KOSHER HALFTIME SHOW 2026 | Nachum Segal Network | ft. Yaakov Shwekey

He is among the most soughtafter Jewish music superstars in the world. He is an international singing sensation who inspires and livens the Jewish spirit through energy and song. And we have him in conversation for Kosher Halftime Show 2026 presented by the Rothenberg Law Firm at injury lawyer.com. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Yakov Schweki. Yakov Schweki. Yakov, a pleasure to welcome you to this year's Kosher halftime show. >> What a pleasure. is it is for me as well. We know each other for so long and uh you're doing a stellar job, a professional great job um for so many years. So it's for me as well. >> Appreciate that very much. All right, let's get right into it. You know what's going on. There's a big game that this the whole country seems to be watching and I was wondering with this theme of uh of football and sports if sports ever worked its way into your life. Was sports at all important when you were growing up or as you're raising a family? >> Big time. I mean, sports is something um a big part of my family because I grew up really really playing a lot of basketball and some football as well and still till today. So, it's something that I believe is very very healthy outlet and something that my kids are really loving and it's a great way also for parents to spend time with children. Although we get a little competitive, you know, me and my son now on the tennis courts and then basketball and now we have pickle ball in my house. So we have a lot of different sports we touch on in my house. Uh my wife also came, she was a point guard when she was play. So we we have really sports is a big big part of my household and I believe that sports can play a tremendous role. Obviously when you get to you know watching sports there there are a lot of different elements that come with it. waste of time and this that but but as far as the sport itself is concerned playing the sport and also spending time in sports I I believe can be a great healthy outlet for children today. >> I'm really glad I asked the question. I even think that spectator sports as you alluded to there's positives and negatives. I think even those could be really nice bonding experiences if done the right way. So I'm glad I asked that question. >> Listen a lot of these places Nakum today are serving kosher food and there's minanim and everything. We were going to the uh I forget what game it was. We had a minion. We had kosher food. I'm like, "Wow, this is Seashas. I mean, where am I?" But uh yeah, there's definitely a lot to talk about there. >> We could spend a lot of time just talking about that topic, how things have changed in that direction. So, the two teams are from Seattle and New England. I'm wondering, have you played both areas? Have you? Because you've done concerts all around the world. Have you ever visited Seattle and have you ever visited the Boston area? >> Yes, I did actually. um it wasn't the in the last year or so in the last few years um Seattle has been um a stop maybe five year I don't remember how many years ago but Seattle has been a stop definitely I stopped in both places they're really passionate about their teams um although we're New York guys and we're like hey our team hasn't made it in a while we're kind of uh it's amazing how New York has probably some of the greatest fans but yet our teams for some season ownership gets in the way. I don't know what it is. The hard >> falling short, huh? We're falling short. >> Falling short. The coaching that this I don't know what it is, but for some reason, Hashem wants us to dive in harder. I don't know. Um [laughter] but but they're passionate and yeah, definitely made it there. And is uh it's it's really great to see passionate people out there. >> And I have to assume you've been to the New England area as well. >> Yes, for sure. I have I have good friends in my deal area that are big New England fans. Oh boy. How do you get along with them? >> I get along very well. When it comes to sports, we kind of uh you know, but listen, I I always tell them Robert Craft, who's a Jewish person, must have done something right because in order to have Super Bowl teams and then going and then and then Brady leaving and then having another that's uh you know, a lot of saddaka he gives and a lot of caring about Israel and a lot of commercials that we see, you know, that is is against anti-semitism. To me, it's a person that's trying to make a difference with his money, you know, in his own way. >> And it's something to be applauded. I mean, although I don't root for the team, but I root for a guy like that because he really wants to put money where it's making a difference in the world. And to me, and you know, it's it's an amazing thing to see. I do cheer I I do cheer him on for sure. >> I I said to someone, he's really the only valid excuse to root for New England today. [laughter] As simple as that. Jakob Schweki is with us. It's the Kosher halftime show. Of course, we're talking about the music of Shabas. Boy, oh boy. When this project started and you and I really had an opportunity to bond together and sit down together uh in regard to the music of Shabas, you and Rabbi Besser are of course responsible for it. Uh I don't know if you ever thought even with the way it was introduced that it would explode the way it has. Uh 11 incredible medleys. In fact, the last of the 11 was just released on Thursday. We'll play a piece of it a little later on. And uh every single week it seems that people all around the world are waiting with baited breath and great anticipation for the next segment to come out. What do you think as now all these weeks have gone by? >> I was telling Donnie Gross who I worked you know with the music on and and we are always you know touching base on how everything is going. I mean, we anticipated really, you know, making an explosion, but this explosion of the music of Shabas and people, the stories, nah, I could probably write a book with just the the the uh responses of many different pe. It's amazing to I I don't know if I ever thought this much because I've seen some stories now, Nakum, that really >> some of them made me cry, some of them made me laugh. Um and some of them just looking back at a tremendous hus and opportunity that I have that we have Donnie Gross Rebes our arts girl everybody that was involved a tremendous team that uh you know is involved in putting this together it is incredible to see the response and how many people I mean every day I wouldn't say that there's a day goes by that I don't get an incredible story of somebody that ch changes his life changes his shabas her shabas Almanus, people that are alone, people that are, you know, singing more, people that are growing more, people that are connecting more to Jewish music. It is incredible to to see and hear. I I don't know if I could ever imagine really the response that I've gotten to this project. >> Just incredible. And and the the best part of all of this and one of the reasons we're having this conversation is because it has spurred you on to thinking about how to take this even further. I mean, there may be some major announcements coming in the next couple of months where this project, which already has exploded, is only going to get bigger. It's called the music of Shabas, everybody. It's elevating our Shabas Miros with notes of inspiration. We can't recommend it highly enough. And if you're wondering what Yakov Schweki is focused on these days with all the world touring and with all the recording, this is one of his main focuses. The Kosher halftime show. One of the things we love to do is actually break big news and talk about potential uh projects that are coming down the pike and make a major announcement. And Yakov, you're cooperating with us on this and I appreciate it. We're not going to give out any specific dates because that's not always the easiest thing to do to set a deadline and then the the public hound you, you know, day after day, week after week. But what is the big announcement? What what is the plan going forward after this successful piece of the project? Okay, there's a couple things that I'm thinking about how to branch this further. One of the big announcements is is the fact that it's not only the medley's songs of yester year. It's songs that are being produced and brand new Shaba songs that are you know with the legendary composers Yasi Green and Yetsy Waldner and Barak has a song there Leonish Mashia Menlowitz which we recorded in his yeshiva mahar actually a video coming out on that song. So there's a lot of brand new songs in Mitashem that'll be coming out hopefully in the next few months. Um we can announce maybe soon a date. Um, you like you like like you said, not easy to get an exact date because there's so many arrangements, so many mixes, there's so many different details that go into it, but I I believe the public will be happy with some beautiful brand new Shabba songs that are to be released uh very soon. And then I'm thinking also about branching it further, which I can't announce now. Um, but uh I'm thinking about other ideas as well. >> You also told me that there's going to be some piece of all of this that will include some of the children in the community. you're actually going to certain schools and trying to include kids to get them inspired and have them lead the way when it comes to shabas. >> Yeah, it's incredible on the pis medley uh bringing just the the sparticas mag and David and then YDE and bringing two separate choirs. The kids were so excited to be a part of the project. I even told my my friend Si Bloom from Torah Masuri, you got to insert this at every school around the the world you know and singing. I saw the excitement and the YDE kids and Mag and David coming and being a part of the recording to me is an is such a beautiful thing to see how excited they were to be a part of it. And that's the way you include children and and connection. You talk about sports today. You talk about the connection of sports to be on a team to be a part of something to be a part of helping your friend out making sure that he's in the right spot. If somebody falls down, bring them up. There's so many different great characteristics that you can be a part of a choir, a part of a sports team that to me I would want my own child and I I even beg my own children guys come record with me because I know that later on they look back even my older son now looks back he was on I bench him every Friday he was a part of that song it's something that you can include children today and connect them to camaraderie connect them to team connect them and even if they don't have singing there's so different ways you could include kids in there. And I believe I truly believe that these projects, these Shabas projects, these these uh even the league team, the sports teams that the friend of mine does in Lakewood and all over is helping society and it's really connecting families together. And I do believe they need healthy kosher outlets with today especially it's not the way we grew up, >> right? Everybody's got, you know, phones and everybody's got technology and everybody's got so many different things to do. But if you can connect them to something healthy, to something that's that's family oriented, team oriented, friend oriented, music oriented, you can connect the child to something that gives them confidence, gives them the true love of of of loving life the way it's supposed to be. And Hashem wants us to be happy. So that's the uh that's the idea. >> You know, it's funny. We're talking about uh teams, etc. You want your children to be part of a really good >> and that's what you're describing. The choir, the sports team, uh whatever it's a learning project. Um we want everyone, we want the next generation to be involved with great FERA. >> I got to tell you, I'm thinking about it as you're talking. Leela, this project was Leila Nish, my parents who passed away recently. Um the one thing that my mom alash shalom really the one thing she did many things but the one thing that she really you know really convinced me and my brother to do is she always convinced us to take our talent and to go to choir. She used to drive us. I was a part of the the with beun a little bit. We did my own choir. He was my neighbor. We we we actually me and my brother but it wasn't even about it was just her taking us dropping us off rehearsals me and my brother talking about the harmonies you know it was such a healthy be and she believe she knew that that you know it's was important for us to to connect with ourselves connect with our talent and uh I got to tell you I I I see now the choirs now I see myself in these choirs that came to record now for the the Pismon medley I was like that was me the excitement. How does a studio work? How do we record? Today, obviously, it's a whole different gamut and it's a lot quicker. But, but it's so beautiful to see that they they are excited about it. And that was us, you know, me and my brother when we were younger, my brothers and sisters, we sang around the table. That was our outlet. That was a music outlet. That was our shabas. That was our joy, you know, to be a part of something like that. Well, Yakov Schweki, you've scored a lot of touchdowns, I'll tell you that much, to say the least, in our community worldwide. How it's now the beginning of February. How do the next few weeks look? Are you going to be sitting tight here in the US? Are you traveling around the world? >> Yes. So, I feel like I'm uh really living on a plane lately, the whole winter. I haven't been uh at home a lot. Um so, I'm I'm looking forward Well, I have to be in Israel again before uh before Pes for sure. Um, but I'm looking forward to spending a little bit time in the US. Uh, but uh we're we're planning we're planning some some some nice things, some big things and I've been traveling a lot. But I really see in I got to tell you, although I don't love the travel so much, but I love to meet the people just in Italy in in Argentina the place standing up thousands holding hands saying kadesh with me. It it is I got to tell you the the the when I go to these places, some of them very far out, but then I see the passion of the music and everybody today instantaneously when you put out a medley, all of a sudden all over the world they're they're commenting already. They're listening. It's amazing to see >> and uh and then I go perform in these places and they're they're really really into it and they it's a part of their religion music. So this is uh it's beautiful to see the passion around the world. Thank you so much for joining us today. Great way to spend halftime. Much appreciated. Continued all the success in the world. >> You as well. You're doing this for so many years. God bless you and uh tremendous to you as well. Thanks for having me. >> Update. Thank you. >> Take care. [music] Give I [music] do [music] so [singing] [music] [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Oh, [music] >> [music]