Inside ArtScroll Season 2 Episode 6: Interview with Everyone’s Favorite Uncle, Uncle Moishy!

[Music] Hello everyone and welcome back to Inside Arts Scroll where the books you read and the people who write them come to life. Today we are joined by a very special guest, everyone's favorite uncle, Uncle Moshi Rebush Tenbound. Thank you Uncle Moshi for being here. Well, thank you. Thank you for having me. It's an honor to be here. It's a great treat to have you here at Arts Girl Studios. Thank you. In honor of the release of your new book and your new CD. That's right. The feedback is phenomenal. Good. The CD sounds amazing. The book looks incredible. Before we get into your background, what has the feedback been like to this production, I'll call it? Well, it it's first of all, let me thank you for having me on. It's an honor to be here and um this book is the first one for me and it's a it's really just a wonderful story of me visiting this family and these two children Mindy and Mary and our adventures that we have on Chabis and uh I believe my understanding it's the first time the arts school actually produced a book such like this where they actually took a a real person and somehow made it into a lovely, lovely illustration from it. It is interesting because like you said, it's the first time that I know of that in the world of Jewish publishing, we did something like this where rather than just illustrating, we actually took real photos, real photo shoot. And I was to participate with you. It was such an honor. Exactly. And it's real photos taken by a professional photographer, Rifky Robbie. And then our fantastic staff here at Art Scroll, led by Ellie Cone, re-rendered them so that it has more of a painting type of feel, but with an Uncle Mishi, we couldn't illustrate because no one could illustrate you well enough. Only to a punish. Well, yeah. So this new approach to producing a children's book, the feedback has kind of confirmed that it was the right approach and everyone loves the book and it's great to have you back. The CD we should mention was produced by Donnie Gross. Yeah. A music aicionado, a master arranger. He did an unbelievable job selecting songs that we think people will appreciate. So talk about that for a moment. The musical side of things. Well, besides being a wonderful producer, as far as a a a human being and um just listening to my suggestions and really carefully listening and um where perhaps there might have been areas where I suggested one area to go to and he actually took the time out to sit back and say, "Let's listen to what what do you have to say, Ma?" You know, it's it's your CD. Did he call you Mush or Uncle Mish? Mush, my name is Mush. And um he just sat back and listened to it and we discuss certain things aspects about the lyrics. For example, to me lyrics are very very important and also the mix of the album. Uh and the lyrics on the album were written by Kyle New House and by Perry Bernett. Yes. Yes. And I should mention that the book was written by a team of Libby Levnik and Perry Bernett and many other people contributed editorial comments. So it was really a collaborative effort. It was. And you're saying that lyrics mean a lot to you. Meaning it's not just about writing words, going into the studio and singing it. It has to connect to you. Oh, sure. But not only that, a certain hashkafa as well. A way of looking at things that you look for. Well, it it's a way of of looking at things, you know. Uh, for example, if if I'm in a in a park and I and I see a can on the floor, well, what do I do now? Do I walk over it or do I pick it up and put it in a garbage can? Well, of course, that's what we do. We take the garbage, we put it in a garbage can if we have that opportunity. But besides that, we're aware of people might be watching us. And that's one way to make a kiddesish hashem. That's an example not only for myself but for the children, for everyone that people are watching. What's he going to do now? What's that jingala going to do? That little boy and girl, let's say, wow, look at this. Wow, that's a kiddish hashem. And that's easy to do. For as someone who's been teaching these concepts for so many years, do you feel a certain responsibility when you're out there in the world? Everyone knows who you are. You're probably one of the most recognized faces in all of what we'll call Jewish educational entertainment. I don't know if there's an entertainer in the Jewish world, at least on American shores, who's more recognized than you are. So, when you're out there walking down the street going to shul in the supermarket, do you feel a certain self-consciousness where, wow, I have to reflect the values that I'm teaching? Well, it's not that I have to. I do. It's me, Uncle Moi and Mosha Tanban. We're the same. It's not a performance. I can't do this for over 45 years in the entertainment field, you know, without perhaps issues coming out or something like that. No, I was going to ask you about that. That's 45 plus years. I think you started in 1975. 1975. That's correct. Yeah. And yet you don't you it doesn't seem like you've lost any of your vim or vigor. You're still energetic. You're still fresh. You still want to teach the kids. And I I would say you want to teach the adults also. We're also learning from you. And your energy is contagious. And you haven't lost the step. Canara may it be for many more years. So I was going to ask you how you do that, but I think you just answered the question because it's not an act. this is who you are. Would would that be a correct depiction? Yeah. Um there's something also if I may add to to the recordings and even the book when in my recordings the lyrics are you do this. I'm talking to the boys and girls. You have to do this. You keep the mitzvah of Hashem. You do this. No. You'll find in the lyrics, we keep the mitzvah of Hashem. I'm with the children. Wow. And to me that's so very very important because I hear even speakers when they speak by the podium, well you have to do this and you did this and you No, no, we I'm speaking to the I'm looking at the speaker. No, no, no. We the speaker also has to do this. You see, Uncle Moi is with the children. We keep the mitzvah of Hashem. I'm with the boys and girls. We're doing it together. Wow. And as um one of the lyrics of the songs is there's power when we're together, when there's unity, there's tremendous strength and power in that. So who influenced you in your younger years to give you those values that today you're giving over to the younger children? I don't know seriously where I got this. I was always into music. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Toronto. Okay. Toronto, Canada. And I went through the day school there, eight time day school. And in in that school, I was in the choir, the children's choir. Yeah, we had a choir. One of the first school choirs, I believe, in the Americas, the first school choirs. So, I was always singing and I'm also a musician. I play an instrument. I play guitar. Mhm. So, I've And that's from a young age. From a young age. And I've taught myself the guitar and I would sing the early songs at that time was the rabbi sons in those days. The rabbi sons, the ordosh in those days. And that's how I would play those songs and listen to them. And with my friends, we'd have a kumzit mozz chavis coming together and sing the songs. Um, and then throughout my younger years, I was able to volunteer for Kabad in Toronto, Kabad Lab, which at that time was run by Rabbi Yahushua Laugher, who's now in Province, Rhode Island. And um he um he tapped me in to sing for children that he would gather, public school children. At what age is this? We're talking about my early teens. Okay. maybe 14. So you're in high school. You're in high school. You know how to play guitar. You sing a bit. And Rabbi Lafer says Mish. Or did he call you Mish? Mush. Yeah. Cuz someone told me that you were known by a different name that also starts with a memo. Tell me a little about that. That's right. You did some uh research, I see. Yes. My uh my given name is actually Milton. Milton. That's right. Is it Uncle Milton? Ah. Ah. like Milton Burl. Ah, that's right. My my rebi intimacowski um gave me a nickname, Uncle Milty, named after a comedian in the uh late 50s, early 60s. His name was Milton Burl. And he was a funny a funny person and he always had the gags and and jokes like this. always the funny person. That's me in my class. I was always the funny guy in that class. And my rabies said, "Uncle Milty, you're Uncle Milty." Sitting always in front of him. Did you mind that or did you embrace it? I I later on I embraced it because uh sometimes kids would make fun of that. Mhm. You know, Uncle Mil type of thing. But eventually it it did grow on me and that was my my moniker. Is that how we call it? Y. So Sam would playing for public school children. Uncle Milty, Uncle Milt is here playing the guitar. However, the story goes that in 1975 there was a a Labavan where at that time the labreva spoke about one of the three reasons that we left Mitsayan and one of them was we kept our Jewish names and at that time he was encouraging everyone to let's start to use our Jewish names. 1975 I guess we weren't using so much. So the Shalia in Toronto Rab Lafer sat me down in his office says Milton you have a Jewish name just spoke about using our Jewish names and you do perform in front of children. You should be the example. Use your Jewish name. That's your Jewish name. Uncle Mishi. And that was it. That was it. So you've been known as Uncle Mishi since your teens. Yes. However, even though you were you an uncle at that point? No. No. However, when I do come back to Toronto, my old friends from those years call me Uncle Milty's here. Come on, everyone. Uncle Mil is here. My old friends still call me Uncle Milty. Wow. And your playing did did you launch a career at that point? Did was it done in a professional capacity? No, I was in yeshiva. In yeshiva. I was in yeshiva. What happened in your later years? Postma, what was your next step? Well, Postm I went to uh came to New York uh Brooklyn, New York and went to Yeshiva's here and um but before then before then in 1979 we gathered some songs together and um at that time I was Uncle Mishi and uh I was with two other fel musicians with me and we decided to put out an album There were songs of those days that were wellknown but it was never really on an album. Um in those days we called them records the vinyl and um songs such as Hashem is here to there's another song called Shabas is going away which at that time NCSY a youth group organization that's global. Which one is that? Shabas is going away. that they would sing that on. And who who made up Terracea? Cuz that's people look at as a as a classic. That's that's a class. Toritza is a classic. I know. Hashem is here was made by another uncle, right? Yes. That's right. Uncle Yasi Goldstein. That's right. We when I grew up, we had his tapes. Rabbi Yasi Goldstein story tapes. And I remember he created that song. Yes. Which people think has been around since my braces. Hashem is here. Hashem is there. Classic. It's a classic. A classic song. It's a classic song. So these songs you started, you collected them. So I sang them in front of the children and uh we decided to make an album and at that time one of us contacted a producer, a well-known producer at that time called uh his name is uh David Golding and the the business they called him Ding. And one of us contacted him and he said, "Sure, I'll make that. Give me 10 songs and I'll produce it for you." Wow. And we did it in one evening. Really? We recorded it in one evening and it came out as Uncle Moshi and the Mitzvah Men and somehow the album just took off. Took off and I know you're going to ask this, but I I I don't get it. I don't understand it. You make an album. You sing a song. You're in front of it could be 20 children. It could be a thousand children and they're singing along and they're clapping their hands and I'm playing my guitar and singing. I I I I don't get it. I honestly don't get it. You don't get why it's connecting right. I don't I don't see I'm in it. I'm performing from the children and you don't get the magic. What is the magic about? If you want to call it magic, I don't know. I just don't understand it. And um I think you answered the question though earlier. I know you're interviewing me, but I really would like to ask you what what is that? I'll tell you what I think it is. I think it goes back to what you said earlier that this is not an act. This is who you are. And so if it's real, people like genuiness. If it was an act, it would run out. And children are the best arbiters. They could see right through anything. Oh, that's true. So, when children see something real, they connect to it. If it's not real, eh, I'll do something else. I think that I think that that's what it comes down to. It's real. You mean it. You live it. Like you said before, you don't have to do it. You do it. You carry those message. You personify those messages. And it's connecting to the children and I like what you said before also you're not talking to the children you're talking with them or like they say from Shiner who was just nif he said that is not taught it's caught if it's contagious so the children catch on and it's it's an atmosphere it's not you talking to them it's a conversation and I think that that that's been your magic if I may say so I don't know You're asking me, you're interviewing me. I'm sure other people could could add to it, but there's something very special about the tone of flavor. And I I'll add one other thing, I think, if I may. Um, there's a certain purity about your message and your music. It's never been adulterated over the years. You've adapted with the times as far as the music. You want it to be up to-date, the highest quality, but your messages never change because they're timeless. and they're universal. And that's something also that I'm amazed maybe you could talk about that you have an ability through your messages and through your creativity to touch all different crowds litfish unaffiliated whatever it is whatever the group is as long as some someone has a yiddish uncle mush is ready to talk to them. What do you say about that? It it it's important to try to reach as many different types of children throughout the world and borash. I've been literally around the world and um they still have the same smiles. The Torah is the same wherever we go. It could be the Orient, it could be down South Africa, it could be in Europe or in South America. The Torah is the same. So within the Torah, the messages are the same and it's universal to the children don't necessarily have to know the words. They don't have to necessarily know them. However, every song I have has something for the children to do. Could be pointing the finger up, up, down, down, right, left. Or it could be Moshe Yakov. They don't necessarily have to even know their words. Who is Moshe? Who's Yakov? It's not really necessary to know that. However, these children who are unaffiliated, they're singing songs of Torah and they're singing Moshe. They're saying Yakov. They're shouting out Shabas. Shabas. Shabas. Wow. They're shouting out the words from their mouth. They don't know what it is, but they're shouting out and they're having fun with a clearly an Orthodox Jew on stage with a beard and a a hat like this. But we're having fun and that's so important to me to have fun. It could be the lowest. It could be a very low denominator, right? Which is fine because that's the age that I'm You're teaching the Yiddeshai to be engaging and fun and compelling. And some of them, especially unaffiliated, might associate Yiddish and Judaism with something archaic. And you're showing them, no, this is this is happiness. This is true happiness. I I remember several times a Rebby would come to me, a teacher would come to him, Moyes, it's unbelievable. I It's so amazing what you do for the children. Come and teach my class. Please come to Ire Revy. Revie, I'm here with the children for maybe an hour and I'm going to the next city. You're with the children all day, every day of the week. This is where you take over. Mhm. I could perhaps maybe inspire them or try to enliven them, but Reby, you you get the pat on your shoulder because you're with them in class teaching them day in and day out of Torah and our in the mitzvah of Hashem. You're the one to be praised. Any particular story that comes to mind having been out of town all over and all over the world? any particular inspiring story of someone whose nishama you touched? I I I do get letters from people again. You make a song and you you sing a song on an album and it goes out around the world. I don't know who it touches. I don't know. You're singing there and there has been stories that have been written to me. I remember one particular story. I was in down south in somewhere in Tennessee where I just did a a concert and um before my flight, I was having some supper with a family and and the rabbi uh who was hosting my meal told me that there was one song that I sang meticul struck our community and that was a song called Don't Walk In front of me. Don't walk in front of me. I may not follow it. Composed by Rabbi Bald, I believe, right? Yes, I think so. Rabbi Zev Bald, I think. Classic. Another classic. Classic song that you made famous. [Laughter] Well, we all made it famous and it really struck our community because there was a a young child who just passed away recently and on her mata are the words to this song, don't walk in front of me. Wow. Don't just walk beside me and be my friend that's wow you know yeah that very powerful it is powerful and again I don't know you make a you you do an interview with people goes around the world your interviews and struck a chord with someone you don't know that right right it's true you know it's true when you put the written word out there and when you put music out there. It's now out there in the stratosphere and like you're saying, you don't know really who you're how many people you're touching. That's why it's it's very important that whatever we write, whatever I record or we record, we have to be very careful because it's going out to the public. It's going out there and you can't erase it. Right? the you make a recording or you write a a lovely book like the the Ankoi uh the Uncle Moi book here right here that the very best Shabas guest produced by Art Scroll. Thank you. Um we don't know where it's going, whose home it's going into and they're reading it to their children and the lessons that's taught from that is so important and in a correct way in a fun way as well. Sure. Now, speaking of audiences, you're performing in front of people. What makes a good audience? Because I'm sure you've had better ones and maybe not not as not as good as others. Challenging ones. Challenging ones. What makes a good audience for Uncle Mos? Well, well, certainly that that child who might be um who have gone to scene shows who who have the um who knows the the appropriate way to clap their hands after a song clap. So, they're participating. They're participating. They're aware of that of of participation and they follow instructions. I remember I was in um in in one city in Europe where they were very proper sitting cross-legged in front of me. I was in a school with nice caps and uniforms and I sang the first song and it was silence and I actually gave them permission to clap our hands. Mhm. Boys and girls, it's okay. Let's clap our hands. Come everyone, let's clap our hands. Clap our hands. I can't hear you. I actually had to awaken them up and say it's you couldn't. They didn't know that it was appropriate to do so. And to be a child. Uhhuh. to be a child because I know children innately they want to they want to be enlivened they want to jump up they want to clap their hands they want to shout out as children do and let's give them this Torah environment to do that now in in preparing for your shows do you do anything specific do you have any regimen that you follow before you get up on stage well certainly I vocalize you do yes tell tell vocaliz I've been going to a wonderful vocal uh coach and mentor of of mine um Ker Hersh Einhorn really and many many well-known performers I know that Frered went for many years he still might I just actually bumped into him a few weeks ago he went to a a tuneup and um certainly through the years he's helped me a lot with my voice um it's very interesting because in my younger years. When a person goes to a vocal coach, he's learned how to raise his voice, the register, as much as he can, right? However, in my age, I'm at the level where I need to preserve my voice. And that's a different way of teaching. And he has that that knowledge to teach each student that comes to him, me, whoever it might be at their own level to teach them and to direct them to a certain way to preserve or to raise their level of singing. Have you ever had an incident where you wake up one morning, you have a show that night, you have a show the next night, and your voice is just not there, and you call Caner Einhorn, and you say, "Kazen, I need help." Oh, of course. Of of course. And what what does he tell you to do? Good luck. You do the best you can. You do the best you can. You know, if you have to come and rest, certainly rest is important. Exercises. I I of course I remember one time I told my um voice teacher that I I have a cold. I can't come to you today. I don't feel. He says, "Moses, now's the time to come see me. Now is the time when you have a cold or you have a cough. Now we could deal with it. How does a singer deal with that? Wow. I want to see you come in please. And he taught me things how to do when a singer has again we're human. We're dealing with a an instrument which is our vocal cords which is human you know and how to deal with that. And yeah there's ways to deal with that. And um the show as they say it goes on. The show goes on and we have fun. And that's the main thing really in these shows is the fun element. And there's one thing more thing I want to express. So many times I go into the audience to sing. I leave the stage and I actually with my microphone walk into the audience and continue singing the songs with the children. And um of course it builds excitement to the children. But there's one more aspect I want to bring out to you and to our listeners that when I or perhaps maybe any any entertainer goes into the audience, he's expressing the idea that I'm with you. I'm singing the song of Torah Solondo in the audience with the boys and girls. I'm singing with them, not on stage. That's me four feet up there on the stage, six feet high, 20 feet away. No, no, no, no, no. I'm down here with you. I'm with you and we're having fun together and we're jumping up and down. That's great. And to me, that's that's important as well. But I like that you mentioned about the vocalizing because it's important for people to know that you don't just get up on stage that there's there's preparation and there's forethought. Well, sure there is. I mean, there's I after all, I am singing in front of people, right? True. I'm not Pavarati, a well-known opera star that he can cancel a performance. I can't do that, right? The show has to go on. But, uh, please be aware that these songs that I'm singing, they're not perhaps as um I don't know how to put it like a high so extreme as other adult performers. You think they're they're simpler tunes. They're simpler, simpler melodies. And I could perhaps get away with with many things where another performer really cannot and criticize for that. Sure. Because I am actually playing singing to children and every song has action for them to do. So it's not so much on the song per se versus the whole element of the the action and the fun that we're having together. could be maybe I'm I'm hitting balloons around the room while singing a song, sharing with each other. So, it's more of that aspect of it versus just showing off my vocal talents, you know. Now, you've performed at on many prominent stages, uh, including H. Mhm. Is there any one particular performance or venue that stands out as just really extremely special? Well, certainly the the the many times I perform for a Laga parade in Crown Heights, uh usually it's done on a Sunday and they would literally have thousands and thousands of school children in front of you and I'm on a a platform perhaps float 40t up in the air higher than the lampost. I remember showing one of my musicians to look at the lampost. is below us. So, it's higher than a lampost and on a ricochet type of platform singing to this of a a sea of that's what it is. It's just a sea of of faces and and swaying back and forth and the cameras and knowing that it's going around the world. It's just amazing amazing experience. Just an amazing experience to be up there and to see that. Sure. you know and singing songs shabas and pointing where hashem is we all did that. Yeah. I think I'd be remiss if we didn't mention your rebbitson. This is Shashana. People always know about Uncle Misha, but there's a tanta. Sure. Well, she's Cla's roles tanta. They just don't know much about her. But speak about your wife's role and your children as well. if you could talk about what it was like for them having a father who was a well-known wellrecoognized figure. Well, my wife is wonderful. She's just wonderful. And um even though I've traveled around the world, she has her own workplace that she goes to and she's very busy with her own projects and keeping the home stabilized so to speak. My children growing up, uh, if I may be frank, they had a hard time. They did. They did have a hard time. Your father's uncle Moishi. Yeah. And I could perhaps be bold to say that any child whose father is a well-known person, he could be the principal of the school, their child could be, you know, joke dad or taken advantage of, you know. So it wasn't easy for them. It wasn't really easy for them in their school school years. But this is what I've been doing. This is what I'm doing. singing to children around the world. This is what I do. Later on, as they grew older and older and now in their 20s and 30s, now they realize, ta, wow, you're uncle, this is what you do. It's amazing what you do and they're very very supportive. So, they they evolved kind of once they got out of the younger stage of being teased about it, they realized that you're accomplishing something extraordinary and they're very supportive. ideas and suggestions and uh some of them even a few of them have gone to my concerts you know to see I want them to see the effect that hey this is what your your Tati does look at these children wow look at that and how about your grandchildren your o'clock how did how do they feel that Zadei is also an uncle well Zadei is could be it could be confusing for a child Zadei is Zadei okay he is Zadei it's very important a day see their zadei as a zadei not as a that uncle true they might see a poster you know they might see a poster of of me and look zade looks funny look at this he looks funny or when he goes to a doctor's office they go to a doctor and they see on the video screen they see some of the the video look zade is funny look Zade's funny look at this you get a kick out of it yeah yeah it's funny you know but Again, I'm a zadei to them and we learn Torah, we have fun, we sing songs together, you know, and then they go to their homes. Speaking of your look, you have a very wellrecoognized outfit. It's the hat with the me. Yeah. It's the t-shirt. Mhm. Where did this get up star? The star. Who Who invented this outfit? It's you. I did. I did. The star is very important. The star is very important. Do we see Do we have a closeup of the star? It's very important. We had a closeup here. It's very important. It was originally supposed to be a mug of it. Really? Yeah, that's right. Originally a mugandovit. You know, six star, but the place where I went to did not have six stars. So they made two, three, four corners. Five. Shall we count it together? One, two, three, four, five stars. Five points. And that's how it stayed. Five stars. and the uncle Mishi. How many years back does this outfit go? Is this all the way back to the beginning? Oh, yeah. Wow. 19. The blue sleeves. Black. It's black actually. Yeah, the lighting is very bad here. We have to work on that. Yeah, it's black. Actually, in the beginning, I had blue in the beginning. Yes, I did have blue. That's true. Yes, I did have blue, but it evolved to black. Yeah, but this this uh style has stood the test of time. Well, yeah. It's my style. And the first mem, who cut the first mem? Who fitted into the hat? I mean, it's it's intriguing because it's kind of, as much as we laugh about it, it's iconic. Yeah. My father made the first man. Your father made the first. Yes. He was What did your father do for for a living? He was an upholsterer. A real pollsterolster. Okay. And he also had a wonderful wonderful uh script writing. He was able to write lovely script in in Hebrew and he uh he drew out a mem and using some leftover aluminum siding. We had some leftover from our home with some shears he cut out the mem. And that's the original mem. And I still have two or three of those mems that he made for me. And when I make other ones, I use that as a copy from that original mem. So these are copies from the original mem that my father made for me. That's great. Yeah. And you're still doing it. So I guess maybe your wife helps you now or someone else is cutting out the mems. I do it myself. I do it myself. How often do are you putting on the outfit? Meaning at home, I'm imagining you're not walking around with the mem hat and the Uncle Moy shirt, right? And when you go to Shul and you go to the store, you look you look Yeah. like a regular person. Yeah. I only wear this when I do interviews. That's that's that's the only time I when I do an interview at Art Scroll. That's where I use the the outfit. Yes. And and to events, obviously. And events, a concert. Sure. Yes. And um when you have to be in character. Well, the thing is like this. When when children see me, they they they have their imagination that this is Uncle Mishi for 24 hours a day. So, for example, I never take off my outfit in front of a child. I never do that. And as you know, I've been around the world and dressing rooms or whatever or in a car. I would wait. I would go to my car. Bye-bye every morning. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. And as I leave, I might park a block away and take it off because it's the imagination of a child. That's Uncle Moi. That's how he is. That's the imagination. And I want to keep that for him, you know. So I never do that in front of take it off or put it on. No, I keep like this. Bye-bye. Interesting. I've seen many people come over to you, even just here at Art Scroll, other places when we've been together all the time. People coming over to you. Could you just sign this? Could I just take a video of you for my son, my grandson, my nephew? How does it feel? And and you seem to do it so graciously. You don't run out of patience. How do you keep doing that so graciously? Well, I it it's really humbling. It's really really humbling. I remember the first years that I've started, I really ran away from pictures. Many children would have t pictures of me. No, no, no, no. I have to run. I'm sorry. I have to run. But after getting letters from parents letting me know how that one photo we got of you with my child means so much to to my child. Thank you. Getting some of these letters really impressed on me that hey, it's important to them. For them, it's important for me, but it's important for in their lives that they want this. So, why not? Why not take my time and and wait for a photograph? Sure. But that's touching that you look at it as an opportunity as opposed to a nuisance. I think I think it's a good example for other people who have an opportunity to do something small even as much as it's an inconvenience or annoying but use that platform. Well, the thing and what's what's a message you could tell to people? It's not for me. It's for them. It's not I don't want I don't need that. I don't need that. You know, it's for them. And if I may add when I go to hospitals I do see children in hospitals unfortunately um the mitzvah it's very important and um when I'm there for the child that's who I'm there for. It's not about my convenience. Oh well I'm sorry I'm not available now but the child's available. I have to be mindful that I'm not there for me. I'm there for the patient, for the child. And to me that's very important that mitzvah of um I remember one instance where I was performing for a child and child was not responding at all and I went close and the child said, "Would you want me to come back a little later?" And and I'll see I'll see you later. Byebye. and I came back and the child was much more receptive to me. The point being is that I'm there for the child. It's not me. It's not about me. I'm there for that child. And to me, that's what is. It's for them. Not about me. That's that's very special. I would say very altruistic. I want to turn back to the music for a moment. Many people know that you take popular songs that hopefully kids may already know the tunes of and you put lyrics to those songs. Whose idea was that to do that originally? Well, that was originally my my first producer, David Golding from Suki and Ding Productions, right? You know, that was originally his his thoughts of doing that. Yeah. Which is a great idea. Obviously, you're taking the songs that people know. Did you consider doing original songs as well or was that kind of that was your approach to your album? Well, uh that was the approach of the producer to do these type of well-known melodies, you know, and I do actually have an album uh called Uncle Moy's World uh which was produced about three about three and a half years ago. And um they were all original melodies. Uhhuh. Yeah. And it also had a very big very successful run that's nice of these. Yeah. Is there is there a particular song from over the years one song or two that is your favorite? I know that's not fair to ask. Right. It's not fair. It's not fair. It's not really. But you like you're a musician. You like music. You're talking about the old influences on you musically of the rabbi sons and aradash and things like that. Anyone else influence you musically? Well, certainly the original singers Mor and David, you know, um that's as far as as singing. However, once you're on stage, it's it's a different it's a different arena because you're not you're not singing, but you're actually on stage. May I suggest performing? Mhm. moving from one side to the other side, this side, that side. Uh you might turn around, spin around. There's an action to a singer. So it's not enough to perhaps just to stand and sing like perhaps an opera where it that's what they do, but it's more of rel of bringing the song alive to the audience somehow taking these words that you're singing somehow making it alive for them. Yeah. Listen, your message has resonated for decades. We've been inspired not only by what you sing, but by how you sing it and by your smile and your infectious enthusiasm for yiddish kite and have and have learning doing mitzvah. These are messages that are universal messages for adults, messages for children. You're bringing out the beauty of your dish and that's a tremendous and I would say if I would have the but to say it on behalf of thank you thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for doing it with such grace and such dignity and I want to offer my heartfelt you should continue. I would say that it's been 45 years but you're only just getting warmed up. You're only just getting started because you'll be doing it for many more many more years. So thank you for joining us. Any parting message for our listeners? Once again, thank you so much for having me. And um really one of the main messages I want to portray is that I am with the children. we are together learning Torah, doing the mitzvah of Hashem, and that we are all part of a wonderful heritage, our Jewish heritage that goes back thousands of years to our and to our emos. And we're just part of that chain. And my hope is that somehow these songs, the messages will somehow inspire these children. And eventually those children will inspire their families and when they get married their families and to be continued link in our family called Clausro. Amen. Thank you. [Music]