Interview with Eli Weber from Weber Media about the life and legacy of Michoel Schnitzler❤️

good afternoon everyone I have the great honor and pleasure of sitting with Rabbi Ellie Weber of Weber media Weber media I actually met Ellie for the first time when I chased down the hall schnitzler in Lakewood on 2nd Street yeah in the Hot Bagels he was with his uh partner Ellie Weber right so Ellie tell us how you first met red Nicole schnitzler that was my first time meeting with you it was the first on both ends tell us as you first met him and uh as many people are seeing the videos currently with them are all being was created by you he spent a lot of time with him so tell us how you met him right so we actually met that was seven years ago and we went uh he was booked for my father's birthday party um he came he sang and I sang along with him and after that we just really connected it all manage I love his music and he was so happy to see that I loved his music so we exchanged numbers and we started talking very uh very often and then I opened up a Twitter uh fan page for him where I started posting out his jobs pictures videos or recordings from his weddings and then eventually he asked me to open up a YouTube channel and to update his website and open up a lot of social media platforms just so that we can share his message across the globe that was the idea of it so that people can enjoy his music if it's a person going through something or if it's a personal person that's not so healthy that they can enjoy his music and get you know in the combo SIM card to it was he your first social media client so technically yes it was my first social media client then I went into you know I was still in Yeshiva at that time then I worked in construction for a while but he he then pushed me into this business you know he told me he encouraged me to open up my own business which is now called Weber media and he helped me get my first client he pushed that first into USB for social media and he got me my first paying client and from there on it got you know it became bigger and bigger for people with not enough facility music world how would you classify him in terms of I don't know right so I actually had this challenge today somebody asked me about him I was actually Yankee markets he asked me you know I said I did a normal call and I was trying to explain to him who this person was now that he's not with us anymore people are not as much you know speaking about his music and about his career or his legacy they're very much talking about who he was as a person and to explain who he was as a person the only way to explain it is somebody that gave away his everything to another person his sole purpose was to make the put a smile on the face of somebody hurting and he went you know to a certain extent we all tried to do that but he went out of his way to do it I know this winter for example he traveled all the way up to almost Canada to the prison to meet one you know to want to meet one Jew over there that was sitting there and it was a whole process of what he had to go through to get in with covert testing and and you know it's it's not easy to get into prison but he did it for wanju and that's what he did all his life with going to the hospitals um meeting so many children ever back you know that needed to be with simcha that was his and yes he did use the fact that he was famous and that he was a celebrity to make these people happy and whenever a tragedy would happen he would go and he would call if it was the children of let's say the Lost parents or parents that lost children or a child he would call them and just say hi hello I just want to tell you that I love you that was the type of person that proportionista was he was somebody that was constantly trying to see how he can he didn't try he actually did it he was a person that was always out there to help another person to make them feel good so was he a Wedding Singer or album singer do other people sing this song I don't know his yeah his genre that much that's amazing right so going back 35 years ago he start he was actually at an event um it was a simcoe's bias and he and he was a little bit famous from before you know from just like acting at a play or he was he people loved them in general and then at one event they they there was no singers at that time it was just musicians but some people asked him go take the mic you know sing a little bit so he stood up with his back to the audience because he was so shy and he started singing but the the crowd just went wild and one person came over to them afterwards and said I want you to sing at my at my kid's wedding and he said yeah okay no problem the day of the wedding he gets a call and the first says am I seeing you tonight are you going to sing I said I totally forgot I thought you were joking this is not what I do he was I'm a manager at Amazing Savings you know you want me to sing and he said I'm not coming and then his that person's wife called and said you have to come we don't have a singer we were counting on you so he ended up going and the place was on fire as soon as he finished singing three other people came up to him and said you're singing at our kids wedding and that's where he took his first he had the napkin that he was wiping his swear on that's the first three bookings that he got and from there it just steamrolled more and more and more so the solution World weddings didn't have Steamers until then so weddings didn't have singers yeah I mean I've grown free and MVD were around at that time but they were performance singers they did not sing at weddings that often as far as I am but after that happened this wedding singers really started coming again you had them Lipa and Sally gold they had dascal um you know obviously you know there's so many singers today and he used to tell me whenever they a Singer went into the industry he would call them up and wish them good luck and get tell them all the tips and tricks and everything they needed to know and this is going up until this day whenever a singer would give out an album or a song I would listen you know I would listen to it together with him and he would always send them a message and give them a compliment this was even let's I had friends from Yeshiva that release songs and who would give them a compliment because he knew that they will feel good when he when he gives them that compromise so the past three years we see a lot of videos together yeah well how did that start so after a while actually what was your first video I mean yeah you do great a video I would say you're probably from the best interviewers I've ever seen oh okay thank you so I was wondering what was your first video experience was it with my phone was it yourself right so I I you know definitely I'm gonna say this I mean definitely my motivation to motivate others came from the whole I mean I saw this from him and putting out the good morning old Beautiful People messages and he would say a different quote every day so this definitely is is to thank him I took that from him um so um I I made I didn't make videos up until I think like a year ago um I was in videos together with them or I was taking the videos I was behind the camera I would say but recently since I became myself an influencer I I decided let me make videos together with him and ask him his opinion because some people have very good opinions but they don't have a place where to put it out so going over to somebody and asking him what would you say in this moment or what he said and I actually have a lot of videos still that hasn't been released and will release it over time but he was definitely part of that he's definitely part of my why I became what was the most unique thing around an interesting stories yeah it's almost time with him the most unique thing about him was a smile she would always give a smile was as if it was natural um and the most unique thing about him in general as a as a rule what he did was that he always said life as a choice and um to him that was the most important thing to show people that you know I I once asked them what would you tell what would you tell a person that's hurting right now and his response was I would tell them that it's a choice and remember that everything that happens is for the good so move on you know understand you want to be sad but just move on just just just be happy just enjoy life they always used to say live life to the fullest you know that was his that was his style that was the person that he was on you know every day that he woke up he was happy he was excited for what's to come even if it was just a regular day to him every day was special so he saw some interesting funny stories about crazy stuff so what what's crazy about about specific enzymes so we we had many specific incidents that I had together with Michael schnitzler I think the the most unique is the fact that he he was he was so into giving compliments to random people so for example when we went grocery shopping he was because I I was really his friend as well not just his manager when we went grocery shopping he would buy with his money a chocolate for the register and give it to them as a gift so that was something unique about my part um also if he would ever see a couple like if we would ever see a date in a restaurant he would always go over there and tell them you guys look so happy together I think you should marry each other that was McCall and it wasn't just the hasidish people that knew him it was even just a random strangers that was another thing he always used to say what people think about me is none of my business and that's really how he lived so there was no uh second thinking that I also know for example in restaurants whenever he was in a restaurant he would always give the waiters the waiters get a tick but there's something called the I think it's called the boss boy the runners you would always give them an extra tip of five or ten dollars just to make them feel good Ellie what do you think about lupus that's for that so Lipa is I'm going through that relationship yes so so so Lipa I also have the honor to be the no leaper a little bit this would be to be his friend I've spent a little bit of time with him and he's a very very special person and their connection was really a very very they they literally leap his first song was was for Mahood and the food truck and who came up with this phrase that we all we all say now which is Lipa asleep you know they're all the best way to define leapers by saying Libra because leap is just probably the the most talented person that we have today not just in the Jewish music industry but as a whole he's probably the most talented person that that I know you know and he's so thoughtful and he's really nice to others and he does a lot of facet and so their connection really went very well together because they they were working on a lot of projects together they were they spent human toy them together they uh they did a lot of special things together they really they really loved each other and Lipa made songs for every single one of them whose albums so they they really got the connect not only through music but they were personal friends as well I think I think the hospice was also very very nice and I think it really gave closure to all those fans out there not you know not just to the family but also the the every random person was able to feel felt and understood through what Lipa said what happened you mentioned challenges that they both experienced what does he mean by that um challenges there is there's life challenges in general and you and which everybody experiences specifically was a use some from very young he lost his father um and then just he he didn't have an easy life you know not in Yeshiva not it not you know through the years he lived in many different places or um I don't know if he had stories with his children with moistness you know there was there were difficulties um but but he never showed it because he really didn't he didn't he understood that pain is part of life and the struggles happen but it's all about how we see it why do you move around so much it was great because Financial was mostly in New York you know so yeah where do you move to or so I think for many many years he lives in the Seagate I think Seagate was just uh uh you know at that time it wasn't as popular so he moved the bar Park but I I'm not sure why he moved but I I somebody said because the the real his real home wasn't as hard you know and wherever he was that was where he felt comfortable and he also told me remember that the only person we need is ourselves and our own support we don't need anybody to make us happy or school all we need is ourselves as long as we have ourselves I have myself under a bunch he really felt the garden and he was always happy not wrong in the later years so I I I I know that it went very often the the it was very famous the most very healthy person with what he was eating and what he was doing and or he had to take medication he would take that but I know that he was his heart was a little bit uh we did too much on her best too much maybe pinky whoever said that he had such a he had such a soft heart that even his heart he gave away I saw something that's on Twitter that's on before that he wasn't alive a couple years ago yeah I know somebody made a joke like that yeah right so that was that's a story that's a real story that happened that somehow somebody put out a rumor which shows us the world we live in that he's not alive and uh this was a couple years ago yeah it's actually for us here in New York we didn't really experience this story because it happened during the night which was daytime in Israel it really happened in Israel so for us it was just a joke afterwards but for him it was a real scare why is everybody so you know he got so many messages and stuff like that the people were crying that he's not alive exactly he got the message because it was a rumor that was a real rumor and but he it's beautiful how he took the humor in it and he even mentions it in his one of his songs you know he took the humor of it and then he said I'm just grateful that yes I am alive you know and I can be here and give you some other people I heard another story was going around that he had a near-death experience yes um he was this was a few This was um this was a few years ago when he had I think it was open heart surgery they they actually told them that he has a bigger chance of not coming out and Yeah and he he said that he wasn't here for about and he feels that Hashem sent them down here more people so he was really living the last few years so grateful that he is here he was so happy and but I wasn't scared and probably soon was happening to him and back then everybody thought that it's unfortunately you know we all need him you know we can't live without him and now here we are how long do you do his inspirational videos um he did it for many years putting it out himself just saying good morning all beautiful people and um he also did many quotes that are still on his Institute Instagram feed at Nicole schnitzler um and then eventually became a little bit more active with working on new music so he got more into that but he was always motivating and constantly positive messages I someone earlier today asked them about the Halls are slightly special needs and McCall's a good friend of mine he said okay how do you meet him he said oh he wants to sing in Crown Heights Ramones and you sign him and that's how he met him and this person felt like he was his best friend yeah obviously you met him at a situation yeah [Music] yeah so I also know of a not healthy child that for the past 25 years cool has called her every single head of shoppers the family yesterday and they they keep on calling her because she's really she can't take it so they keep on calling her from the family and you know trying to to to make her feel better and to tell her how they feel her pain but he had a specific connection with every individual and that's why it's a little bit different difficult now for one another to stand each other because everybody was something else the one he was a father who was a grandfather he was a friend he was a brother he was doctor the therapist the person that they looked up to he was he meant somebody something else to everybody but that is because he really valued every person who was able to see a person and understand right away what does this person need that was his specialty he really connected with his whole heart to every human being very cool so anything else you want to add a closing words yeah this was a beautiful story that I that I uh hold on I just want a car the past three years you're with him every other day every day almost every other day and we spoke every day yes because he was living in Jackson and I lived in Toms River so we were like 15-20 minutes apart and he also came to he was very close to my family he used to come to tell us you know for dinner almost every Sunday night sometimes not to shop but sometimes randomly Hanukkah this year we spent two nights together we had two Hanukkah parties in our house so uh we were very very close to him like I said he I wasn't I never felt like I'm his manager I felt like I was his friend and we used to talk about everything everything possible even about dating and about life and about perspective specifically he actually did that was uh it's a funny question it's an interesting question because yes I mean I went out three four weeks ago and I remember telling him about about the girl and he listened so kindly he was a very good listener and I remember he told me that that I should go out again yeah that that was his advice like uh to give another chance you know um he was always about finding the wow you know he used to tell me Ellie you're going to find the wow and um to him life everything everything was amazing everything had to be amazing you know that's how he always dressed nicely he always made sure to eat good and healthy food he always made sure to really enjoy his day he always made sure to tune out from negative stuff just to stay positive in the moment and to enjoy himself was he considered mainstream was so developed or so he was the first LG he was considered very mainstream um he did have one song that mentioned about yeshivas so it touched you know a little bit of a sensitive topic for some people it was a little bit triggering to them but that he was very very much accepted all throughout um by everybody so that's uh [Music] um he actually did compose a few songs nobody really knows about this there's an album like a connection collection album where he did compose semi-composed a few songs um and I don't really remember which one of the I I would have to check maybe it says the album cover by the way the all the songs that pinky Weber made for him they actually composed together all sitting together so he always added his there was pinky song but he always added added his flavor and his warmth to the composition itself I found this really sin and someone's lip but they like tell a story you know yes so he was to say that the reason why his stories are so successful is because he becomes the father the mother the child the Reba the he becomes the actual character in the song and now I can understand why because not only did he have some pain in his life but he also understood pain from others he understood what a mother goes through when they lose a child he understood what a mother he understood all these things because he used to talk to those people and try to be the magazine but whose phone was open and public to everybody whoever wanted was able to and he would report messages or voice notes to anybody that asked him if it was for a birthday or a CM or somebody didn't feel well he would happily record you right away a video saying hi this is unfortunate so I just want to tell you that Mazel Tov on your thing or Rafia shalima for congratulations that was him wow and had he handle all the new Young singers jumping into the market he handled them very very nicely he was really supportive of them he was friends with each and every one of them and like I said when they gave out the music he learned their songs to be able to sing them at weddings or he would call them and compliment them you really got along with every new thing even not not only the newer bigger singers but also the newer singers that were just like really young like 20 year olds 21 year olds he would always give them compliments and and you know because he's singing even when he lives in Florida or he took off so yes he was singing in Florida there were there were many jobs that he had in Florida itself but he also came in many times and I used to pick him up from the airport and I was so happy to see him and we uh we did there's a few events that's known which was he came and he surprised his brother when he made a simcha um and he surprised Rafi the king when Rafi the king made his big circulating on social media he went there and they they're basically a middle of the CM they said that they're going to put rapid you know on the phone and who's going to sing a song from Florida so Rafi is on the phone supposedly working full and they're like hello yeah which song do you want and says who says okay no problem let's sing I'm not an open and he starts singing and the pool just walks in [Music] is more alive than ever and I I'm not on the Nile I know he's not here with us but his legacy is alive and yeah exactly exactly but I did I didn't mean it that way I meant in in his way that he he wasn't afraid of dying and he wasn't you know he wanted to be remembered for somebody that has that love and passion and his music very much is alive and his motivation and his quote and all the mitzvahs cases that he did he's still here with us and is still an inspiration for many many years to come thank you so much Ellie thank you for your time God bless