As someone whose daily workout includes a two and a half mile hike through the hilly terrain that is my neighborhood, winter presents quite a challenge.  Despite the mild weather we have been having, the days are short, frequently cold and any snows really wreak havoc with my exercise routine.  A new fitness video, titled The Best of Shape Kosher Workouts, may just be the answer to my dreams.

Comprised of four twenty minute segments, each offering a different type of workout, Shape does a remarkable job bringing the gym experience into the privacy of your own home.  The instructors are appropriately attired, the music, while certainly not MBD or Avraham Fried was not in the least way objectionable, and each segment offers a warm up and cool down in addition to a nice workout.  Shape offers a choice of Zumba, Kickboxing, Pilates and something called Bootcamp which, as you can imagine, involves some pretty serious exercise.

I am sure there are those who will have objections to this video, saying that by definition Zumba isn’t kosher, it is not “our type of music” and that nice Jewish girls shouldn’t be doing any routines that involve punching or anything called kickboxing.   I suggest that you not buy this video and instead go look for a nice heimishe dance video that has Shaavtem Mayim and Shmelke’s Niggun instead.   For anyone looking for a fun, funky way to exercise, burn up calories and make fitness part of your routine, Shape is for you.

For all you men out there reading this, no need to read the rest of this post.  Let’s be realistic.  As much as your wife might enjoy this workout, if you come home, hand her an exercise DVD and say “here, I thought you might like this” she is likely to think you are suggesting she needs to lose weight and will probably throw the nearest heavy object (or the Shape DVD) at you and you will be eating peanut butter and jelly for the next three days.  If you can find a way to buy Shape for your wife without getting your head handed to you, feel free to leave a comment.  I would love to hear how you pulled it off.

For all my female readers, there really is a lot more to say.

For starters, I was very curious to see how they were going to present this in a way that would afford a real workout and yet still be tzniusdik and honestly, I think they did a great job.  Dressed in lightweight below the knee flared skirts over of leggings, t-shirts and shells (duh, all black, of course…this is New York, black is the only color in our fashion rainbow) they are modestly clad but still able to move.  Yes, there are instructors doing workouts in sheitels.  I don’t know how they do it, but they do.

As for the workouts themselves, two of them (Pilates and Bootcamp) are more like typical exercise segments and are fairly easy to follow, although somewhat challenging for the not-so-physically-fit.  The other two (Zumba and Kickboxing) are dance segments, broken down into four and five minute dances and, like any other dance, it does take time to master the steps.  The instructors call out most of the steps as they are doing them and as an added bonus, they are shown at both an easier and a more challenging level in order to accommodate people at different levels of physical fitness.  The instructors, who appear to be made out of rubber and have no internal organs given how flexible they were and how easy they made every move look, were encouraging without being annoyingly perky or demanding and the routines were fun, if a little intimidating at first.  The routines must have accomplished something as I could feel numerous muscle groups aching the next day.

The sound is a little off on the Bootcamp segment, but it is still easy to follow Tammy as she finds new and creative ways to make you torture muscles you didn’t even know you had. Be aware that you will likely embarrass yourself the first few times you watch this video until you get the routines down pat and you probably want to lock the door so that you don’t humiliate yourself in front of anyone who happens to be around.  But hang in there, it is loads of fun once you get the hang of the routines.

All in all, I really enjoyed this video and think it will yield tremendous results for anyone who takes the time to incorporate it into their daily routine.  Available at your local Judaica store or at www.mostlymusic.com for $22.99 it is probably one of the cheapest exercise plans out there and well worth the money.

I can summarize my thoughts on The Chairlady in just four words.

Go buy it now.

Before I start, let me issue the official disclaimer.  This DVD is for women and girls only.  Sorry guys, you are gonna have to sit this one out.

A highly entertaining and well depicted romp through the life of a typical Jewish family whose mother has uncharacteristically and extremely randomly ended up in charge of the biggest tzedaka event of the year, it is funny without being overly emoted and is just under two hours of non-stop fun and quite possibly, the best women’s production I have ever watched.

The story begins with Malka Gruen, a mother of five, who like so many other mothers finds herself wondering if there is more to life than doing laundry and picking up the dry cleaning.  She jumps at the chance to help out with the local yeshiva’s annual tea and when she unexpectedly finds that she has inherited sole responsibility of the project, she sets out to prove to everyone, including herself, that she has what it takes to put together a classy event.  As time progresses, we see a more confident and more fashionably attired Malka rise to the extremely time consuming challenge of coordinating this event, but as her family is forced to subsist on a diet of frozen waffles and pizza bagels, she struggles to find the equilibrium required to navigate the obstacles that keep coming her way.

What makes The Chairlady work is that the struggles that both Malka and her family face are the same issues that many of us face on a daily basis.  While many of the productions that are staged are interesting stories about other people’s lives, for many of us, this IS our life.  The script walks the fine line between not taking itself too seriously and not trying so hard to be funny that it fails to deliver and the cast does an admirable job bringing the story to life.  The filming was done in Monsey and as a local resident, I had a blast identifying familiar houses and faces. One minor character in particular was so well done that I didn’t even recognize her as someone who lives just two houses away from me.

If I had to nitpick I would tell you I could find only three things wrong with The Chairlady, which while filmed in Monsey, is equally relevant to any Jewish community.

One:  all the women carried flip phones.  Yes, I know they were striving for the kosher phone look, but seriously?  Flip phones?

Two:  the women were actually wearing color, instead of head to toe black.  This is New York.  We wear black.  End of story.

Three:  They filmed a production in my own backyard and no one asked me to be in it?  Count me in for your next project guys.

The Chairlady is a Wellspring Maayan Project and is distributed by Aderet Music.  Look for it  either at your local Judaica store online at www.mostlymusic.com.

To download the song, please visit - http://www.mostlymusic.com/rainbow-in-the-night.html

Credits:

Executive Producer – Cecelia Margules
Directed by Daniel Finkelman
Cinematography by Mauricio Arenas
Produced by Daniel Finkelman and Maurico Arenas
Art director – Tzirel Raskin

Co-produced by:
Sigmund Rolat
The Rabbi Leib Geliebter Memorial Foundation, Dr. Joseph Geliebter, Director.
Adam Margules
Lev Rivkin

Song written and composed by Cecelia Margules
Musical production – Yitzhak Shemtov
Score – Israel Edelson
Vocals – Yanky Lemmer, Sparks Choir
Vocals recorded by: Ruli Ezrachi

Cover Design: Sruly Meyer (DesignsBySruly.com)

Cast: Yanky Lemmer, Ari Raskin, Leah Raskin, Justyna Orzechowska, Iga Piwowarczyk, Meir Stessel, Zahava Stessel, Harry Wanderer, Mark Orbach, Helen Orbach, Eddy Privitzer, David Vaitsman, Yehudah Lindenblatt, Rubin Margules, Arlene Fox, Moshe Fox, Gladys Kohler, Dr. Jeffery Weber, Rachel Margules, Eli Verschleiser, Jacob Verschleiser, Lev Rivkin, Tzvi Berke

Art director 2nd unit – Kim Schnieder
Stylists – Danna Gal (NY)
Art assistants – Karolina Ziółkowska, Izabela Ziółkowska
Line Producer: Valerie Hayward, Paul Plonka, Kasia Lesniak
Associate Producers (Poland): Kasia Lesniak, 24MEDIA production
Production Manager (Poland): Agnieszka Dudala, Michal Nowak
Production Assistants (New York): Althea Wilson-Berkowitz, Alejandro Marulanda, Eva Serebrinsky
Production Assistants (Poland): Michal Novák, Jacek Czepulkowski, Pawel Kantor, Marcin Protasiewicz
Costume Designer — Iza Ziolkowska, Karolina Ziolkowska (Poland)
Scenography — Ewelina Gasior, Alicja Kazimierczak, Iwona Bandzarewicz
Set builder — Rafal Szybki
Camera operators: Pawel Plonka (Poland) Ivan Cortazar (NY)
Light/gaffer — Marian Brzoza
Key grip — Zbyszek Mierzwinski
Grip assistant — Marek Bajda, Bartek Szoja, Milosz Skorczynski
Set Manager — Dominik Czepulkowski
Focus Puller/1st AC — Pawel Krawczyk
Camera assistants: Sean Sinderbrand, Eric Bejarano, Simon Luethi,
Noel Galvez Rodriguez, Dominik Czepułkowski, Bartłomiej Szoja
1st Assistant Director (NY) – Samantha Santos
Editors: Eric Bejarano, Massimo Crapanzano
Driver – Jack Crocknin
Makeup – Lauren Killip (NY) Anna Jachimczak, Basia Kulaga (Poland)
Catering: “The Olive Tree” (Krakow) “Bunch ‘O’ Bagels” (NY)
Thanks to: Sheldon Margules, Rabbi Dovid Plotkin, Rabbi Jeremy Fader, Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, Benshimon’s studio, Leslie Maria A, Shoshana Lyampe, Mendy Schlanger, Richie Hagler, Menachem Cohen, Sandy Eller, Sruly Meyer, Patrick Michael Wickham, Tzippy Finkelman

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHj1u-ovSCU

Soul II Soul is celebrating it’s 10th year! Yaakov Shwekey will be the star of this years show. Yaakov joins the select few who have sung in the past, including Avraham Fried, Lipa, Mordechai Ben David and Benny Friedman.

The show will take place on Sunday February 26, 2012 at The Brooklyn School for Arts on Classon Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The concert will star for the first time in Crown heights, Yaakov Shwekey. Accompanied by a 21 piece orchestra, Yaakov will perform some of his most popular hits as well as unique songs specifically arranged for this evening. Tickets will go on sale on February 1, 2012. Chasdei Soul II Soul supports the Torah education of children with special needs

For more information: info@neshomaorchestra.com - 516-569-4949

Also featuring Jordan Hirsch (Trumpet/Bandleader), Aryeh Kunstler (Guitar), Craig Resmovits (Keys), Mark Fineberg (Saxophone), Shaya Lieberman (Bass), and Bobby “Shuby” Shubowitz (Drums), Jake Polansky (Percussion).

Video by Jake Sojcher - Sound courtesy of Shy Clyman from SC Custom Audio (http://www.facebook.com/sccustomaudio)

Shlock Rock’s Latest Music Video filmed at Butterflake in Teaneck, New Jersey. Kosher Cake is the title cut of the new Shlock Rock album by the same name and will be released on January 30th in honor of the 25th anniversary year of the band!

[Note: JMR did not upload these videos, and they are not on JMR's YouTube account]

Avraham Fried Singing “My Zaidy” From Moshe Yess At HASC 25!

Yoel Sharabi Singing “Mi Shemamin” At HASC 25!

Ohad singing “Barcelona”

It’s official! Jewish Music is in the midst of a new golden era, the golden era of Music Videos. Sure, if I ask you what started this new era some of you may say Macabeats Chanukah video (the first one), some of you may point to 8th Day’s Yalili.

Then in recent months Dovid Gabay released his Ana Avdah video, from Sheya Mendlowitz’s Alter Heim. Eli Gerstner’s YBC had two very well received videos in Ah Ah Ah! and Those Were the Nights of Chanukah. Of Course Six 13 has released a nice pair of videos, as well as Macabeats Purim and this years Chanukah video covering Matisyahu’s Miracle. Lets not forget Yochi Briskman’s newest star, ADAR, who released the catchy, Halaila video.

Trust me, it’s not gonna end there. Word has it that Mendy Pellin just got back from Israel after directing a Yaakov Shwekey video from Yaakov’s upcoming all new CD. I’m also hearing some other big names are hard at work on cutting edge music videos.

So, all that to say, music videos are not only here to stay, but they are becoming the candy covered center of the music world.

But are we paying respect to the music videos that came before it? Sure they weren’t all shot on the most current high def standards, and they didn’t have all night video shoots in Pomogrante. But they were ambitious for their times and many could say they were the fore bearers of the current trend. The Apple iPod 1 to the new Apple iPhone 4S. The heavy large brick cellular telephones to todays slim and light smart phones.

Let’s pay tribute to a few of these here, and if we missed a couple, go ahead and include your early favorites below in the comment section. Which one of these is your favorite?

Lipa’s Gelt and Abi  M’lebt

Michoel Pruzansky’s tasseh

Shea Rubenstein’s Windows in Heaven

Berry Weber’s Beilokim

So – what am I missing??

The songs were masterfully arranged by Shua Fried, Ilya Lishinsky and Yuval Stupel and will feature choir by Moishy Kraus.

Included in the Chanukah edition of Ami magazine is Copyright, a humorous look at a day in the life of a singer.

Starring Yoely Lebowitz, we see the singer as everyman, going through his day, doing his best to earn an honest living to support his family, but encountering numerous former singers who have found new careers because illegal copying and downloading of albums has taken away their livelihood.

The video, produced by Danny Finkelman, features an original song by Hershy Ginzberg and vocals and appearance by members of the Jewish music business including:  Yoely Lebowitz, Shloime Gertner, Yumi Lowy, Dovid Gabay, Yoely Greenfeld, Shoime Taussig, Beri Weber, Gershy Moskowitz, Michoel Schnitzler, Sruly Meyer, Mendy Werczberger, NACHAS, Sruli Ginsberg, Shimmy Goldstein and Yossi BenShimon.

You can download the song for free at MostlyMusic.com

Aaron Holder, 2nd place winner on a jewish star season 2, after releasing the hit single “A Song for Sholom” and “The Best is Yet to Com” has done it again! Aaron is releasing a brand new single titled, ”Chanukah Lights,” Written and composed by Aaron Holder, Produced by Ovadia Tank at W4M Studios. Enjoy this free chanuah gift, and please spread  it to your friends and family

Download the song, for free at MostlyMusic.com!

Chai Ve Kayam
Composed, Produced & Arranged by Yehuda Glantz

Musicians:
Dani Maman: Electric Guitar –
Meir Azor — HH- Sner Drums — Percussion –Acoustic Guitar –
Akiva Feldman – Chazanut Ashkenazi -
Ofer Benita – D’Jembe -
Neomi — Shimon – Shmuel — Osher Glantz – Vocals kids
Gady Pugash – Violin
Yehuda Glantz – Acoustic & classic guitar – vocals
Gadi Pugach & Yehuda Glantz: Mixed & mastered –
Recorded at JMN studios — Jerusalem –
Yair Peled – Video Animation
Betzalel Karmiol – video Editing

The Avoda’s music reads like a diary. After almost drowning in an attempt to save a friend’s life in ’05, lead singer Dov Carpe began a lifelong journey. This odyssey lead him to pick up everything and spend a year Jerusalem. “When you stare death in the eye and you’re given another chance, you can’t help but humble yourself and start over,” said the introspective singer/songwriter.

The Avoda blend heavenly soundscapes with earth shattering and empowering anthems. With influences ranging from Coldplay to Saves the Day, you’ll be drawn into a world of dreams and manifest realities. Look out for their newest release, the “Once Upon a Cloud” EP, on most major online distributors.

Download ‘Spread the Light” on iTunes: http://lnk.nu/itunes.apple.com/1vh0

Directed by: Aryeh Kunstler and L.E. Doug Staiman. Produced by: Ethan Bill at Room368 Productions

Eli Gerstner and EG Productions bring you the future of Jewish DVD’s presenting YBC Live! 4. This fourth installment of the YBC Live series is a little different than the rest. It will star YBC (conducted by Yossi Newman) as you have never seen them before. The DVD will be divided into 2 parts, half consisting of live performances from 3 shows in NY this past Succos and half ALL NEW MUSIC VIDEOS. Of course there will also be a BRAND NEW YBC song called “Baruch Haboh”, written special for this project, as well as extras like bloopers and behind the scenes. It will also include 2 versions of the ever so popular “Ah Ah Ah”, the dance version & the live version. It will be available both on DVD & CD at any of your local Judaica stores and online at www.theyeshivaboyschoir.com