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Levi Falkowitz’s Last Minute Decision

Every artist wants his album to be as perfect as can be but sometimes he has to take a gamble. Is the song he’s deliberating over going to soar or flop? Is the intro going to hook the guys or be a sleeper? How do you know if you made the right choice?

The upbeat song “Kol Dodi” on Falkowitz’s Achakeh Lo album with its Yiddish chorus of “Klap klap effen of” — as a translation of the words Kol dodi dofeik was a last-minute addition. “Yoeli Klein had already brought out the song as a single so I was unsure what I could add to it ” Falkowitz explains of his hesitation. “But a couple of people pushed me to take the song and make it my own. The ‘Kol Dodi’ track now has the highest sales of that whole album.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 686)

Kol Dodi
Levi Falkowitz
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Michoel Schnitzler Still Sings the Oldies

"The hottest dance song this season is definitely “Ve’ahavtu ” followed by “Yoimom ” and they’re both Meilech Kohn’s. But people are starting to realize that the old songs had a certain uniquely leibedig appeal that they also want. Many times in recent months people have requested the vintage lively MBD and Avraham Fried or even Carlebach songs. I find myself singing ‘Kol hator nishma be’artzeinu’ and ‘He’ovar ayin vehe’osid adayin’ (from MBD’s ‘Kol Dodi’ and ‘Daagah Minayin’) — it’s interesting how those songs are now coming back.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 686)

Daaga Minyanin
Mordechai Ben David
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Eretz Yisroel through Song

Rav Moshe Wolfson shlita mashgiach of Mesivta Torah Vodaath and rav of Bais HaMedrash Emunas Yisrael in Boro Park has for many years taken his talmidim to experience the kedushah of the ancient kevarim and other holy sites in Eretz Yisrael. On each of these excursions the group davens together at each place they visit after which the Mashgiach speaks about the unique spiritual power of that specific site. Afterwards they sing niggunim specially chosen to tap into the distinctive spiritual energy of that particular place. Rav Wolfson’s sefer Sacred Soil — a guided tour through the spiritual essence of Eretz Yisrael — examines the holy riches of Eretz Yisrael and its mekomos hakedoshim and is accompanied by a list of niggunim to complete the travelogue and enable the visitor to personally feel the connection. Here’s a sampling of niggunim from those trips:

MEARAS HAMACHPEILAH

Here in the very field that Avraham Avinu purchased from Ephron Rav Wolfson suggests davening that Hashem hear our prayers in the merit of the Avos and Imahos. The heartwarming chassidic song “Kah zechus Avos yagen aleinu netzach Yisrael mitzoroseinu ge’aleinu …” whose poetic words from the Shalosh Seudos zemer “Keil Mistater” freely translate as “Hashem let the merit of the forefathers shield us Eternal One of Israel redeem us from our sorrows. And draw us out from the pit of galus; raise us up to orchestrate the building of the House of Hashem.”

Keil Mistater is a mystical zemer composed by Rav Avraham Maimon a talmid of Rav Moshe Cordovero in 16th-century Tzfas. This particular tune rousing and full of hope was composed by Reb Menachem Klein. The tune is popular in Nadvorna and other chassidic circles and is often used as a mitzvah tantz niggun especially where the young couple have illustrious forebears who — according to the mystical seforim — are said to be partaking in the simchah.

Another appropriate song is Reb Moshe Goldman’s “Ahavas Olam Tovi Lahem ” which states that Hashem will lovingly recall His promises to the Avos. Drawn from the Mussaf of Rosh Chodesh it carries just the right balance of yearning and leibedig assurance.

KEVER SHIMSHON

The burial place of the mighty shofeit Shimshon Hagibbor is in the region of Beit Shemesh. Shimshon dedicated his life to exacting revenge against the cruel enemies of the Jewish people instilling fear in them and thus preventing further attacks. Therefore Rav Wolfson suggests singing the pesukim from Tehillim 79 which ask Hashem to avenge the innocent Jewish blood that has been ruthlessly spilled. “Yivodah bagoyim — May the vengeance of Your servants’ spilt blood be made known among the nations before our eyes. May the groans of the imprisoned come before you… preserve those [of Your] children who have been condemned to die. Repay our [wicked] neighbors seven times the dishonor with which they shamed you Hashem!” The haunting niggun for these words was composed by the previous Skulener Rebbe ztz”l while he was imprisoned by the Romanian Communists who persecuted him unrelentingly until he was finally permitted to immigrate to the United States in 1960.

Rav Wolfson explains that another facet of Shimshon’s essence was his standing as champion of the final generation. Shimshon understood the latent greatness of even the spiritual paupers among Klal Yisrael and prayed for their redemption at the End of Days. The vintage niggun “Sheb’shifleinu Zochar Lanu — You remembered us in our lowliness and redeemed us from our tormentors ” is a perfect fit.

KEVER SHIMON HATZADDIK

Jerusalem is studded with hidden treasures and this is one of them. Walk down the road in Maalot Dafna that bears his name cross over Kvish 1 and there lies the kever of Shimon Hatzaddik. As a pivotal figure in the transmission of the Oral Torah Shimon Hatzaddik taught that the world is dependent upon Torah learning as well as on prayer and acts of kindness. Rav Wolfson suggests connecting to this with another song composed by the first Skulener Rebbe — “Lulei Sorascha Sha’ashuai.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 685)

Ahavas Olam
Moshe Goldman
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Melodies in Mamme Loshen

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You can sing a Jewish song in any language but there’s something about Yiddish that makes the heart stir and the soul yearn — even for those who aren’t Yiddish speakers. Yiddish lyrics have come a long way since the old classics like “Chanukah Oy Chanukah” — and Yiddish remains a favored language of modern compositions among some popular chassidic songwriters. In many circles no album is complete without a token Yiddish song.

Which One Is Your Favorite?

Singer Shloime Daskal:

Avremel Fried’s “Tatenyu” (that he recorded back in 1983 on the Forever One album) — the words are so comforting: “A Tatte bist Du gohr a gertrier… — You are our loyal Father Your love for us is infinite… and every Yid is an only son to You.” I lost my own father when I was just seven years old but this song is about my eternal Father in Heaven and that makes it very special for me.

Pianist and Musical Director Mendy Hershkowitz:

“Ich Hub Gevant” composed by Reb Yom Tov Ehrlich and sung by MBD back in 1982 on an album with the same title. The way the stirring lyrics and the melody come together is perfect.

Yiddish vocalist Michoel Schnitzler:

My favorite is MBD’s “Mama Rochel” from his album The Double Album. Those words — “Kinderlach eihere tefillos tuen dergreichen… Children your prayers reach (above)…/the tears shine like diamonds/…/and every Jewish child will shine like the sun/in the Beis Hamikdash with everlasting joy/and then you will understand that everything was for the best/and the children will return to their borders” — are so powerful.

Head of Mezamrim choir Chilu Posen:

I love the old song “A Succah’le a Kleine.” It was also the first song I ever sang with the choir in studio.

Singer Avraham Fried:

One of my Yiddish favorites is “Tatenyu.” I wrote the lyrics based on a saying of the Baal Shem Tov that in the eyes of Hashem every Yid is a ben yachid. The niggun was composed by Reb Sholom Charitonov from Nikolayev and is one of many Chabad classics composed by him and others in that very musical family.

Composer and badchan Pinky Weber:

I love the songs I composed for Michoel Schnitzler and “A Lechtele” — about a woman who’d been mourning her son since the war and decades later discovers he’s still alive — is probably my favorite. The tune became very popular because Abish Brodt recorded it for the words “Mimkomcha” from Kedushah on Shabbos morning. I was in Tannersville New York this past summer when a group of litvisher bochurim recognized me and we made a kumzitz — of course they all knew “A Lechtele.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 685)

Tatenyu
Avraham Fried
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Return of The Rabbis’ Sons

StanDING! Ovation

Veteran producer Dovid Nachman Golding hosts a walk down musical memory lane

I’ve been involved with many concerts over the years but one in particular stands out. It was a reunion of nostalgia and talent — one of those events everyone wants to be part of.

Growing up The Rabbis’ Sons was a household name. They were famous not only for their great songs and albums but also for their concerts — especially memorable was their performance in New York City’s Central Park for the Salute to Israel festival a few weeks after the 1967 Six-Day War. Over 50 000 people were in attendance to hear the group made up of “rabbis’ sons” Rabbi Baruch (Burry) Chait Rabbi Label Sharfman Itzy Weinberger and Michael Zheutlin z”l.

One day in 1991 I was approached by Shorashim an organization providing Jewish education for Russian children living in America. Could we organize a Rabbis’ Sons reunion? Well this was quite a dilemma. The four members of The Rabbis’ Sons lived at opposite ends of the world each one of them led very busy lives and their professional musical years were pretty much behind them. How could I convince them to come together after not having performed as a group for two decades? (Baruch Chait later formed Kol Salonika and Label Sharfman together with Abie Rotenberg formed D’veykus but The Rabbi’s Sons — with their classic “Rabos Machshavos ” “Tov Lehodos ” and “Mi Ha’ish” — was a long-ago memory.) This was not going to be a simple feat — so I called each one individually each agreed to join if they all would perform together. Baruch Hashem we were on our way!

The concert sold out Carnegie Hall in just two weeks; but meanwhile Burry (Rabbi Chait) asked me for one favor — could I find him an amazing acoustic guitar player who also happens to play banjo and dobro an electric steel guitar that you play on your lap the instrument used in the famous introduction for their song “Horachaman”? The Rabbis’ Sons always played with four guitars and a bass: In the original group Burry and Michael each played acoustic guitar and Label Sharfman and Itzy Weinberger did vocals and then they had another steel guitar and bass backup. So now I needed another two guitars. I called up my good friend Steve Bill an awesome guitar player and asked him if he was available to perform at the concert. He said “For sure!” and then I asked him if he knew of a great guitarist who also played the dobro. He told me that there was a guy Eric Weisberg who was the king of all these instruments but he lived near Albany and charged $10 000 a show — which was $9 600 over my budget. But you never know…

“Hi Mr. Weisberg my name is Ding and I’m a friend of Steve Bill and I’m producing a concert in Carnegie Hall next month. I was told that you’re the king — would you be available?”

“What’s the name of the group performing?” I told him it was The Rabbis’ Sons. He asked if they were really rabbis’ sons. I said “Every single one of them. Not only that but two of them are rabbis themselves.”

“Well I could really use some Judaism under my belt so count me in ” he replied. He asked if the money went to charity and I answered yes.

“In that case Ding just pay me my travel expenses.”

And so the reunion finally happened. The strong emotions and anticipation in the audience were palpable. Instead of the normal screaming that usually takes place prior to the opening of a concert that night you could actually hear the proverbial pin drop.

The group sang related stories told jokes and bonded with the audience. Michael did his amazing harmonies and guitar playing. Reb Label enthralled everyone with his sweet voice and tambourine Itzy’s rich baritone vocals and his sense of humor kept them begging for more. And Reb Baruch’s compositions along with his guitar harmonica and his knack for speaking right to the heart made this night one that I for one will never ever forget.

As I walked out to the street an hour after the show there were over two hundred people standing beneath the Carnegie Hall marquis singing the old Rabbis’ Sons classics. Some things get better with age. (Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 684)

 

Rabos Machashavos
The Rabbis Sons
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Mic Drop: Uri Davidi

No matter where she is no Jewish woman stands alone when she lights the Shabbos candles — the mitzvah connects her across millennia as she makes her requests in the merit of Sarah Rivkah Rochel and Leah. This great weekly opportunity for a woman’s tefillah wasn’t lost on singer Uri Davidi the first time he prepared the Shabbos licht for his wife after their wedding five years ago

The words “Ana shema techinasi ba’eis hazos bizchus Sarah Rivkah Rochel veLeah” in the tefillah women recite after lichtbentshen jumped out at him and he just knew he had to compose a song. But although others liked it the original tune failed to satisfy him.

“For four years I kept it on the back burner. I knew these powerful words would make a great song but the tune I had just wasn’t the right one ” Davidi recalls. “Then last Shavuos on the way home from shul I tried again. In those six minutes I came up with a new niggun which was a much better fit for ‘Ana Shema.’ I knew it would be a great addition to the album I was working on and baruch Hashem the producer liked it too.”

The gentle soul-stirring “Ana Shema” is the only song that Davidi composed on his debut album Halevai; other songs are by composers such as Motty Ilowitz Yitzy Waldner and Elie Schwab. “I’m definitely a singer not a composer ” he says.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 684)

Ana Shema
Uri Davidi
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The Story Behind the Song: Racheim

 

"Racheim” one of the unforgettable songs released by Yaakov Shwekey on his debut album Shomati in 2001 was composed by the prolific and versatile Pinky Weber. The singer and the composer first met at a Brooklyn wedding where Pinky was wearing his other hat: He’s also a popular badchan.

“I came to be badchan at the mitzvah tantz but I arrived early ” Weber remembers. “They announced that a bochur named Yaakov Shwekey would come up and sing and I watched as this fellow Yaakov took the mic and sang MBD’s classic ‘Racheim Bechasdecha.’ Wow he really knows how to sing I thought and I went over afterwards and asked if I could compose a song for him. He replied that he would wait until he got married.”

Around a year later Pinky got a call from producer Yochi Briskman. “He said he had a new singer but he didn’t really want to say his name because it was still under wraps. I guessed — ‘Yaakov Shwekey?’ He was shocked. ‘How do you know?’ What I didn’t tell him was that I was just waiting for the day. ‘Racheim’ was the first song I composed for him and after that there were many more.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 684)

 

 

Racheim
Yaakov Shwekey
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Canopy Serenade

What’s this season’s most popular chuppah request?

 

Shmueli Ungar: “Tefillat Kallah” by Yaakov Shwekey. People feel like those powerful lyrics help open their hearts in prayer to Hashem.

Avrumi Berko: “Ani Maamin” from Reb Moshe Goldman is an absolutely beautiful niggun and an all-time chuppah favorite.

Shloimy Daskal: As always a lot of people choose Moshe Goldman’s songs at chuppahs especially “Penei Le’elbon” and “Ani Maamin.” It’s not just the heimishe crowd who wants them — many modern people have heard or watched me sing Reb Moshe’s songs and they just love his style.

Simcha Leiner: The old chassidish material is still in very high demand. “Penei Le’elbon” is a real classic and will never go away. My song “Pischi Li” was in a few years ago and now it’s coming back in.

Shloimy Gertner: “Kol Beramah” is an all-time favorite as is “Penei Le’elbon” for the chassidish crowd. Recently people have been asking for “Ochilah La’Kail” by Rabbi Hillel Paley. And some people are asking for Abie Rotenberg’s older material — just recently I sang one of his Journeys niggunim for “Mi Bon Siach” at a mechutan’s request.

Menachem Herman: I would say Yaakov Shwekey’s “Bo’ee Beshalom.” And of course his “Im Eshkacheich” for breaking the glass.

Yumi Lowy: Almost every single chuppah closes with Shwekey’s “Im Eshkacheich ” so that is a favorite by far. Another very popular choice this year is “Kol Beramah” from Simcha Leiner and his “Pischi Li” is pretty big too.

Baruch Levine: At chuppahs people generally ask for the classics but there are some new songs which edge their way in. My “Vezakeini” has Baruch Hashem become a classic and although my “Birkas Habayis” song is ten years old it’s still playing. Ohad’s “Birkas Habonim” song is still going strong in the chuppah circuit — definitely here to stay.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 683)

Ani Maamin
Moshe Goldman
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The Story Behind the Song: Bo Le’Boro Park

Anyone who has tasted the spiritual vitality of life in Eretz Yisrael and been compelled to leave also leaves a piece of his heart behind. How much more so for a Yerushalmi like Reb Yitzchak Fuchs.

His song “Bo Le’Boro Park” expresses an intense longing for Eretz Yisrael but is also an ode to the conundrum of our attachment to the Diaspora communities which feel like home. The depth of sentiment and pathos in the deceptively simple chords and lyrics of this song is a mirror of Reb Yitzchak’s soul.

“There is no sea there no Kinneret no Eilat no Tzfat; there is no Yerushalayim ” Reb Yitzchak sings drawing out the last word as his gravelly voice softens in yearning “but there are brothers here waiting waiting for Mashiach to come and call them/ Come come to Boro Park/ There is no Chevron no Meron no Sharon and there is no Yerushalayim; but there are Moshe Chaim Ari Yoeli Naftuli Ozer and Anschi and Hillel… Come come to Boro Park. No date palms no blue sky but there are brothers waiting for Mashiach… in Lakewood Monsey Skver Flatbush…

Reb Yitzchak wrote the song during his own personal “exile.” “I lived in Boro Park for six years. How could I not sing a song about it?” he asks. “I came to Boro Park during a rough time in my own life and I found so many brothers there so much Jewish warmth. They say that galus unites Jews — how true. I was amazed when I heard so much Yiddish rolling glibly off the tongues of youngsters not just old men. I sang about Boro Park as I viewed it — and as an Israeli filled with longing for Eretz Yisrael.

“At the beginning of the song a listener might think I’m encouraging other Jews to leave Eretz Yisrael for America chas v’shalom ” Fuchs continues. “But later you can hear that the call ‘Come to Boro Park’ is to Mashiach to come redeem all those waiting. Because really Boro Park could be anywhere: London Lakewood or even Yerushalayim or Bnei Brak. It’s just another place where our Jewish brothers are waiting. If only Hashem would send Mashiach already…”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Issue 683)

Bo L'Boro Park
Yitzchak Fuchs
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