Yaakov Shwekey with R’ Gedaliah Zlotowitz –The Music of Shabbos

[music] Okay, Rev Gadalia, I got to say it's a tremendous Hus, tremendous for me to be synonymous and connected to Art Squirrel. As everybody knows what Artswell has done over the years uh over many years, your father starting it and all the stories in his book really really inspired me how he lit up his how he lit up the generation. He lit up the world. When I approached you about this Shabas project of song and also connected to Mirus, your face really lit up. This is already a few years ago. I approached you and I told you my dream of really bringing back so many that have been I feel a little bit lost in terms of homes not connecting to the yums and the and all the things that I've sang as a kid and I saw it a little bit dissipating at the table and what I took from it is also the memories that I have from my parents alam shalom I'm not sure how you grew up but just give us a little bit of first of all Why? Why did you light up when you heard about this project and art school? Right away, of course, we jumped in together to thank you. Well, my eyes lit up because we all know that every parent wants a shabas table where that's the time we connect with our children. So, we want a shabas table that there's a connection that children want to stay and through zamirus through singing is what connects people. My sister always told me she lives in Lakewood and she would always describe after sukas [snorts] after sukot >> how sitting in their suka and hearing thei family singing this mirus together >> and I'm as you came to me with this idea I'm thinking >> the whole neighborhood came >> right the whole neighborhood was listening >> they came into the suka >> they came into the suka it's unbelievable and the excitement to say that arts school should be able to team up with Jacob Schweki and to show parents that don't give up. You could connect. You're going to have a Shabas suda. Your kids are going to be there and you want them to stay. This is how they're going to stay. And these are the memories they're going to have. I I read a lot of the book already. And the way you describe your own Shabas table growing up, how the Zamirus connected you to your parents, to your siblings, that's what it's all about. you growing up yourself with your father starting Art Squirrel and the pressures of I'm sure of so many things. Art Scroll started off as a very small you know uh basically a losing proposition but he had such a passion. I'm reading his book about the fire. Did you grow up with the shabas being like everything stops and there's how did you in in personal in terms of mirus in terms of >> your connection? Can't say we had the greatest voices, [laughter] >> but you don't have to have the greatest. >> You don't have to. That's the point. >> You could sit and you're together and you're singing songs and you always have guests and it just elevates the table. Besides for the conversation and the duvet Torah and the questions we ask our children, you see that table becomes alive. We came out recently with one of our publications. It's called the weekly para and it was a way for people to pull out a book at the table with pictures and little questions. Did you know and children love to be involved >> do that book with my daughter >> right and they love to be evolved so another involvement is always zirz I'm in camp you know I'm still going to camp in the summer about camp next >> and I was just sitting this pier shabas and watching those teenagers who many of them are just you know they're they're maybe not as connected as we want them to be or they're not sitting and putting in 15 hours a day learning but you watch them at a shabas table, arm in arm, 50, 60, 70 of them singing your songs, singing the classics, and you see their nam as they're opening up. I'm telling you, I'm I'm I'm like tearing up in the studio with Donnie sometimes recording these songs because it's bringing also him back, Donnie, of Baracel Elo and how we you know, songs have a way. There's nothing that can bring back time, right? But you can close your eyes and sing a song and take your place back to where you were in camp like you said the zirus the the the you should know the channel of connection of I just went to Davin by theam and it's told it's told about him that he was ready to give half of his mahaba to know how to sing because if you read even the gili of what they felt about music you're right these kids they are connected they really are connected it on the outside they might not but when you sing a song that hits them and can you imagine they read a book and they know what why is this day we call him what what is and a story about it and then I think the says that if you sing a song and even the of this generation have said if you teach them what the words mean a little bit give a little bit of inspiration what's exactly are we saying what do you and he give them a little bit and they sing with that toen and they're able to connect to the ch they they really will uplift their whole week into a different week. >> Well, you probably see it with a lot of your songs when you know and you understand what the words mean. You yourself sing the song in a different way. The English songs for sure, >> you know, on the chat that we have, I'm not sure if you're on that chat. While I'm recording, Donnie Gross is taking out this mirrors and we have a bunch of different samples now from Arts Girl and what does this mean exact? I don't want to sing it unless I know what it means exactly and I start and then SW Besser gives us an insight of and I start recording. I'm thinking about it as I'm recording. You're right. It's a different >> sing differently. It's a different outcome when >> the feeling I told you the story with fascinating story that many many years ago people would go to Russia right at the beginning when the iron curtain was falling at the beginning and they would make summer camps for the Russian kids and someone called them and asked them can we play music during the three weeks and Abd said not only can you play music during the three weeks you could play music on tishab afternoon and dance with them because that's [snorts] what's going to open their hearts. And many years later, a lady came over to Rabbid in Flatbush and says, "Rabbe, I'm religious today because of you." Says, "I never met you before." She says, "I was one of those children in camp and they sang with us and they danced with us and that's what opened my heart, my nama to yushkite." Unbelievable. Unbelievable. There's a story that I saw that there was a kid in one of the Kabad schools in the early years also. He was like sneaking out of yeshiva and they weren't happy. And finally they pulled this kid over and said, "What are you doing on Wednesday nights, Thursday nights?" He goes, "The truth is I have to I have an outlet and I'm playing violin and I'm I'm I'm I went to Carnegie school, you know, one of the highest schools to teach me how to play violin." and they they got together asim and they said it's not acceptable. We're gonna have to throw this kid out. He's going to to to he's going to colleges or whatever it is to play a violin and this is not this is not the yeshiva way for us to pave the way for kids to do this type of outlet. And they got there and they said, you know, we have to call the rebba. We have to call them. They thought they're going to get the stamp of approval >> out. >> Get them out as quickly as possible. Many times when think about things a few times or they go the story with the kid there's many many times they think it's so vos to to kick a kid out understand that it's very complicated and they went to the rebi and the rebi heard the story says so so why do you want to kick this kid out well he goes plays violin he's musically inclined and that's not it's not what we want from the yeshiva oh really he says so do you want to kick a kid out because He's playing but yeah because he's going he's sneaking at night. He said, "Not only you shouldn't kick him out and keep him, you should pay all the training. You should go pay the yeshiva should pay that he should learn how to play violin." >> We both We both know Ellie Conn. >> I'm sure art school. >> One of the greatest keyboard players. >> Phenomenal. >> Phenomenal. A natural talent. >> David, his father saw when he was very young that he had a natural talent of music. Say yes. What should I do? Says you're obligated to buy a piano. >> Wow. >> To bring out that bring it out. >> Exactly what you're saying. >> Can you imagine this generation today how we want to connect the kids with all the technology with everything they have, the phones, the social media, the this. Can you imagine you can bring more rrookas through the zirus and through the music how important it is? I was talking to Hillel about it. I was asking him about general what does he thinks about social med because us I have it somebody else takes care of it for me. Should I just shut it down? I'm not interested in it so much. He said no no no on the contrary understand that today's generation is just further away from and the tumor that comes with it. Can you imagine you could give them some purity with it >> to pull them in? Can you imagine you could pulling them in they're scrolling and they see a video from art scroll or they hear a zmer from and and they start >> and that that is that is the dak that is >> which children have the most pure nishamus the special needs children what gets them excited music >> so true >> see you on stage and the kids come up and they're dancing we were together in the center the special children's center when you walk in they just want to hear more and more that's what connects them >> bursting >> and then pure which means the nama wants wants music >> shabas is a time that a father a mother finally turning off all their phones they're not connected to the outside world the kids you have them and they're itching to get away from the table if we make it and we sing it will change the shabas table you'll have different children. >> No question about it. No question about it. >> And that's what this project does. It's incredible. >> Incredible. The stories, the the the book is not just a parish on the Mirus. It's reflections of because I believe sometimes the parish is sometimes poetic and deep and people can't if they can hear a story or they hear an inspiration of today of how people became like you said there's a woman that's sitting with me in Israel and Tavaria and and she just not I didn't even notice her till we started singing and many years later she shows up with her son wearing fill in and it's wow because I I remember that Friday night I think I was with the center that with the special children's center we were had a huge table outside by the water and we just started to sing and hours and hour we don't you don't look at the clock when you're singing and you're in the zone of music >> h luge track >> and as the as the sing going it's it's I see her just sitting I said please come >> come come join us okay she wanted to just sit there no I'm just taking it in and later on many years later I only knew the story that she came from not religious home and she was sitting there just taking it in and basking in the glory of of that's what Shabas is right >> that is >> you know what the the book is more and the whole project is more than just mirrors it's elevating the entire Shabas experience there's one part in there you write in your reflections how your father wasn't a rich man >> and you know there were things you wanted you know he had ups and downs and there things you it sometimes and it was like you know he was careful he was he was you know the older generation was more careful as they should be >> and when it came to shabas to buy anything for shabas whatever you want he says when it comes to shabas we're rich people it hit home with me means the book is not only going to be about singing at the shabas table you're going to read the stories we're going to read your reflections and it's going to change what shabas means the whole essence of Shabas. We're going to go into Shabas different people because of it. It was amazing. It bring back memories. I remember that. And it took me at the time I thought it was a normal thing. And I went to other friends and I told him, "By the way, you guys, yeah, okay, we have, but we" I'm like, I don't I don't get it. Why isn't the >> Then I thought about it years later. I'm like, the truth is he really took Shaba seriously. It it says that first of all, you're gonna get it all back and then some double. And he really really went and it made him happy to know that Shabas is a time to just go above reality and just and the singing is singing is is the connection between the physical and the spiritual. That's >> what would be your advice for parents to create that atmosphere at the Shabas table that the children want to be there. They want to be part of it. Listen, everybody a lot of times mentions like we're not great singers. We didn't have great voices and it's not and the truth is the Shabas table is not a time to it's not a performance. Although my brothers and sisters love to do harmonies and and I we did we had a musical family so everybody did a different harmony and my sisters used to ask my father at least for one meal sometimes not to invite guests so they to sing. >> It's great. So, you know, they took it they really really took it seriously and it made us happy. But at the same time, I feel like sometimes I go to strangers families and there was a great there was a great skit that they did in my my daughter's little playgr. They said, "We're going to make a shabas table and each one is going to the kid is going to go do what you know their family does." So, they picked a little boy to do the to do the kittish. So they give him the kdish, they give him a little skit, they give him this fake kittish cup. And he's sitting there in the play group and he goes to the table and he sits down in the chair. And he goes, "Ah, I had a very, very long week. [laughter] I'm tired. >> That's great. >> I got to go to bed." And they realized he's mimicking his father. I believe if parents would know that the greatest the greatest legacy they'll have with their children is if they themselves are the example of getting into Zamirus and understanding that that's the memories. I'm telling you even we had hours and hours of music but I take those memories and I try to apply it to my own home. Even many times they say oh you you you sing for a living so you probably don't sing a lot on chabas right? I'm like I'm not >> one of not. Yeah. One of >> when you get into the zone of not it's not a performance. It's getting a connection. >> We're connecting with each other. >> Connecting with each other. You don't realize it till you do it over. I I would tell parents >> to really take a few songs that connect with you. Teach them to your children. Show them a little commentary. It doesn't have to be so much a story behind the song. the book the the the how it can really really elevate our home. I believe the home will be different. I do believe that eventually eventually the children will grow up and just like this kid sat down and really and by the way they called the father and like you know by the way he was very scared the father like he he right away changed his whole approach to his and realized that his actions are the ones that his child's going to follow. not his words, not the preaching. So I believe that the actions of course and the songs and just sing. Sometimes when you sing a song, you don't have to say much. You just sit. Sometimes you go to Reb's t they don't they don't say much. The Reb is just singing. Yeah. And here and there you'll give a little and they'll feel a certain serenity and a certain love and harmony in the air that they'll want to do for their own families. >> Right. But it's like you say, you can't sit and translate every word of this mirror. It's hard, but there are so many beautiful lines. Even if every once in a while, just translate one line and talk about it. Correct? >> And it will change the way they sing that line and they're going to get more into it, more hearts, and then another week pick another line and another line. There's so many phrases. >> You can't inundate with soas. Stop. Stop. If I guard the shabas, the shabas is going to guard me. And beautiful. >> Okay. What way? What does that mean? How, what is it? >> And those things I believe one line like that you can see how Shabas guards you or you can tell a story of what that means. It will be a different I I believe it can be a gamecher and it could be a tremendous force of also in the world to to really to really hit home with the child to to want you know the child themselves have to want to I say with my own sons also my own daughters you're going to have to eventually want it yourself. You're not going to mimic me. I told my son, don't don't be don't >> force it, >> right? Don't force it and don't it's great. You want to do things I do things that my father did the songs a lot of it by the way in the music here is the songs that I gravitated to and the songs that I sang that I connected with there's a spartic medley that that is lamb is arranging it's all it's by the way the greatest arrangers of all time are involved in this this grand project because I wanted to do it right I wanted to bring out the real music >> of what I know you a long time I've never seen you work so You're so passionate about this because you understand that what we're doing here is historic. It's going to elevate Shabas tables. >> It's going to save Nishamus. It's going to open up Nishamus. The hearts are going to be open for so much. And once the hearts are open, everything is endless. It's endless. Thank you so much. >> Look back and just be >> so happy. It's an honor for us. >> It's an honor. It's Thank you. Love you, too. and we should see uh the ultimate song. >> Amen. >> Amen. Thanks so much. [music]