traditions, and its emotional and joyous nature.  Whatever their motivation, several band members who live out of town find it important enough to schlep to rehearsals and to gigs from places like Belen, Santa Fe, the East Mountains and Los Lunas.

The Community Klezmer band has performed for many public and private events over the years in the Albuquerque area including the annual band-sponsored world-recognized klezmer music and dance festival "KlezmerQuerque." The band benefits greatly from "KlezmerQuerque", which provides the opportunity to study and to perfect musical skills with renowned klezmer musicians and scholars such as Margot Leverett (clarinetist/founder of The Klezmatics & The Klezmer Mountain Boys), Joshua Horowitz (accordionist & tsimbalist of Budowitz), Stuart Brotman (bassist of  Brave Old World) and Cookie Segelstein (violinist of Veretski Pass). The public also shares in this opportunity as "KlezmerQuerque" attracts hundreds of people each year, not only from New Mexico, but also a few folks from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, Flagstaff, Prescott, Detroit and San Antonio. The Community Klezmer band continues to grow - in size and artistically - completing it's first CD "Lomir Alle Tantzen / Let's All Dance" in 2009.

Shortly after the band's first appearance, Erik Bendix, a klezmer dance master and dance collector, came to Congregation Nahalat Shalom and gave several Klezmer dance workshops.  Nahalat Shalom's klezmer dance culture grew very closely alongside the Klezmer music scene and by 2003 the community had spawned its own Yiddish dance group: "Rikud." In addition to Rikud’s studies with Erik Bendix, the troupe also studied with the klezmer dance master Shulim Zaltman of Moldova at KlezmerQuerque 2004, with Yiddish dance master Steve Weintraub at Klezmerquerques 2005-08, Jewish dance scholar Judith Brin Ingber in 2009 and Deborah Strauss from 2009-2010. Like klezmer music, many Yiddish dances were lost because of the Holocaust and mass emigrations of Jewish communities from Europe. One of the main goals of Rikud and The Community Klezmer band is to help revive, collect and preserve these aspects of Jewish culture. Rikud members taught the dance classes and led the dances at Klezmerquerque 2004 and at hundreds of public community events including Nahalat Shalom events over the years. The dance troupe has also worked with members of The NM Federation of the Blind, teaching our rich tradition of dance to the blind. In the summer of 2004, Rikud dance troupe taught Yiddish dancing in Los Alamos, NM as part of the centennial celebration of the Isaac Bashevis Singer collection in the Los Alamos public library. The dancers also hope to pass this unique dance heritage on to our children by working with the children in the cheder classes at Nahalat Shalom & in other communities.

2009-2010 Band personnel: Beth Cohen Director, violin & piano; Violins: Jeff Brody, Joanna Conrardy, Gabrielle Rosen, Gabriella "Ella G" Orr, Kaarina Nyman, Yarrow & Noah Allaire; Joshua Laurentsi, Paulina Aguilar; Cellos: Ian Brody, Rachel Mittleman; Clarinets: Clem Wings, Tony Fajdiga & Deborah Unger; Alto saxophones: David Willet & Mary Rose Donahue; Alto sax & Bassoon: Nancy Terr; Flutes: Patsy Gregory & Ilene Dunn;  Trumpets: Sara Friedman & John Karon;  Accordions: Randi Thompson & Ella Brown; Guitar & Pojk: Randy Edmunds; Guitars: Scott Newland, Alex Borowski & Erik Teixera; Electric bass: Barbara Friedman; Acoustic bass: Chilton Gregory.

2009-2010 Rikud dancers: Michele Diel, Laura Maclay, Elizabeth Etigson, Penina Ballen, Michelle Vogler, Linda Brody, Hershel Weiss, Elaine Schwartz, Leslie Miller, Ann Abrams & Lisa Jacobs.