Never known to be a conservative dresser, singer Lipa Schmeltzer has garnered a reputation for his sartorial selections, with an ever-changing and impressive collection of eyeglasses and bekeshes in practically every color of the rainbow. But there is no doubt that the ensemble that Schmeltzer has been proudest to wear in recent days has been a hunter green cap and gown as he took his place among the latest class of graduates at the State University of New York’s Rockland Community College.
The road to a diploma has been a long one for Schmeltzer, who has been juggling his music career, his responsibilities to his family, and his shul with his studies. Having been educated in New Square where the emphasis on secular studies was practically non-existent, Schmeltzer had to spend a year and a half taking classes just to obtain the high school equivalency diploma he needed in order to be able to enroll at RCC.
While there were those who proclaimed Schmeltzer’s academic career as nothing more than a publicity stunt, the 36 year old father of four threw himself into his studies, determined to make the most of his time in an institute of higher learning. Schmeltzer, who graduated with a dual major in Liberal Arts and Performing Arts, earned a 3.9 grade point average and 89 credits, 25 credits more than required for his degree.
“Every class was endless hours of really hard work and practice,” Schmeltzer told the Jewish Link of Bergen County. “There were some that I took just for the knowledge, like physical acting and poetry.”
One of Schmeltzer’s earliest acting classes involved reciting a monologue, a particularly daunting task for someone for whom English is a second language.
“It was a one page thing that I had to memorize,” recalled Schmeltzer. “Every monologue I had to take the scripts and go over them with a dictionary to figure out the meaning of the words. They say, ‘Lo habayshan lamed,’ if you are embarrassed you don’t learn and now it has such meaning. I used to just shake my head when someone used a word I didn’t understand. Now, I’m not embarrassed to ask about the meaning of any word. I’m learning, but I have a long way to go.”
Schmeltzer sees himself as a work in progress and on those occasions when he has fallen short of his own academic goals he reminds himself just how far he has come in the past two years.
“The day I graduated I wrote a poem and I put it on Facebook and Twitter,” said Schmeltzer. “My professor sent me constructive criticism pointing out that in one line I used the word ‘nothing’ instead of ‘anything.’ At first I was upset at myself, wondering why I didn’t give it to someone to proofread. Then I realized that this is brilliance considering where I am coming from. I used to make CD covers that had so many mistakes but now I can go through the wording myself and find all the mistakes and can do a radio interview without making any major mistakes.”
Despite the difficulties involved, Schmeltzer is adamant about the importance of proper schooling.
“There is no excuse for not getting an education,” said Schmeltzer, who often resorted to making up songs to help him study for his exams.
Clearly the work paid off. With the exception of two B grades, Schmeltzer’s transcript is straight A’s and Schmeltzer was one of just three of RCC’s 7,000 students honored this past April in Albany with the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor accorded by the State University of New York. In a press release sent out to the media, Schmeltzer said he hoped to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
“While singing may have been a gift I was born with, school has always been a struggle for me. As a child, I had trouble focusing and was bullied by some of my teachers. I want parents of kids who don’t have it easy in school to know that, just like me, their kids can succeed in school. When there is a will there is a way. I am living proof of that.”
Schmeltzer had high words of praise for RCC’s performing arts program which went out of its way to accommodate his religious needs.
“I did the show in RCC this year and they changed so many things for me,” said Schmeltzer. “It is the first time in 54 years that they didn’t do their show on Shabbos.”
Earning an associate degree is just one step on the educational ladder for Schmeltzer, who is currently weighing his options as he looks ahead to earning his bachelors. Among the possibilities, Schmeltzer, who hopes to combine his love of the arts with a therapy program, is considering, are Columbia University, Yeshiva University, and Manhattanville College.
“I know I am not going to be a lawyer or an architect,” observed Schmeltzer. “Hashem gave me a blessing and I want to do whatever I can to help people, to have an impact in the community.”
Schmeltzer says that he has received tremendous amounts of positive feedback on his college career from people, many of whom were inspired by his academic endeavor.
“Lipa is an amazing inspiration for everyone,” said Teaneck resident Henry Orlinsky. “I have the unique privilege to be his friend and have seen firsthand his commitment to be one of the best Jewish entertainers of all times and yet at the same time, a modest, Jewish role model.
When he was forced to leave his home community of New Square years ago, he never publicly attacked or bad-mouthed anyone who disparaged his standing in the Jewish community. Instead, he worked hard and moved forward with tremendous Yirat shamayim and love for all Jews…and he continues to do so.”
Schmeltzer noted that many of those who initially dismissed his college enrollment as a mere marketing gimmick accorded him newfound respect upon his graduation and he hopes that others will follow in his footsteps.
“People will say if Lipa can do it, then I can do it too,” said Schmeltzer.
While Schmeltzer continues to look ahead to completing his bachelors and possibly even a master degree as well, he has no intention of neglecting his music career and is contemplating a show next winter, a follow up to last December’s sold out Town Hall performance titled Lipa on Broadway.
“I have to think what I am doing next,” said Scheltzer. “You always need new hits in this world, where everything is fast paced. Maybe I will do a completely new album. I am going to sit down with Naftali Schnitzler next week to decide, but I am never going to stop.”
Reflecting back on his May 18th graduation from RCC, Schmeltzer describes the day as surreal.
“It felt unbelievable. On the one hand, I have no patience to do the endless of hours of work I will need to get my bachelors. On the other hand, it pays to work for another two years just for a chance to wear that gown again. It felt so good. It wasn’t about getting the actual diploma, it is that that paper is the witness that proves I worked really, really hard.”
Schmeltzer praised RCC and its reputation for being one of the best SUNY colleges in the state.
“A SUNY school is a legitimate school. Maybe it isn’t Columbia, but coming from where I am coming from this was a very big deal. RCC is my little Harvard.”
Sandy Eller is a freelance writer who writes for numerous websites, newspapers, magazines and numerous private clients in addition to having written song lyrics and scripts for several full scale productions. She can be contacted at [email protected].
By Sandy Eller
