With Parshat Beshalach this week, how could we not present an explanation on the Shirat Hayam? We’ll return to our regularly scheduled exploration of music next week. :-)

The Song at the Sea has many angles of study that are absolutely fascinating. On of the interesting medrashim on this incredible national experience of music is a Gemara in Tractate Sotah, which recounts the following three way discussion:

The question is, what is the meaning of the term “leimor”, i.e. “saying”,  after the Torah already told us “Az yashir”, “then they sang”? So we have three different opinions.

Rabbi Akiva explains that they sang it as an adult would read the Hallel, to fulfill others’ obligation. This means that Moshe sang it, and the people responded with singing simply the chorus, “I will sing to Hashem,” and nothing more.

Rabbi Eliezer states that they sang it as a child who reads the Hallel, in which everyone repeats it line by line from him. So Moshe sang, and the people repeated each phrase exactly as he said it.

Rabbi Nechemia has a totally different take – he says that it was sung as a Chazan who begins Shema, and then everyone reads it together. He says that Moshe began the song by singing Ashira LaHashem (I will sing to Hashem), and then the entire Jewish people simultaneously composed and sang that song together – including babies in their mothers’ wombs!

One of the truly beautiful ideas taken from this machloket is that in reality, these three sages were disagreeing about the essence of leadership and the unity that one can attain through leadership.

For Rabbi Akiva, the leader’s job is to be the active producer, and the job of the followers is to support their leader. This support doesn’t necessarily need to be that active; as long as the job is getting done and things are being accomplished. The people express their unity in their support of the leader.

To the contrary; Rabbi Eliezer declares! A true leader must show the people what to do, and the people are unified in doing it together.

And then Rabbi Nechemia comes with a completely new idea of leadership – the leader shows how things begin, and with his inspiration, the people develop the idea themselves and in total and absolute unity.

This last opinion shows how this experience was so pivotal that the Torah marks it as a template for what will happen when Moshiach comes. The Talmud in Sanhedrin uses this verse as one of the source texts for the resurrection of the dead. After all, the verse says “Then they will sing”. But when you consider the level of intense joy and utter unity, as well as complete dedication to a singular cause by an entire people, one can understand the relativity to the Messianic Era, when all humanity will sing as one.

Much has been said about the recent explosion of Chassidic singers and performers, so for me to pile on is unnecessary. Since Shragee Gestetner’s new album has come out, I have listened to it extensively to really get to know the songs and to try and formulate an opinion based on a longer amount of time than I usually would before writing a review. As a whole, I think this album is a very enjoyable album and worth buying. When it comes to songs that will become popular on the wedding scene, I think it is not a fair barometer anymore to judge a new release. I am not sure why there have not been many new songs from recent albums being played at weddings (and maybe that can be a post at a later date), but the fact that there are not that many songs in the last year and a half that have come out and become big, means that we can’t judge an album by how many songs will become popular.  There are many more albums coming out today and every performer has to try to do something special or different so that people will want to buy their album. Shragee has a very sweet voice, a nice range, and he also composed some of the songs on the album, so we know he has a lot of talent to bring to the table. The album is produced by A Teem Production, Yossi Tyberg and Gershy Moskowitz, and many of the songs are composed by Yossi Green. The musical arrangements are by Shua Fried, Ilya Lishinsky, Yuval Stupel, and Mendy Hershkowitz, and while I will comment on some of the arrangements that I feel were a little underwhelming, I think as a whole they are arranged tastefully.

Here are my song by song assessments:

Sim Bracha: The 1^st thing that hit me about this song was the bass guitar solo to begin the song. If I might digress for a moment, this is a hot button topic by musicians (especially bass guitarists) in the Jewish music scene. If you go to a typical wedding, there is usually no bass guitarist and the bass lines are being played by the keyboardist. There are some keyboardists out there who can play a mean bass, but there is no replacement for the real thing. Aside for trombone, the bass guitar is probably the most underutilized instrument. For me it is a breath of fresh air, and very daring to begin the whole album with a bass guitar solo. It is amazing! The song as a whole, composed by Yossi Green and arranged by Ilya Lishinsky, is a pleasant Hora, and very enjoyable. Yossi Green adds to the song with his unmistakably unique background vocals. I am not sure why the song fades out at the end, but if there was no ending to be had, it is better than just an abrupt end (as I will expound on later).

Venizkeh: A surprisingly upbeat ballad that is just enough different to stick out, but a really nice song. The song is composed by Ari Haas and arranged by Shua Fried. Shragee sings the backup vocals himself on this song. I think the instrumentation and arrangements on this song are very tasteful. I especially enjoyed the guitar and saxophone solos, and the ending as well.

Maleh Mishalos Libi: Two slow songs one after another is not something you’ll usually find on an album, but in my book, it’s ok. This song is composed by Shragee himself, and arranged by Shua Fried. It has more of a haunting and somber feel to it. The very simple instrumentation the first time around the song is very tasteful, and I like how it progresses and builds up during the song. Shragee’s backup vocals are also very powerful in this song as well.

L’chaim: Yossi Green! Need I say more? This song is a prototypical Yossi Green song. It is an enjoyable song to listen to right up until the abrupt end. It just ends. (kinda like my assessment of the song just ended…)

Kerachem Av: This is another Yossi Green composition. The musical arrangements are by Shua Fried. This is a very nice slow and hartzige song .This is a song that really highlights Shragee’s sweet voice and range.

Dayoy: This is a very solid Hora that might be the best song on the album. It is composed by R’ Moshe Peretz Schwartz and arranged by Shua Fried. The choir is led by Moshe Kraus. There is a little techno/synthesized music that is not my favorite, but the song is so good that I can overlook it. This song also ends abruptly.

K’sheim: A real nice and catchy song. The song is composed by Shragee, the intro is composed by Pinny Ostreicher, and arranged by Ilya Lishinsky. This is a very upbeat song and is one of my favorites on the album.

Odeh Hashem: This is another Yossi Green and Shua Fried collaboration. It is a very sweet and emotional song with words (giving thanks to Hashem) that really fit the song. This song also fades out at the end.

Bnei Beischa: A very lebedik and geshmake song composed by Pinky Weber and arranged by Yuval Stupel.  There is a lot of brass in the song ala Moshe Laufer, but since I love brass, it works for me. The choir by Moshe Kraus really adds to the song as well.  I really enjoyed listening to it.

Uvruchim Heim: A beautiful and hartzige song composed by Shragee himself. The song is arranged by Shua Fried. The highlight of the song for me is the children’s choir, led by Moshe Kraus.

Moshe V’dovid: The final song on the album is a Yossi Green composition that came out a few months ago as a video in tribute to a bar mitzvah boy. It is arranged by Mendy Hershkowitz of Freilich Orchestra. I liked the song when it came out, and like even better with Shragee singing the whole song himself, with of course Yossi Green’s background vocals.

In conclusion, I feel that this album is a very solid album and an enjoyable listen. I highly recommend it. You can purchase it at http://www.topjewishmusic.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=236, http://www.mostlymusic.com/shragee.html, or anywhere good Jewish Music is sold.

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.

In an effort to explore the Jewish aspect of Jewish music, our very own Hislahavus will be sharing an inspiring weekly message on Jewish music on JMR every Friday.

Our Sages tell us about ten special songs, representing deep and cosmic messages. The first of these tunes was composed by Adam, the first human, and the last will be composed by Moshiach himself. The others include pivotal moments in Jewish history, such as the Song at the Sea. But really, what is music all about? How much importance does it really have within Judaism? What about the feelings it produces?

While these may seem like airy, theoretical questions, they actually have very specific answers, spread across the wealth of the Judaic library. JMR is proud to begin a new, weekly column, which will (G-d willing) appear every Friday, translating and explaining statements of our Sages throughout the generations regarding music.

One of the most revealing statements about Judaism’s attitude towards music is the quote of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi,
paraphrasing Rabbeinu Bachaye, “If words are the quill of the heart, then music is the quill of the soul.” Music is essential in the attempt to bridge the yawning gap between body and soul. This was always true – when the prophet Shmuel wished to prophesy, he asks to bring the musicians so he can restore himself to the state of joy that one must be present within to gain the prophetic state. And the purpose of the Leviim in the Beit Hamikdash was not for mere background music, to say nothing of entertainment. The Leviim were astute observers of the sacrifice-bringers, and would play songs that matched the mood necessary for a particular sacrifice. For example, if the Leviim were to notice an Israelite bringing a thanksgiving sacrifice with a gloomy look, they would play something upbeat and move the man out of his lethargy. And if they noticed someone cracking jokes while bringing a sin offering, they would play a tune meant to bring him awareness of his deeds and draw him towards true repentance.

So it’s quite a stretch to say that Chassidism “invented” the idea of song and dance in Judaism. Like all of Chassidism’s innovations, this was merely the case of picking up an essential part of Judaism that had lain dormant and dusty for way too long. The Baal Shem Tov composed songs of his own, while encouraging his students to compose tunes. Rejection of this approach came from opponents of the movement, who invoked a Halachic imperative not to sing songs amid revelry due to mourning for the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. However, most Jews understood this not to include songs that bring one to spiritual ecstasy, and this approach was soon all but forgotten.

Putting the history aside, many Chassidic masters began to explore not just music itself, but the inner workings of music. Rebbes of the Modzhitz and Chabad dynasties in particular wrote many essays on the topic. In this weekly column, we will explore some of those essays, as well as earlier works, recount stories and try to unearth the mystery of music – to the tune of Judaism.

Check in with us every Friday!

Mostly Music offers you the incredible price of The Event Double CD and DVD, TOGETHER for just $12.99! That’s $37 off retail price. No, that is NOT a typo! Grab this incredible deal for 3 days only!

Can’t Wait For Shabbos is a wonderful new book and full-length music CD all about Shabbos. Written by Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg, it teaches and explains by way of stories and songs about the many beautiful aspects and specialness of Shabbos Kodesh. The CD is an exciting and entertaining journey through Shabbos, with world-class music, masterfully done by Shmuli Rosenberg of SkyLine Music.

The great singers that grace this album are: Shloime Dachs, Yechezkel Gluck, Yoel Dovid Goldstein, Michoel Pruzansky, Meir Sherman, Yonatan Shlagbaum, Daniel Waldman, Yosef Wartelsky, and Srully Williger.

All the lyrics are based on Hilchos Shabbos, and they are fully annotated in footnotes in the sefer, where they are explained and elaborated upon through inspiring and captivating stories in each chapter. It is a veritable treasure trove of information and beautifully illustrated and designed by Chanie Siegel and Penina Brick Abromowitz.

There is also a Divrei Torah section to enhance your Shabbos meals. Everything is based on the Mishnah Brurah and other prominent Torah and Halachic classics. This project enjoys praise and haskamos from Rabbonim from around the world. There is even an all encompassing glossary which makes this sefer a valuable tool for educators, as well as for kiruv.

This unique project includes something for everyone and offers a rich and enjoyable learning experience for the entire family. It is sure to be enjoyed by one and all! See for yourself why more and more people are saying they just Can’t Wait For Shabbos!

Aish Cleveland presents, 8th Day! Live in concert. SUNDAY | March 11th 2012 starts at 3:00pm | Doors Open at 2:30 PM

Tri-C Eastern Campus Performing Arts Center - 4250 Richmond Road, Highland Hills

Tickets: $18 ($22 at door) $36 ($40 at door), Tickets available at Frank’s and Jacob’s Book Stores - Separate Seating Available

Sponsorship: $125 includes 2 Reserved Seats and Name in Program
Patron: $500 includes 5 VIP Tickets, Name in Program and Signed CD
Corporate Sponsor: $1000 includes 10 VIP Tickets, Name in Program and Signed CD
Gold Patron: $1800 includes 10 VIP Tickets, Special Tribute and Signed CD

Dear Jewish Music Producer,

Hi!

I’d like to introduce myself – I’m Hislahavus. I guess I’d call myself a “semi-professional listener.” Or, as others might call it, a music snob. I’m a music junky. I’m not (really) a musician; I never studied music in a class, I’ve only intensely studied the music that you’ve produced. I’m pretty particular about what I buy and which music sits on my iPod. I’ve always tried to keep my ears focused on quality music, and I deeply appreciate all the effort that has been going into the JM world, picking up the quality of the work out there.

Now that we’ve gotten to know each other a bit, I have a few suggestions. You can call them constructive criticisms, or gripes, or whatever you’d like. But I mean it for the best – I really do. Here are a few thoughts from one of your biggest fans.

• Don’t put an old recording on a new album. And when you rerecord an old song, make sure to add something significant.
o This is a general rule – rerecording songs umpteen times doesn’t necessarily make them any better each time. Find a reason to put it out again – make it better, ala MBD and his English Collection (for the most part. I still like the originals of Pray and Sing and Just One Shabbos better), or Piamentas with Asher Bara on 1990, versus the original, on Mostly Horas. But taking an old song, not doing a thing to it, and just pasting it on a new album? Come on – that’s a waste of a track. And how about taking an oldie that’s been redone dozens of times? Find some new material!

• Keep songs over 3.5 minutes and under 6 minutes.
o You know how this works – it could be a wonderful song, but when it just drags on and on and on, with several false endings and numerous modulations, changes of beats and tones, etc… As they say, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Don’t keep beating the song into the ground! Six minutes is usually about the limit for your listeners. By that point, we’re ready to move on. But the same works on the other end of the spectrum (although hardly anyone does this any more) a song that sits at less than 3 minutes might as well not even be there. You hardly have any time to get into it! 3.5 minutes is about the minimum I can handle.

• 10-13 songs per album is great. More than that is overwhelming.

o As we said before, more is not necessarily better. Let your fans be excited for more, rather than overwhelming them with so much material that they get sick of you. Even more than that – a good album is a work of art. The songs compliment each other, and each time through the album, you get to know each song intimately, as you listen to the messages and the slight nuances of the vocals and arrangements. When there are 15 songs on an album it’s simply too many to put together in my mind, and the album doesn’t retain that critical element of continuation that makes it worthwhile to listen to again and again and again.

• Don’t break up a song/medley into separate tracks.
o Ugh! This is SO annoying for iPod users, who now make up 98% of your listeners!

• Concept albums need to be very good. Otherwise they’re just forgotten.
o I know, it’s so exciting! Another wedding album! Another Shabbos album! Another Yom Tov album! Another… you get the point. I have no problems with good collections. But if you want them album to continue selling past the first week, and for the album to remain one that we’ll listen to for many years, stick to normal music. If you really HAVE to do a concept album, that’s fine – just make sure there’s something original about it, and a reason to listen to it a year from now. This is true of concept songs as well – for instance, Y2K was a bust. Now that song is in the dustbin of history.

• Over-arrangements.
o This is not just a disease. Sometimes it feels like a full-out epidemic. Let a song win us over – don’t add more and more and more instruments and segues and beginnings and endings, and think that it will somehow make things better. Sometimes – nay, often! – it makes things worse!

• High-pitched child soloists.
o I love a beautiful choir, with intricate harmonies and youthful soloists. High pitched screeching and nasal wailing? Not so much. If you need to listen to how children’s voices should be used, listen to London School of Jewish Song’s self-titled1991 album, or Tzlil V’Zemer Boys Choir’s Let Us Grow. Or Meydad Tasa, if you’re looking for something of more recent vintage. A child’s ability should be measured by their control and ability to manipulate the tune, rather than the sheer intensity and pitch height.

I think that’s all for right now. Others may add things that I didn’t think of, or perhaps disagree with me. But, between us, it’s good to get it off my chest, and more importantly, I hope you find some of this unasked-for (and maybe even unwanted) advice worthwhile, coming from a loyal listener. Thanks so much for all you do – bringing quality Jewish music to brighten up our day, to inspire us, and to paraphrase Abie Rotenberg, get us all a bit closer to Hashem!

With love and appreciation, I remain,

Hislahavus

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.

Jewish Star has just announced a major addition to the prizes for this years winner. The singing competition now in its 3rd season just finalized a deal with the Chabad Telethon that will send the winner to L.A. to perform live on national TV at the 2012 Chabad Telethon.

This added prize can be a huge boost to a newcomer looking to make their mark. This performance will be seen on National TV by millions of people. The telethon is also streamed live via the internet.

The other prizes still remain which include a 2 year lease of a brand new car and a single to be recorded and produced by Eli Gerstner immediately following the finale at the concert.

More details will be coming shortly about this new development. If you have not yet sent in your audition, what are you waiting for? There are just 6 days left before the deadline.

A Jewish Star

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

Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 7:30 PM. At the Brooklyn School for Music and Theatre. 883 Classon Avenue, between President and Union streets. Ticket prices $75, $50, $36 and $25. Seperate seating, tickets available at Judaica World or online at JewishTickets.com.

Sarah Dukes and Yaron Gershovsky were on Nachum Segal this morning discussing the new hit CD, Finding Forever. Sales reports have been extremely good, with multiple reorders of Finding Forever being placed by Aderet Music.

Finding Forever is an all new solo piano CD featuring Sarahs original compositions performed by the legendary Yaron Gershovsky. Here are some photos from this morning along with the audio from the interview this morning. The interview is 1 hour long, Yaron plays Star Catcher live at 20 min, and Sarah plays Broken Pieces at 26:35. Click here for the audio.

You can purchase the CD or Download through MostlyMusic.com

Audio has been sent to JewishMusicReport.com that was taken of Avraham Fried singing a brand new song live at a recent apearance. On the audio Fried says the song was composed by Mendy Jerufi and will be featured on the all new CD. According to some reports we are hearing the new CD could be released within the next 4-6 weeks. Of course this is not confirmed. For those unsure, this is not the Hebrew album which was announced recently but an all new album with original songs in line with My Fellow Jew and Bein Kach.

This song feels like classic Fried to us, and allthough the quality of the audio is not great, you can get a good enough idea of the song. We’re sure you will be hearing a lot of in the months to come! We decided since permission wasn’t granted and a leaked copy of the song that ended up on YouTube was taken down, we will respectfully not post the audio.

Please note the above art is not official, and the original photo was taken by Baruch Ezagui.  Are you excited for the official release!?

Here is video of Yisroel Amar and Yishai Lapidot singing together by Yisroel’s Bar Mitzvah, which we wrote about earlier. You can view the pictures from this event by clicking here.

Pull out the party hats, wrap up the gifts, it’s our birthday and we are more than ready to celebrate!

In just three short years, JMR has become your number one site for anything and everything related to Jewish music and we want to take this opportunity to thank you, our loyal and devoted readers, for turning to us each and every day when you want the latest and the greatest in Jewish music news.

Of course, we couldn’t be where we are today without the help of our dedicated staff, so thanx, guys, for all your help!

What’s next for year number four? Stay tuned for more of everything you love about JMR.

To all our artist and producer friends, keep the news and updates coming so that we can share your good news with your biggest fans.

And to all our readers and Jewish music fans everywhere, thanx for making us number one!

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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)

Ben Snuf’s about to release a brand new CD, here is the first single from that awaited release. The song is called “Rak Echod” is already becoming a huge hit at weddings in Israel. The lyrics and composition were done by Itzi Zilberstein. Arrangements were made by Meir Amar and Itzi Zilberstein.

PHOTOS BY BARUCH EZAGUI

The Tzivos Hashem ‘Jewish Kids Got Talent’ competition drew to a close yesterday at the Tzivos Hashem dinner which took place at the Hilton New York. The highlight of the beautiful dinner, attended by over 400 supporters was the presentations made by each of the nine finalists.

The evening marked 31 years since the Lubavitcher Rebbe started the Jewish children’s organization. 31 years of hard work, and devotion, to Jewish children worldwide through clubs, rallies, countless publications, and craft workshops. The competition was yet again a resounding success and a wonderful way to commemorate the accomplishments of Tzivos Hashem, and a promise to never give up and to strive to do better and provide for future generations of Jewish children.

The atmosphere was electric as the house lights faded and the hall fell silent, a voice over the loudspeaker announced the beginning of the show and the hall erupted in cheers and applause. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening, comedian ‘Modi’ Rosenfeld, had the crowd roaring with laughter from the start.

The theme song, ‘Impact’, written by Moshe Kravitsky and performed by the Sparks Choir together with Moshe Hecht, was beautifully executed and the children performed to the highest standards. The words of the song highlighted the theme of the evening, ‘children have got the power to change the world’ by using their talents and doing good they can really make an impact ‘to bring Moshiach now.’ A new song, D’ Meir, featuring child vocalist Mendel Piekarski and special guest Yoni Zigelboum was also debuted by the Sparks Choir. The Sparks Choir, produced by Danny Finkleman will be releasing this song as a music video in the coming weeks.

Over the course of the evening, Jewish superstar Avraham Fried entertained the crowd accompanied by the fantastic Freilach Orchestra. Michelle Stern, the young violinist, and winner of last year’s performance category, was also a special guest at the evening and once again astounded the crowd with her violin skills. Accompanied by her mother, she had the audience on the edge of their seats and wide mouthed in awe as she played her piece.

Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson, Executive Director of Tzivos Hashem, introduced new Chairman of the Board of Tzivos Hashem Yosef Yitzchok Popack who has been a friend and supporter of Tzivos Hashem since its initiation by the Rebbe 31 years ago.  He has been an anchor of support to Rabbi Benjaminson throughout the years and has welcomed many distinguished guests to Tzivos Hashem during that time. Tzivos Hashem are honored that Yosef Yitzchok has accepted this role and look forward to his continued support as they work hard to take Tzivos Hashem forward into its 32nd year.

But the overall highlight of the evening, were the many talented children who graced the stage to show the audience what they are doing to make the world a better place. These children were the finalists of the ‘Jewish Kids Got Talent’ Competition, now in its second year. The finalists of the three competition categories, Chesed, Achievement, and Performing Arts showcased their talents and acts of kindness after which the guests had the chance to partake in a live vote via a handheld device available at each place at the dinner table.

Prizes up for grabs included cash for a non-profit organization of the winner’s choice, a sizable amount for themselves and a library of books from Kehot Publishing House.

After each of the finalists performed, the audience had the chance to ask them a couple of questions about their talent. Third place winner, five year old Chaya Mushka Moscowitz, wowed the crowd by reciting a paragraph taken from the chapter of Tanya she had mastered by heart. Chaya Mushkah was able to recite the lines flawlessly, much to the amazement of the crowd who cheered loudly.

Second place winners, brothers, Hersh Meyer and Moshe Ringel of Monsey NY impressed the audience with their project ‘Bottles for Books’. Over the past few months these boys have collected thousands of bottles and urged their family, friends and neighbors to do the same. Using the 5c deposit they get back after recycling them, the boys were able to raise enough money to purchase 41 books for the library at NYU. And their answer after being asked what they would do with their prize money? “Buy more books of course!”

The overall winner of this year’s competition was Malky Levy. Family Galprin from Israel moved to Cincinnati where Malky lives, to get treatment for their son who was tragically burnt in a terrible fire. Over the past year and a half, Malky has spent many hours with little Laizer, playing with him, reading to him, and just keeping him company while he undergoes treatment and recovers. The Galprin family appreciates the time Malky spends with him and say that she is a big part of his miraculous recovery. Malky will be donating her winnings to the Galprin’s to help with Laizer’s medical bills.

All the finalists were awarded prizes and certificates and Tzivos Hashem is very proud of all of them.

This wonderful event was produced by Danny Kaizler of ISRAevents and his team; it was a fabulous evening of performance and talent and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

A special thank you to media sponsor The Jewish Press, specifically Heshy Kornblit.