Fusion Seudah

It’s a warm Friday morning when I meet the trio in Doni’s studio. Doni’s in his element, sitting in front of the large screen, clicking and twisting the dials on his massive console expertly. Yaakov is dressed in a sharp charcoal suit and black tie, guitar in hand. “I gotta get into the Joey Newcomb vibe if I’m doing an interview in this studio,” he jokes, reminding me that Joey’s numerous hits were recorded in this very room.
“But you can’t really do the Joey thing wearing that suit,” Yisroel quips, pulling up a chair near the screen. They all laugh.
The mood quickly turns contemplative as Yaakov idly strums the guitar and takes us back in time.
“Around two and a half years ago, I went through an experience that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone: I lost both of my parents within one year,” he says. His mother, Mrs. Rachel Shwekey, passed away in May of 2023, and his father, Rabbi Menachem Shwekey, passed away on Purim 2024. During the mourning periods for both his father and mother, and the months that followed, Yaakov kept having flashbacks of nostalgic memories from his childhood. He knew that his parents had imparted a rich heritage that he and his siblings were reaping the benefits of and were passing on to their own children as well — but he felt he could share some aspects of their chinuch with a much wider circle.
Rachel Shwekey was of Ashkenazic descent, hailing from a family of Vizhnitz chassidim who survived the Holocaust, while her husband Menachem was a Syrian Sephardic Jew who was born in Cairo, Egypt. The couple integrated both worlds into their chinuch; while Mrs. Shwekey served both gefilte fish and kibbeh at their Shabbos table, Rabbi Shwekey graced the meals with various styles of zemiros. He encouraged his children to introduce new compositions to the table — anything to help them feel engaged and invested in the seudah.
“My brothers and sisters and I loved music, and my parents were the first ones to buy every new record that came out — from Dveykus to Diaspora Yeshiva Band, Jo Amar to Bentzion Shenker,” Yaakov relates. “We also listened to my dear friends Mordechai Ben David and Avraham Fried, as well as records from every chassidus, be it Modzhitz, Belz, or Chabad. So, we were influenced by it all.”
Yaakov remembers one Friday night when he began humming the tune of the new Shalom Aleichem from Rabbi Shmuel Brazil, which had recently been released on Regesh 3. “My father took great pride in his Egyptian Sephardic heritage and we always sang a traditional tune for Shalom Aleichem — but when he saw that we connected to this new tune which we had learned in camp, he switched things up for us,” he shares. “He understood that if we’re welcoming the malachim into our home, we should do what we can to keep the children involved, locking their hands with those malachim to dance with them.”
Reb Menachem’s dedication to the aura and tranquility of Shabbos was on full display every week. He worked in construction for most of Yaakov’s childhood, and the kids knew that his parnassah situation was volatile; it was up, then it was down, and then it was briefly up again before another downward spiral. But when Shabbos came, none of it ever mattered. He left behind all those concerns and entered his element, and the atmosphere was electric.
“I think it’s so important to share that with the multitudes of young parents who are trying week after week to inspire their children at the seudah. You have to be visibly excited for Shabbos. You have to express your emotion and your yearning for Shabbos, song after heartfelt song.”
Yisroel Besser points out why our cherished niggunim strike such a deep chord within us, and why their unique power is so relevant today. “Look around at most yeshivos today. The majority of them are singing far more during the Yamim Noraim than they were when I was a bochur,” he says. “And look at the proliferation of musical Hallels. Look at how so many shuls are organizing trips to Europe to visit mekomos hakedoshim. Look at Uman. Look at Meron. These things are exploding.”
Yisroel goes on to share his take on this observation. “What may have been more based on intellect in the past is much more based on emotion today. We are an emotional dor, and to keep ourselves and our children invested, we need to build a deep love and connection for our greatest gifts in life — especially Shabbos.”
I once heard Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb, noted lecturer at Ohr Sameach, echo Yisroel’s point. “When I started engaging with potential baalei teshuvah in the 70s and 80s, they were far more argumentative, debating every point that I would bring up, as though their life decisions depended totally on philosophical evidence. But today, things are much more about the hergesh — does this feel like truth to me? Do I feel inspired?” In tribute to his parents — and in recognition of just how vital is the gift they gave him — Yaakov Shwekey is aiming to harness that capacity for hergesh and fire up a new generation’s heartbeat of their relationship with Hashem — the holy Shabbos, the gift which is just beini uvein bnei Yisrael.

For Every Song a Story

So what sparked the idea? Yaakov was sitting shivah for his mother, solemnly sharing memory after memory with his friends, including his close friend Yisroel Besser, whom he had gotten to know through the lyrics he had written for some of Yaakov’s English songs, such as Your Time and The Wonder of Life. “Yaakov, you need to share this stuff with the world,” Yisroel said at one point. “Your parents lit you on fire, and so many people can benefit from their message as well.”
The pair talked about it for a few minutes, and then the idea hit them. The Shwekeys uplifted their sons and daughters by teaching them to adore Shabbos through song. What better way to perpetuate their legacy than by doing a comprehensive project on the music of Shabbos?
“We thought: Let’s record the actual songs, starting from Kabbalas Shabbos to Havdalah, and also write a book containing timeless lessons and insights about each part of the Shabbos zemiros experience,” Yaakov says. Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz of ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications was enthused by the book concept: The plan was to have Yisroel write a more pshat-based commentary on the zemiros, adorning the beautiful age-old lyrics with explanations and interpretations from a wide array of gedolim, all with his signature delivery and style. Along with that, Yaakov would author his personal observations and anecdotes to accompany the songs.
It’s easy to see why the album aspect sounded appealing: If Yaakov Shwekey was going to release a Shabbos album, it was sure to hit every right key and warm thousands of hearts in preparation for Shabbos each week. But Yaakov Shwekey was never famous for sharing his own chiddushim and divrei Torah with his audience; why would a Shwekey-Besser book collaboration would be a worthy project to pursue?
Yisroel knew that behind his friend’s well-known image as a star performer lay a deep reservoir of wisdom and life experiences. “And you know who knew it even more than me?” Yisroel remarks. “His wife, Mrs. Jenine Shwekey.”
Jenine, who cofounded the Special Children’s Center, running a massive klal-machine of her own, was always a firm believer in her husband’s ability to inspire beyond his singing. She understood that his Torah knowledge and relationship to the deeper meanings of the words were always present when he was recording songs in the studio or performing them on stage; he was always just too humble to share it vocally. But when the idea of a book about the songs of Shabbos emerged, she knew it was time to push Yaakov to share his insights with the world.
While everyone knows of Yaakov Shwekey the star singer, less well-known is that he never quite left kollel. He resolutely maintains a full first seder through thick and thin, most recently learning those morning hours at the kollel of Rabbi Shlomo Diamond in Deal, New Jersey. “Torah has always been the bedrock of everything he does, no matter where his musical career took him,” Yisroel explains. “So you can imagine that throughout those decades of learning, Yaakov spent a lot of time getting to understand the words of the songs he was singing.”
And aside from the insights, Yaakov has years of personal stories to share. ”
When I walk in the street, people are forever recognizing me and stopping me to say thank you, ask for a picture, and very often, to share a crazy personal story,” Yaakov relates. Across his various travels, be it to Caesarea, Los Angeles, or Buenos Aires, Yaakov taps into his fellow Jews’ struggles and victories. With this project, Yaakov would be able to share not just music, but also the soul-stirring stories that resulted from the heartwarming tunes.
“Music reaches far, and it reaches deep,” Yaakov says. “I have to share one story that kind of shocked me into realizing how distant a neshamah a good song can revive.”
A few years ago, Yaakov made plans to travel to Paris for a concert that was to take place Sunday night. The plan was to arrive before Shabbos along with his wife, and enjoy a Shabbos together before the concert. He called his mother, as he always did before he traveled, to let her know he was going abroad. “Paris? It’s so dangerous there!” Mrs. Rachel Shwekey exclaimed. He understood her fears — this was during a period of a number of anti-Semitic assaults on Jews in France.
Mrs. Rachel Shwekey insisted that he at least wear a baseball cap to cover his yarmulke. “But that’s so not who I am,” Yaakov recalls thinking to himself as he sat in the airport awaiting his flight. “I never hide that I’m a Jew. It’s my biggest source of pride.” Yaakov reassured his mother that he would be careful, but he couldn’t commit to wearing the cap. She gave him a brachah, and the Shwekeys boarded the flight.
That night, Yaakov and Jenine, along with their close friends Mr. and Mrs. Ilan Jaffa, left their hotel to go on a walk down Paris’ famous main road, the Champs-Élysées. Sure enough, it soon seemed like Rachel Shwekey’s foresight was right on target: The group saw a gang of about 20 tough guys on motorcycles, wearing menacing-looking bandanas, driving toward them.
Yaakov and Ilan instructed their wives to head toward the adjacent alleyway for safety, and in moments the gang was upon them. “Probably all you could think at that moment was how you should’ve listened to your mother,” Doni interjects.
“Actually, all I was thinking was to call out to my wife and ask her to book us beds in the closest hospital,” Yaakov says laughingly.
Just then, the leader of the group ripped off his bandana, took out an Israeli flag, and began to play Yaakov’s hit song from the stereo on his bike: “Am Yisrael, lo lefached, Hashem Elokecha holech itcha!” The gang started clapping along, eventually forming a circle, and singing and dancing the words of encouragement for a nation in exile, joined together from all corners of the globe with the shared belief in a Protector Who will never forsake them.

The People Are Hungry

“Something I’ve seen throughout my years on stage is how Yidden from all walks of life, no matter how far they’ve strayed, can all get ignited through the power of music,” Yaakov says. “But ever since October 7, 2023, there’s a rawer quality to that dynamic. People are much more open to spirituality — they’re actively seeking more ruchniyus in their lives. It’s like nothing I’ve seen in my career.”
So many vulnerable neshamos had lost their faith in all of their vaunted institutions — be it the government, security, the military — and they were desperately searching for something real to cling to, something to believe in. “And I saw how much the music was speaking to them, getting them to get past their differences and come together.”
Yaakov remembers a post-October 7 concert he did in Migdal Ha’Emek, the gritty northern Israeli town transformed by Rav Yitzchak David Grossman. “I couldn’t get over how open the people’s hearts were. People were so hungry for spirituality.”
When he released his recent “Shabbat Gan Eden,” costarring Israeli singer Eliad, Yaakov hoped to feed that hunger, and to connect with the innate positive feelings that even secular Israelis hold for Shabbos. He told Eliad he was confident the song would profoundly affect people, and while Eliad agreed, as a secular Jew himself, he didn’t anticipate it would cause a seismic shift in anyone’s life.
Within the first few weeks, Yaakov received a wave of positive feedback. He was, however, utterly astonished when Eliad sent him a voice note sounding completely flabbergasted. “Yaakov, I don’t know what to tell you,” the pop star confessed, “but people are literally reaching out to me and telling me that they’re starting to observe Shabbat because of our song.”
Eliad then shared a particularly moving message he had received. It was from a young woman who had grown up with no connection to Judaism. She wrote that after hearing the song a few times, she was captivated by the lyrics that describe a woman lighting Shabbos candles and a husband returning from shul to be greeted by his children. She felt an overwhelming desire to experience that life for herself. Despite having no previous exposure to Judaism, she simply started lighting candles every Friday night.
Eliad was stunned that a simple song could have such a monumental impact.
“To double his shock, I shared a mind-boggling WhatsApp message I had received about the song as well,” Yaakov continues. “It was from a man who had grown up frum but had left the fold. He wrote that when he first heard the song, it instantly brought back his deep love for Shabbos and caused him to break down into bitter tears. Every Shabbos since, he has taken upon himself a little more of hilchos Shabbos, and he is now fully shomer Shabbos again.”
Clearly there’s something about Shabbos — and the songs of Shabbos — that can pull a Jew out of disconnect and despair. But Yaakov’s new project isn’t just about inspiring people who are distant, Doni Gross points out. “Part of the idea with this new album is to tap the priceless influence we can have on the young generation of new parents, who are already having a hard time keeping their little kids at the table,” he says. “Our goal is to give the kids something really elevating to listen to in preparation for Shabbos, but the sound is going to be so fresh, rich, and inviting that it won’t feel like they’re listening to something old-school.”

The Most Yaakov

And now that Doni brought the conversation back to the music half of the project, it’s time to delve deeper into the actual album: What kind of songs will be featured — new or old? What sets it apart from the average Shabbos album out there? And what made Yaakov decide to do this project specifically with Doni Gross, with whom he had never worked before?
“The moment I began discussing the idea with Yaakov, I knew this was a project for Doni,” Yisroel says. “I was first introduced to Doni’s phenomenal talents when I heard one of his A Kumzitz in the Rain albums a couple of years back. I remember being blown away when I heard the songs — the sound wasn’t like anything I had heard before, and I’ve heard a lot of Jewish music.”
Yisroel clarifies what it was that he found so unique.
“In that album, all he was doing was reproducing old songs — but what stood out to me was how he managed to maintain tremendous respect for the original song, without attempting to oversell it or patchke with it too much, while simultaneously making the song sound very current and fresh. Doni had managed to achieve that incredibly delicate balance.”
Think of the many genres Doni has worked on over the years, from Abie Rotenberg’s Journeys 5, Benny Friedman and Joey Newcomb’s recent albums, Baruch Levine’s Off the Record series, or even Uncle Moishy’s grand return — and you’ll probably agree: They all have that perfect balance of capturing the taam of the old Jewish music while sounding astonishingly new and crisp, with the exhilarating and rich arrangements, replete with nuance and new sequences.
For this new project, Doni even enlisted some veteran musical geniuses to work on the arrangements — including Yisroel Lamm, Suki Berry, Moshe Laufer, and others. He also harnessed the encyclopedic knowledge of Yaakov Brown, the unofficial but widely acknowledged “curator of Jewish music,” to help with song choices and styles.
But aside from the song choices and musical accompaniment, it’s what Doni brings out in the singer that makes his work so exceptional.
“Yaakov’s extremely talented,” Yisroel continues, “but I’m sure he’d be the first one to tell you that there are nights that he’s singing from a deep place, then there are nights that he’s singing from an even deeper place, and then there are nights that he’s just doing what he has to do like the rest of us. And that’s where Doni comes in; he has the uncanny ability to intuit that perfect sound that Yaakov can produce — that pure hartz only he can do — and push him to sing that way. Basically, he brings out the most Yaakov Shwekey that there is in Yaakov Shwekey.”
Doni explains that when there’s a real passion driving the team, they put a much bigger effort into the arrangements, working until the perfect sound is palpable in the song. This project is the perfect example of both the passion and the drive for perfection. “We’re doing this to make every Jewish kid out there love sitting at the table, singing with his brothers and sisters, trying to mimic Yaakov’s every kneitch.”
Doni explains that the over 100 songs on the album were carefully chosen in order to relay that perfect universal flavor of Shabbos. Then he listened carefully while Yaakov sang each one, picking the key best suited to Yaakov’s vocal range. That might be standard for an album of ten songs — but this one includes over 100. “Trust me, no one ever put this much work into song choice on a long album like this,” Doni guarantees.
“Take his word for it,” Yisroel pipes in. “These two are the closest things to perfectionists that can still be considered mentally stable.”
I find this point intriguing: If it’s the truest “Yaakov” voice Doni’s after, that could be many things. Over the years, we got to hear the old Yaakov Shwekey singing “Meheirah” and “Tatte,” but then at other times, we got the Shwekey who’s singing “Inshallah” and “Yishtabach Shemo,” rubbing shoulders with Israeli stars like Shlomi Shabat and Amir Dadon. So which Shwekey is the real one, and which one will be singing on this Shabbos album?
“I’m a true product of my parents, so it’s all just different facets of what I have inside of me,” Yaakov says. “And this album is all about their legacy — gracing Shabbos with whatever sound enlivens the soul. So there will be all kinds of songs — Sephardic, chassidish… and also, I must mention another style we included: There are some good old Young Israel songs in there as well.”
On cue, Doni begins to play a short segment of Yaakov singing the old American Eitz Chaim. It’s that old tune that we associate with large-domed synagogue ceilings and stained-glass windows — yet Yaakov is singing it with the hartz of a chassidishe baal tefillah.
Yaakov shares a story from the book that explains why he felt so strongly about including these songs. A short while back, an Israeli pop star was being interviewed and was asked what song he thought he would be remembered by 20 years after his passing. The man thought for a moment.
“I doubt they’ll remember any of it. It will all lose its relevance eventually,” he said. But then he added: “But you know what will be remembered in twenty years? The songs they sing in the beit knesset on Friday night. The Lecha Dodi and the rest of them. Those are timeless.”
“Those old songs that were sung in the Young Israel shuls in America and the traditional shuls across Eretz Yisrael really saved Yiddishkeit in a certain way,” Yisroel says. Yaakov shares that when his wife was growing up, her only exposure to Shabbos songs were the old classics she heard at NCSY shabbatons, including the famous “Yom Zeh Mechubad.”
“I almost didn’t want to include it on the album — it sounds like we’re back in fourth grade in camp,” Doni says, “but Mrs. Shwekey insisted that we keep it in. She said, ‘This is the authentic sound of a family at the Shabbos day seudah! You must keep it!’ So we did, and Yaakov’s vocals took it to the next level.”

From Studio to Table

Working on this project has had a profound impact on the trio’s personal Shabbos experience.
“I always loved Shabbos, but my appreciation has increased tremendously since we started this project,” Yaakov says. He explains that while singing has always been spiritual for him, there’s a significant difference between various types of vocal expression. “Before I go on stage, I always say some Tehillim, and I ask Hashem to help me energize the crowd and their connection to Him. But I’ve realized that even when I’m performing for 3,000 people, no singing touches my heart as much as singing with my family on Shabbos. Yes, performing gives you a real high and a feeling that you’re uplifting people, but singing in a soft voice with your children, away from the lights and the buzz, has an electricity like nothing else.”
Yaakov adds that the project also refreshed his Shabbos experience by bringing many songs he had totally forgotten back into his weekly repertoire. Doni’s hoping that will be the case for other listeners, too. “Many people tell me they love to sing but don’t know enough songs, so the whole process fizzles out,” he says. “With this album, we’re giving you dozens of songs to be fresh in your memory. For example, the Oneg Shabbos set will give people so many kumzitz-style songs to sing at a shalom zachor, a butteh, or even a Shabbos morning Kiddush. Instead of people sitting around and chatting, they’ll have that mental playlist that was playing in their kitchen every Erev Shabbos. It definitely helped me out over the weeks I worked on this project.”
For Yisroel Besser, working on this project expanded not just his tune options, but his appreciation of the lyrics. While researching the book, he uncovered priceless explanations for ancient lyrics he’d been reciting all his life, and he’s grateful for that journey. “I know I’m not the Sephardi in this group,” he adds, “but I really connected to the Bakashot medley on the album.” He explains that in many Syrian kehillos, there is a minhag to come to shul at chatzos on long winter Friday nights and recite numerous piyutim all the way until Shacharis. “I’ve been to those bakashot ceremonies over the years and always found them extremely moving. These chevreh were so authentic, like they had nothing more enjoyable to do in the middle of the night than to praise the Ribbono shel Olam. I’m really excited that Yaakov and Doni have created a reenactment of those late Friday nights to share with Klal Yisrael.”

Take it with You

Alongside the massive collection of oldies, the album will feature some brand-new songs composed l’illui nishmas Yaakov’s parents. “Veteran composer Yossi Green contributed a couple of songs. “Atah Kidashta” — that one’s going to be huge,” Yaakov says. The album will also feature new songs from Yaakov’s close friend, composer Yitzy Waldner.
“I was hosting Yitzy Waldner for a Shabbos a few months back when he came to spend Shabbos in Deal along with the Loitzker Rebbe,” Yaakov says. “My son and I were sitting at the seudah when we started singing the low part of this song, “Nishmas,” that we had composed. But we only had a low part. So we told Yitzy: We want you to compose the chorus. There’s no studio, no business… just the spirit of Shabbos.” And right then and there, he crafted the perfect chorus, reaching a crescendo that seemed to capture that aura of Shabbos in its purest form.
What about the newer Shwekey Shabbos songs, like the smash hit “Baruch Hashem It’s Shabbos?”
“Oh, that’s obviously there, too — but this time we added a brand-new sequel to that song.” The sequel comes with a story, too. Due to a scheduling mix-up, Shwekey suddenly showed up in Doni’s studio while composer Hershy Weinberger was working on his own music. So the two singers decided that Hashem had clearly brought them together to compose something new. Yaakov explained that he’d been seeking a sequel to the “Baruch Hashem It’s Shabbos” song, and after working on it for a bit, Hershy started singing the upbeat chorus: Sunday Monday Shabbos, Tuesday Wednesday Shabbos, Thursday Friday Shabbos, Yiddalach say good Shabbos! By the second round, the three of them were singing together, jumping up and down.
The first part of Hershy Weinberger’s composition is slower and more emotionally charged. Yaakov gives background to the song with a vort that he included in the book. “There’s a question that everybody asks on the words of “Kol Mekadesh,” when we say ‘Hame’acharim latzeis min haShabbos ume’maharim lavo’ (those who delay the departure of Shabbos and those who rush to greet it). Why do we mention those who delay Motzaei Shabbos first — wouldn’t it be chronologically correct to first speak about those who usher in Shabbos?”
Yaakov shares an answer that he heard from Rabbi Eli Mansour: “Let’s take Erev Yom Kippur for example. A fellow comes to shul for Kol Nidrei, and he’s all ready with his machzor, his box of tissues (“And don’t forget his Yisroel Besser-Reb Meilech book!” Doni adds). He’s set, he’s all fired up for the day, wrapped up in his tallis. Now that’s nice — but what’s he like at Maariv on Motzaei Yom Kippur? He’s a little jittery, he’s ready to head out.
“The same is true for Shabbos. It’s a huge part of the avodah to be just as in love with Shabbos when it’s leaving as you were when it was just arriving. It’s the biggest madreigah to take the Shabbos feeling with you, to be melaveh the Malkah throughout the week, until the next Shabbos comes back again. That’s what the song is really about.”
The new song begins with a slow, haunting melody, with poignant lyrics by Chayala Neuhaus lamenting the Shabbos that just left — but the beat picks up in the chorus, where Yaakov sings the simple words that remind us to yearn for Shabbos from Sunday through Friday. And like the rest of the songs I got to hear, it strikes that perfect balance, that exciting modern beat coupled with a sound of pure longing and adoration for Shabbos.
Before the session ends, Yaakov takes a moment to sing Abe Cohen’s hit song, “Shabbos Hayom,” composed by Yosef Schick. This one is relatively new, and Yaakov actually learned it just for the album at Doni’s behest — and his son Menachem’s enthusiastic recommendation. “Like I say in the book — it’s not limited to the songs I’ve personally sung at my Shabbos seudah for the past few decades,” Yaakov stresses. “If there’s a new song out there that Doni tells me everyone is singing, then I want to include it in there, right alongside “Kah Echsof” and “Mah Yedidus.” This project is all about the children, the future of Klal Yisrael. What talks to their neshamah is what will keep our nation vibrant and alive.”
And with that, Yaakov closes his eyes in concentration, and begins to sing the chorus that pulls at the heartstrings every time: “Ve’oz tichyu lefanai, usemalu tzefunai….” In seconds, Yaakov Shwekey is once again in that zone, just like I had seen in that clip that Yisroel had sent me. And I’m left hoping that with the release of the album and the book, we will all be able to tap into that zone as well, inculcating in our children — the future of our nation — the love for Shabbos that has carried us throughout galus, giving us a weekly taste of the eternal peace awaiting us.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 1081)