Yaakov Shwekey and Nachum Segal – The Music of Shabbos

[music] Hello viewers of Inside Art Scroll and listeners of JM in the AM. We have a very special guest we're going to be speaking to about the music of Shabas. Imagine elevating our Shabas Miros with notes of inspiration. A brand new book from Art Scroll that includes full Hebrew text of all Ziros and Pismon with translation. And who's responsible for this? Along with Rabbi Estro Besser, the one and only Yakov Schweki. >> Pleasure to welcome you. >> What an that iconic voice of Nakum Seagull. >> I have a lot of >> still ringing true. I appreciate that. and I get a lot of pleasure introducing you on stage and being able to tell everybody that you're about to uh entertain and inspire us. And here's another way to inspire the worldwide audience with a book, a safer uh an incredible collection entitled Shabas, the music of Shabas. It's almost 300 pages. It has an accompanying uh amazing album of medleys of Shabas Miros and Pismo. Where did this idea come from? >> Like everything in music, I always tell you it's it's a starts off as a small thought, which is five, six years ago. My dear friend David Hillel in Deal, New Jersey, I think it was in his house or my house, eating on the Shabas table and realizing that there's great compilations of collections of songs. people put out some really nice, you know, they send me all these new things that come out with all the songs and now there's one with English song and I loved it. I really loved it. But >> I dug deeper and singing it with my own children. First of all, them forgetting the actual tune and they don't even realize what they're singing or what they're doing. Even myself, what exactly does that mean? If I keep shabas, it watches over me. What does that mean? I want to tell my child. >> I want to be able to tell my child what are we singing Shabas. So here I I go I said you know what we have to make a book and this is years ago already. My parents passed away recently. So I was I said you know what what's the legacy for my parents? What did they leave over with us? Truth is I think about I don't remember all the deep div Torah my father gave on the table. A lot of it I don't remember. What do I remember? I remember the joy of song. I remember the joy of singing my siblings together. And I said, "You know what? That's what we're going to leave over. You want them to be happy Jews. You want your children to have happiness and joy in life. They just have to know what the music is about. Have to sing that. Give them a story. Give them some sort of not deep just inspiration of what zamirus we're singing, what we're doing." And then the clock of the, you know, table to couch, you know, won't be >> starts to move, [laughter] >> won't be moving that quickly where as soon as they eat the main course, they're already, you know, >> and nothing against the modern melodies, and you could speak for those, but I would assume that also part of it is you wanted your children and really Claustro to be familiar with the most authentic old times, Miros and Pismonian. >> Very well said. I mean, there was a great interview taking place years ago in a synagogue in Israel with a very modern I'm not sure even if he was a religious Israeli singer. He said something very like the the interviewer is asking the singer saying, "What's what do you think your fan base in 20 years? Will they remember you?" And the guy took a stud. He says, "The truth is, I'm thinking about it right now. I'm not sure they'll remember my songs, all these modern songs that I put. That's great. Don't get me wrong. You need new songs. you need. But will they remember it in 20 years? But the songs they sing and hear in this synagogue that they will remember forever. And going back to where it all started, this mirus of Shabas, the songs that you write, the iconic songs of the Jewish table, this is what this is our foundation of who we are. You're right. It's going back and starting where it all started. So we have this um observation that the combination the trio of Yakov Schweki Rabbi Estrol Besser and Shabus is a very good combination. And why Rabbi Esther Alb Besser meaning this could have been and by the way the first time you and I ever spoke about this I was under the impression it was a beer cone. It was something that would include you know tidbits so to speak about Ziros and certainly encourage people to learn the words and to sing along etc etc. This is a whole safer. This is a book about Jabus Miros. At what point did you say someone like Arb is Besser needs to be involved in this project? >> Well, it's going back first of all to the first interview I had with my friend Israel Besser, Rabbi Israel Besser. He came to my house and when I after I visited Robbashkin in jail at the time and I was telling him about the songs about I want to dedicate something to Robashkin. I felt very close to him and I wanted people to you know to Davin for him like everybody else and I got to know him through that interview. He was so he sat well truth is nah you would know this that when when you sit with somebody who can interview well and asking you the right questions and be able to delve deeply into your way of thought >> and hit the right point >> and hit the right points and not just asking you you know how old were you when you started >> right >> it's it's very important to and I felt really like he was hitting all the points correctly and I got very close to him from that interview and we started to talk all the time And I realized that when we talked together, we just were able to come up with thoughts, different things that you know, and when I came up with this concept, I said there's no greater of course arts girl, of course, Rabbi Gadalitz, right? >> His relationship with Rabb Israel Besser and I asked Rebalia, I said, uh, you know, I think he's the right candidate. And right away, he said, for sure, you guys hit it off together so well with the interviews. And he was able to just bring certain points to life that I felt was deep yet simple and to have the depth. And by the way, it goes like that with songs too. You want to you want to a song but you also want it simple for the generation to sing. So that combination I felt that he and he did a great job. He was able to you know the WhatsApps back and forth and back and every Thursday before Shabas. What's your thought on this? So when he's making an observation, telling a story, explaining something, taking a couple of pages to really hone in on one of his murals, are are you working with him on that or is that separately his department? >> No, of course he he there is something called reflections in this book, which is all my reflections of what he asked me and those word for word basically of what I said. Then there is the that he asked me that he's incorporating into the zmer. Y why do you think it is that it says I don't know and what what do you feel what's your like what's your explanation even what that means >> and I would think and I would think and I say you know what >> I feel like I learned something that correlated with and I would give him a whole explanation of what I think and then we would we would we would finish that off with a thought that you know deep into the zemer of what what we're singing and what we're doing >> was there any observation about buser because that's one of my favorite parts of you know >> buser why does buster go before >> sometimes we eat the fish before the meat >> correct >> right it's it's a good question I don't know if that's in there but buser buser really is the the the >> the meat the meat is the most expensive the most of the most and that should go it goes in order of you [music] know the expense of shabas on the meat it will come right back at So there's actually stories of my father you know all of a sham when he was you know he did well in business he didn't do well financially I never felt like even when my father thinking back now >> Shabas is always I used to go to the store with him he writes that in the book I used to go to the store with him >> and we were the richest people let's yeah let's get this let's get he made us feel so happy just and I didn't realize he was struggling financially or he was and there's no question the prices have risen dramatically since I'm a child and it's not easy for a lot of people but what you can do is if you if you were able to you know give a little more and give your child a feeling that shabas is so special I want to give you this extra thing I want to buy yeah no question he used to always tell me what do you mean it's going to come back double it's coming back double knew it and he felt it that got into to me as I got older and and you the child is recording everything and I recorded those thoughts. I recorded those those feelings that Shabas now I'm like now my wife tells me like I'm I I buy triple the amount and I'm I'm a little crazy but if you can really give that cover to Shabas and make your children feel like hey you want that kid no problem let's do it let's >> um we're in different areas of public life some call it show business I apologize for even using that term but but you know what the show is all about I know what the show is all about and someone said to Remember the real show is the Shabas table. That's where you get the opportunity to show your children what's important to interact with them in a beautiful way. I mean, you were talking about music and different Torah. What's more beautiful than that? And I would assume that if you're producing a book, a safer like this, that you get the feeling that your Shabas table has been that type of positive show. >> There's no question about it. I feel like it's it's the place of for your children. It's everything because we especially >> even fun and excitement >> even yeah especially today with the technology where we see how [laughter] busy you can be and how yeah you can do great things with technology but Shabas table is where you stop everything you look around the table you thank Hashem for a beautiful week you get you get to really spend time with your children and singing is is just you don't have to be the professional singers to to just sing a shabazmer around on the table with happiness and joy. And when will you get that happiness and joy? When you really know a little bit more of what we're doing. There was a great skit. I I think I say this in the book also. I think he put it in is that he [laughter] there was children. It really hit me this story. It was happened in my area a few years ago where uh four-year-olds are doing a mock table in their nursery, whatever it is, and they ask this little boy, four-year-old boy, whatever it is, to to uh do the kdish, like his father would. So, he takes the cup, he takes the fake, you know, little silver cup, and he sits down like his father, you know, and before he he looks at the cup, he's just looking around like his father does. And all of a sudden before she puts the cup down and he bangs on the table and he says, "Oh, I had a hard week this week. [laughter] Oh, was it difficult?" And and they all laughed like, "You're laughing." But then they told the father about it and he's like, "What?" He's like, he didn't even realize >> his son was recording everything >> and he was copying his father >> and he says, "You know what? I have to even right even if I'm doing it just as a >> now I realize that the shabas table >> is everything for the of the children they're recording everything >> you have to really and you can't fake it >> 100% we're speaking about shabas the music of shabas rabakovi rabbi >> doesn't say that on there >> it doesn't say that's me that's me in my addition um now there are people who release beer name and ziros etc and they don't include clude everything. Does you know there are some ziros and pismonium they're not as popular and may not uh and may not be included. As I said, you have everything in here. I'm trying to I looked at the table of contents. I was desperately trying to find what didn't you include especially you might be more familiar I said with the spartic custom and the Ashkanazic what can I get him on Jakob and nothing it's >> we tried we tried to do we tried to really include a lot um now it's 300 pages can I get there and and dissect and have more obscure so there's no question we can but I believe the foundational you know songs that that are connected to the shabas >> oh it's comprehensive >> yeah it's compreh comprehensive but has a lot. and has a lot is >> 100% and and again there are families that we'll sing kicadesh you know for generations in my family their families don't do they don't know what it is their families don't know what it is they go straight to the more jovial you know [laughter] parts of spirit >> even even that if you could connect to it meaning a lot a lot of things you're right I I also when I before I did this I I didn't know a lot I didn't put when Besser was putting back and forth with kuses doing this I said wow I can't believe like I didn't really like you go right into this and all this what exactly Aramaic words there's other parts ra >> I do a whole kurib the beautiful thing about this also is that we're going to have a music part of it >> which is coming out of mitzm a week is supposed to be a week after the book comes out every Thursday there's going to be medies of the average of 25 minutes each >> wow >> teaching you these songs with the greatest arrangers in all of Jewish music. I'm talking about Mona Rose, Moa Lafer, Israel Lamb, Ruvie Banet, >> the legends, >> the legends of even the today's Yoli Dickman and and Shia Kar and it is going to it's just an amazing [snorts] comprehensive because now you can listen during the week. >> Sure. >> You want to hear and a lot of these songs didn't have great recordings of >> you know we had Yakob Brown. I got to say thank you for bringing up all the I used to ask we me and Donnie Gross produced the music together and Donnie has been a it's the first time doing something with >> good man to work with >> great man to work with and it we put a lot of hours together and for us to delve in and we we were like I'm telling you smiling in the studio num like we never did music before. >> Now you've done medley's and I would imagine a lot goes into thinking what belongs in this medley etc. Is this are these medley's going to be Friday night, Shabas morning, etc. Or is it going to be something more? >> Yes, in the schedule we go on the schedule of Shabas. We're going to start Hashem with Arab Shabas arranged by Monoslum and it listen there's you can do medleys of 45 minutes but there is a limit to what we can >> I did the songs that hit me that that grew obviously the foundational songs the classic songs but the songs that also gives me nostalgia growing up. So we start off with Arab Shabas, we go to Friday night, we go to Cabala Shabas, we go to Oni Shabas, then we go to Shabas more. We go through the schedule and you're able to every week in Mitzm with the release of these medleys, right? >> We can't do it all at once because there's a lot a lot of stuff. And then in Metashm at the end, we're looking to put out a brand new Shabas album with all brand new Shabas songs >> composed by >> composed by some of today's greatest composers. >> Yassi Green, Yi Waldner. Yeah did some beautiful and oh it's just I I told him >> completely fresh we've never in memory of Shia Menlowitz he did a song up for him >> um I composed anious Kyle >> when did you start composing >> I don't know it just hit me >> but how many years ago like like you first wrote a song 20 years ago or five years ago >> I wrote years ago my own but then when I met Yetsy Waldner Mahavusa in music I said you know what I'd much rather write it together because if there's any falls yeah also you can improve it a lot more than I can. But in this case, I was in a studio in Israel and I was saying, you know what, my ishel, my wife, my my family, >> I want to do something special for this project. And it just came. It happens to be I was in a meeting about another Shaba song. And I said, you know what? Give me some chords. And I just felt >> a certain intuition. >> Nothing like being inspired like that. >> Yeah. And it just I gave it to Leakov. >> Oh, Leakov. Holy cow. Amazing. Um, so what's also interesting about the evolution of zamiros and what we do today is that there are a lot of zamiros that had zero and I'm sorry saying it like this zero popularity but a great nigun all of a sudden puts it at the forefront and I think the best example is I don't think people really knew and a lot of families never sang it till the buff decided they brought it back from Israel or from wherever it was that they were in yeshiva and all of a sudden you can't get through Friday night without class. So true. By the way, you make a great point. Sometimes in niggan, the song that that that brings out the words are, "Hey, now what? What does it mean now? What does it mean?" Now I'm singing it, so I want to know. >> Now I need the explanation. >> Now I need the explanation a little bit. >> I find that listen, by the way, there's the last and I think McGill the second to last talks about how did they remember all their learning without books back then? They did it through n through songs. So sometimes you need the songs to actually you know connect with but you're right these words I would never know who would know like >> and then of course again maybe overstating the obvious there are many of us unfortunately not familiar with like we should be and certainly not familiar with mats shabis the way we should be when you walk into a family into a home that takes muchab zir seriously you know you're in a special place >> that's True. [laughter] Do we right away run to our phones and say, "You know what? Shabas is over." And it's true. >> And by the way, you have a massive section for matzabas. >> Yeah. Yeah. I happen to love matzah shabas. There's so many different things that we did >> that just brought You're right. It's it's not leaving shabas behind. It's taking shabas and bringing it into the week and not letting go >> and having that that yearning that we want Shabas to last all week. And you even include putum that we may not I don't I don't even know when these put them are said frankly like at what point during shabas etc. So you really give us talk about comprehensive you give us everything here when it comes to shabas. >> It's important to know that if it's going to be I'll never forget we went to Shapiro had a trip to to Israel with my my rebi and a lot of people and we went to Shapiro and a friend of mine was going through a hard time and he asked the rabbi he said [music] could you give me some sort of blessing for this situation? I forget what it is. And he said, "The truth is the greatest blessing that you can give yourself is the makura is shabas. If you can seven minutes, so you think he told him seven to 10 minutes and if you really can't 12 to 15 minutes before shabas, well now it's in the winter, it's >> it's a bigger >> if you can give the covet to Shabas and and do it before." and he he actually took him seriously and within no time this whole episode that he had really you know turned around for him and he he blessed him. He said that because if you take Shabas seriously that will give you the blessing for all week. So you want to include every you want to try to include everything all the details of Shabas and how you know it's it's there's a great story in the introduction there. I don't know if you got to it >> where uh big bakan you know in saw Mosha Shapiro in Israel I mentioned his name so I remember this introduction Eisenberg my my kusa in the morning I quoted him in there he said he once saw Shapiro getting into a car he could never get him to talk to him said you know what I'm just going to grab his attention ra I deal with hundreds of children that grew up from They grew up religious but they I don't know what happened like why is it happening so much in our generation like he was he was really saying it from the depths of his heart he wasn't trying to complain he was trying to give a reason why these children are are going off the path and looked at him he was a very uh you know he said it with a lot of fervor and he says do their parents dance around the shabas table do they sing songs of shabas do they they give joy to Yiddish, do they? And he really said it also with a he said they don't. He says it says, it says in the Gammorra, if somebody wants to take something out from his friend, he's got to bring a proof why it's his. He said they have so many things they look up to in this generation that's that's taking their attention. If you want to be mighty them, if you want to take them out from where they are in that world, you got to have a good happiness and joy to you able to show them that something else really counts in life. So dance around the table, sing mirus, and you know it's the mak got the point that like I said before, you can't fake it. You have to really feel it. In order to feel it, you got to know it. And if you read it now and you really get into it, I believe I do believe that this book is something essential. Not because it's I really felt like it was a need for Kali Isel. It was something that people really and people want to connect. I see it through music. Wherever I go sing, I sing even the older songs when I did those were the days the other medley's everybody started doing which was beautiful. Everybody started doing older songs. I do believe that Khalisel really wants to connect and Shabas is the place where you >> Well, there's two things I'll say. Number one, you know who taught us that lesson more than anybody that CLA wants to connect? Those who were incarcerated by the enemy and who were as who were held as hostage. It's amazing to hear stories from people where Shabas was not a major part of their life and they'll admit that to you and what Shabas meant to them while they were in that situation, what it means to them now. So that was certainly a big example. >> I saw it myself when I went to Israel two week I was there for October 7th and my my rebi told me you can't just leave you got to go back to sing. Two weeks later, I went my wife. I went back. I got to know so many of the [music] families. >> And now with Ellie Sharabi, he wrote his own book, >> right? >> He I was with him in Mexico. I was singing there and he was speaking. I got to know his story in depth. I went out to eat with him also my son. I brought my son with me and amazing stories like you said like Shabas. Maybe we can let let's let's divvy up the portion a little more because it's Shabbat kesh. Let's what special people we have. And and a lot of them didn't even grow up with Shabas, but they realized, hey, what is our heritage about? Now we're stuck here. Now we're I think and it's amazing amazing the stories of detail. We cried a lot of tears obviously together. I gave him my talis. I did a kadesh song. He lost his family and I dedicated the the the talis. >> I think I saw the video of that. There was a video of it, right? >> Yeah. It was in a very Yeah, there's a video out there, but it's just an emotional and he he put on the talis he cried a lot >> and all the hostages names were the you know and all the people that passed away on the kadesh song but you're right the the foundation of Yiddish is there to make us happy and Hashem gave Shabas to us in order he knew the gullus he knew what's going to happen to Klis they must connect through a certain joy if You want to really live life. >> We knew it's a gift. We didn't realize it's this big of a gift. Shout. >> Correct. >> It's pretty amazing. >> I say there I walk into the cleaners the my guy for years. This guy Tony [laughter] I see pictures of of his family on the wall. I'm like Tony you have a beautiful family. He goes the truth is and I see like pictures they're cutting the turkey or whatever they're doing. And I'm like Tony this is your son. And I start and all of a sudden he starts to get emotional. He says you guys walk in here every Friday. He said, "By the way, this is a guy that does talim and titsus for free." >> Wow. >> Because he feels that he wants to give back to religion. Amazing guy, like a And I got to know him over the years. And he tells him, "You guys are so lucky. >> I don't get to see my family maybe once a year. They come with their phones and everybody's with their phones. >> Thanksgiving dinner, >> Thanksgiving, right? Well, the one time a year, twice a year, we don't even know what, >> right? >> And you guys every Friday walk in here to get your shirts or whatever it is." and tles him and you have such respect for family and you stop everything because he used to ask the rabbis all these questions they're very spiritual type of guy and I walked in there I walked out also crying said Hashem sometimes you need a to remind you you know how special how special it is that what you gave us I hope I can respect it enough I hope I can give cover to the greatest gift that you gave us and connect with it and leave a legacy for my children that they can, you know, have a Shabas table that's that's, you know, uh, bringing the covet that it's supposed to and also we don't we we can't forget that it's for us. >> He doesn't need it. He gave it to us for us, too. Of course, he has nas. And he u, you know, I feel like if we sit around the table, we connect that way through the joy. It's it would be something special for family and also, you know, for our legacies. >> Pretty amazing. Uh, it's uh, incredible. It's uh Jacob Schwek and Yro Besser together. The music of Shabas elevating our Shabiros with notes of inspiration. Includes the full Hebrew text of Ziros and Pismon with translation. Incredible job Barabesser with the stories and the insights and all the different things that Yakov uh pointed out. And every single Zemer you can imagine is in here. I'm I'm actually surprised that this type of safer has not been released from this building up until now. This is really revolution. >> I'm surprised. Hashem gave me a place where to the right time the right situation. There's always >> a place for a great idea. >> 100%. Indulge me for one more minute. Sure. Are you still traveling like crazy around the world? >> I feel like I'm living on a plane the last >> and more pre-COVID or more postcoid in terms of their travel. >> Postco I would say, you know, >> and that includes Mexico, Panama, >> Argentina, Brazil and the South America, South America. Yeah, it's amazing how. And I got to tell you, Argentina, this is a shout out to Argentina. I I haven't been there in a few years. I cannot believe the energy. The place was well, you know, concerts very well. >> The place as I'm coming out to sing was on fire from before I even got on stage standing and just every word I couldn't believe it. and the whole and I'm telling you, I I thought Mashiach was coming. I I was so moved. I was moved to tears. As I get older, I get even more emotional. I was moved to tears to see the effect of the music. You could put out a song today here and in Argentina the next day, they already know every word. >> It's unbelievable. >> And they're celebrating it. And and by the way, they connect the religion to music. That music is everything. It's not just in New York, you have so many things to do. It's it's >> their culture, their Jewish culture music, right? >> Uh and finally, the best story. I know it's putting you on the spot, but it's been two years of such a difficult situation in Israel. You had a lot of musical events and encounters. >> Give me one of them. Give me one that was just, you know, that brought out the emotion as you just described. I know you spent time with families, no doubt at Hostage Square, etc. But give me one. >> I got to know also Enav who lost her son. Um her favorite song is there's no such thing as evil from heaven and after her son died he got shot one of those six and was mating. It was amazing. A few days before we had a concert for the special children's center in deal. It was thousands of people. We brought her on stage to everybody should davvin that her son should make it. And then when he got shot a few days later, everybody there was there must have been like seven 8 thousand people I don't even know everybody I said there's no there's got to be a way he's coming out and and he didn't and I'll never forget you know speaking to her she says it's still my favorite song I still believe the the amount of amuna the amount she taught us enough the amount and then there is when we stop the first stop when we we went back two weeks later my wife and I as per my rash, Rabbi Diamond telling me, "You got to go sing for our people. You can't be here just learning. You You must You have a You got to go sing." And I said, "You know what, Rabbi? You're right." I stopped learning and I went and I the emotions we had was I remember the first trip from the airport. We landed, we danced with Hatella guys in the airport and where are we going? Okay, let's just go. We went to the apartment of the father that the um her his daughter was on the motorcycle. That fame picture. >> Sure. >> I said the Yeah. The truth is I don't know who they are. I'm just going to pop in there. >> You know what? Yeah. We'll bring a guitar. I come in there. I see a man pacing back and forth on the bottom floor and you feel awkward because you don't know how to and we go over to the guy and we tell him, "Hey, Mr. Argammani, you know, the truth is we're here for you. We want to sing with you. We and he like, "My wife, the truth is is very sick." And I'm not sure if this is the right time. Said, "Okay, we'll come back a different time. No problem. Just know that we're here for you." And then he just changes. He goes, "You know what? Five minutes. Five minutes." Said, "Okay, only if it's the right time. I don't want to." I literally thought we're going to be there five minutes. We go all the way to his apartment, bring out the guitar, we start singing and we're singing and all of a sudden I see tears singing five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, half hour. We just go hours. His wife wakes up. She comes out with in the wheelchair. She was very sick. I think we were there for three and a half, four hours or whatever. We don't even counting. Then we did MK and he cried to Khadesh. I'll never forget it. He gave me such a hug afterwards. He says, "I feel like I know you guys for 30 years." And I was like crying. We were all crying. He said a speech about his daughter, how he Thank God he was able when his daughter came, we all celebrated in my house. There was a mut shabas when we found out. And because I saw the pain on his in his eyes and the and I told my rush, "How did you know to send me back like that to see First of all, music you know this is just the language of the nishama that is able to mend all the differences. He can be a person I don't know if he kept I don't know what his situation was his wife is and we formed a bond >> just he felt like we knew each other for 30 years we cried together >> and it was an amazing amazing uh >> big yes to you for all of that and everything you continue to do. Mazaltov on the brand new the music of Shabas. >> You and Rabbi Besser always a pleasure. And how's the guitar going by the way? Are you doing well with the guitar or have you >> you'll read by the way you'll read in the first page of the book about the guitar >> and why adventure? >> No. And why why I connected with this guitar teacher because he became a Garrett Sedic and he got married. A whole story about in the book all in Chase Kaplan. >> But thank you Nakum. Your your voice should keep on ringing. Your voice still has that ring and >> and your voice will keep on ringing >> and for many years to bring people together and the am. It's beautiful to be here. Thanks so much. >> Thank you everybody. Thank you. Now [music] >> [music]