Schmekel
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Defunct | February 2014 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Schmekel was a Brooklyn-based, all-transgender Jewish folk punk ensemble recognized for their witty and satirical lyrics that tackled transgender issues through humor and incorporated cultural references from queer, Jewish, and punk communities. Their most streamed song, "FTM at the DMV" (2013), has amassed more than 400,000 plays on Spotify as of 2024.
Hugh Ryan of The New York Times compared Schmekel’s musical style to that of Pansy Division and likened their primary songwriter Lucian Kahn to the satirical approach of Tom Lehrer. Similarly, The Advocate drew parallels between Schmekel and both Pansy Division and Tribe 8, while the book Listen to Punk Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre highlighted resemblances between Schmekel’s track "I'll Be Your Maccabee" and Pansy Division’s "Homo Christmas."
The band was active from 2010 until their breakup in February 2014, when members moved on to other endeavors.
Discography
- Queers On Rye – released December 2011
- The Whale That Ate Jonah (Schmekel Music) – released October 2013
Performances
Schmekel shared stages with fellow Brooklyn Jewish punk groups such as The Shondes at venues across New York City including the Knitting Factory, the Delancey, Public Assembly, and Otto's Shrunken Head. Their touring extended to colleges in the eastern United States like Brandeis University, Yale University, State University of New York at Purchase, Hampshire College, and the University of Mary Washington, frequently performing at events organized by Jewish and LGBT student groups. The band’s distinctive egg salad sandwich emblem was created by queer artist and punk musician Cristy Road, who also collaborated with Schmekel while performing with her own band, The Homewreckers.
Jewish cultural influence
Eddy Portnoy from The Forward identified Schmekel as part of the "Queer Yiddishkeit" cultural movement. Their songwriting regularly incorporated Jewish holiday themes; notably, their debut album begins with Kahn delivering the Yom Kippur "tekiah," followed by bassist Nogga Schwartz sounding a shofar before launching into punk music. The Jewish Music Resource Centre at Hebrew University of Jerusalem observed that Schmekel integrated "direct musical quotations from traditional Jewish tunes such as Chad Gadya, Ma'oz Tzur, and Al Chet." Musicology professor Edwin Seroussi noted that their playful references to prayers echoed similar insider humor found in early 20th-century Yiddish theatre and vaudeville.
In an interview with Tablet Magazine, band members revealed diverse levels of religious observance but shared experiences of discomfort within synagogue settings due to their transgender identities—an issue reflected in their lyrics. Conversely, they expressed feelings of inclusion at institutions like Congregation Beit Simchat Torah and within the Nehirim community during an interview with Jewcy.
In literature
Within the 2014 novel The Days of Anna Madrigal from the Tales of the City series, a character named Jake mentions his romantic interest flirting with Schmekel’s frontperson.
Schmekel was also featured in a 2015 Hampshire College course focused on exploring the formation of Jewish identity.
Other projects
Following the group’s dissolution, lead vocalist and guitarist Lucian Kahn shifted his creative focus toward developing tabletop role-playing games that explore LGBT, Jewish, and alternative subcultural themes. His works include titles such as Visigoths vs. Mall Goths and If I Were a Lich, Man, which emphasize humorous Jewish storytelling and imaginative defiance against oppressive forces. Keyboardist Itai Gal (also known as Ricky Riot) launched Itai and the Ophanim, releasing the album Arise (2019), which fuses traditional and original religious music with messages centered on justice and solidarity. Meanwhile, bassist Nogga Schwartz entered the healthcare field, and drummer Simcha Halpert-Hanson pursued ordination as a rabbi.