Yaakov Shwekey, Yisroel Besser and Doni Gross – The Music of Shabbos

[music] Welcome to Inside Arts Scroll, where the books that we read and the people that write them come to life. Today, we have a special treat for everybody because in the corner of Arts Scroll Studios, the talent meter is buzzing out of control. We have three of Clus's most talented people and they've come here for a monumental revolutionary program. I'd like to introduce them one at a time. Number one, Risha, the voice of Cla on some level, the musical voice, the nish of Israel, Jakobwi. >> It's a lot of with that uh [laughter] the whole uh Thank you. Thank you. It's great to be here. Great to be here. I don't think there's a musical album or a song that comes out these days that doesn't have Donnie Gross's fingerprints on it. So, shalom, Donnie Gross. Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. >> Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. >> And now I know that is wondering what I'm going to say about him. >> Shaking the pen of Kalisl I think on some level. So many great and books and so much commentary and insight. It's to welcome Israel. Thank you for being here. >> Thank you for letting me be part of this. It's intimidating. We're we're all here for a project that's I'm going to change KLR one chabas table at a time. Yakov bring us into the idea the concept that brought the three of you together and what what we should get excited about. >> There's so much to say. Um, Zmeiri is something that uh I feel strongly passionately feel that it's does so many makes us feel a different way about Yiddishkite. Uh, growing up and having my home buzzed with music, I felt first of all was a normal like every home was like this. And then I started going away a little bit and I started realizing that the more we sang, the more we felt shabas, the more we loved each other, the more we had this sibling. It was just a a a constant uh love affair with Shabas. Meaning we didn't we didn't really know sometimes we don't know the depth of Shabas. We don't read not everybody reads you know Rabb Besser's you know deep insights on every shayim and what it means and how shaya orit and roia and different you know it's great to read about it and it's great to learn and it's important to learn but a lot of us growing up we didn't read so much about shabas there's no and what's what was my introduction to loving chabas were just sitting there and just connecting to the channel of music through the zirus that my father and my father All of a Shalom sang every type of song and it's it's going to be the music of Shabas is going to be different types of songs different all the songs that of course there's mirrors that we all know and there's mirrors that I gravitated to but different shalom different it's amazing one of the stories I think that uh is in here is that when shamikum a new one came out so I brought it to my father I brought it to to the house and I thought you what I want to do something new instead of doing which I like as by the way I still do that today but as a youngster hearing Brazil album of I think it was >> Reggesh >> and people started singing in I told my father you know Abba I know that's not the the zemer you did in Egypt you know when you were born in Cairo but I'm feeling it now I'm feeling it let's goes okay you know what teach Let's let's and my brothers would sing it because our brothers knew it. And we did that song. To me, I didn't realize. Now I'm I look back and I realize the the greatest that I had and the memories that I have taking from my home, my personal home, and giving it to my own children is the way we sang, what we sang, how we sang. The whole neighborhood coming up talked about it. His sister lived near usal. A lot of us, we all came sukus. We sat around. Those are the memories, not so much the deep preach of the of the Dvar Turra. That was I'm sure was great. My father had great insights and he what did I take away? I want to know people say what what do I take away from what do I take away from this? How do I apply it to my own? I believe this is a monumental project that really needed to be done and especially in our generation where we there's a lot of dryness. There's a lot of there's a lot of things that could take away the attention, a lot of social media and a lot of different channels where we know where we want our children to be. And sometimes we can't I can't tell my kid that. But if I sing a song and he feels the song that I'm singing and he he knows my makova because it's it's in the energy of the song and I know a little bit of what it is. It's the greatest for my child and it's the memories that he's going to want to give to his own children. That's how important this project is. That's just one explanation. Israel, bring us into some of the details of a how it evolved and just like what people can expect to see and feel. >> I I think maybe what makes this unique is it's very easy to put information on a page, words on a page and like Yakov said, all kinds of beautiful ideas and insights and it's it's term. It's what sustains us. There's a intangible maybe a third dimension should have to s for both his parents in the span of a year went to be and we speak often enough that I realized he was like anybody in that situation affected by it and and he was looking you know for a little bit of a way to to do something and I started to realize like he just said I said don't take for granted what you had he was telling me about his sha table and I know a a little bit about what that's like, but I had have a father who also put a lot into Shabas's table. Well, I don't know that everybody experiences it the same way. He he spoke about that. And another thing in the the story, I'm so happy you mentioned that story because I found it humbling. Not long last summer, we we were already working on this and one of my kids came home from camp, my daughter, she's like, "Oh, I learned the new song and thing." and she starts singing me some dopey lyrics that I'm like a lyrics snob and like arriving like globe and soul or what what what and I was like just sing it with her cuz she wants to sing the song and like I I had been at that point like she's singing she's associating this with a great Javis and Kemp if you're going to say like no that's we're not we're not singing we're singing this then then what right so so we sang it and and it was nice and again with this project I myself. I'm not embarrassed to admit as a father in my shabas table evolved. So I I think the I think what's the novelty of this project is um you know we'll we'll get to Donnie the the Donnie and Jacob I think was waiting for the [laughter] you know they say of all would have meant would have come I mean serious it's it's I'm I'm a fan of Donny's well before we had any kind of professional engagement I sent him an actual fan email once we I didn't didn't know I was I just sent I said you're unbelievable what you're doing is unbelievable for musical and and to hear the the is a hard worker and Donnie makes people work even harder. So it's like like a like a the sound is phenomenal. So I would only hope that the what's what's in the safer does justice. There's a lot of Yakob stories, Yakob's experiences, you know, especially post October 7th. You go around the world and you encounter nishmas in whatever form that nishes people sometimes, like you mentioned, dryness, people who grew up in yeshiva homes and they don't feel it. And then there's secular Jews who never got it and they they cure somebody making kesh once and they're like, I want that. What is that? What is that? Anybody who's engaged in cure of any sort. So you can certainly write a book about what happened to when people saw their first Shabba's table and they just I want that lifestyle. I want that feeling around the table. What you know? So we we try in this book very hard to to give over that that that warmth that just that's relatable to any kind whatever your family is and whatever your situation is that is something you can create. You don't need to have I don't want to get into the meatboard tequila culture at least not this early in the conversation but um you don't need that you know whatever you have to make shabas enjoyable and pleasant and and nice but you do need this this is the x factor of shabas it's it's the heart it's the togetherness and and music is the great unifier >> that's the glyph and this is the nishama um so so basically just to bring things together there is such a song [laughter] true so so so that so just to bring things together the two of you collaborate and you wrote gorgeous smears with personal experiences >> but he's taking the mirrors that you know already see again that you know the the make America great again doctrine or really to take in kadusha to whom you're so close had this phrase of right I can't say it the right way please say it and he woke up um that he said we have we have a that goes back to and and you're kind of feeling downtrodden now remember who you are and he he did it in a tremendous way. That's this is a retaliation. This is make noise great again. That means it's we're not there's not there are you know people like this are innovators. So there's a lot of new sounds and new ideas and even new songs but the bulk of it songs that you already know and and even if you think you don't know them you know of course I know this right they just they do it their interpretation is new and their translation is new but but the substance of the song is not new. It's just the way they present it. And when you read Yakov's take and Yakov's reflections, Yakov music of each of these songs and then you hear him sing it, it comes together. >> So Donnie, I'm assuming that you were very very heavily involved in the musical accompaniment that comes with it with this beautiful smeirus means people are not just buying a book. They're also they also have access to hearing Yakov sing those mirrors with all of that knowledge in his nama. >> Yeah, I think that's that is one element of this project which is unique. And there's a lot of elements, but one is that there's been many albums that have come out, even Chavez albums, not on this scale. Um, and there's been many books that have come out on Shabas, but that when you have, you know, the audio and the music element together with the book and even usually sends emails like Fridays Ara Shabas, he writes a little piece, sends an email, and just, you know, reading it and it really like it's so rel I'm not a big reader, but just the stuff is it's so relatable. So even I'm working on the music and then you hear it. I'm like wow. It's like a whole together. It gets it to a whole new level. It's not just music. It's not just a book. It's it's like a it's a new I say product, but it's a new item. It's a new histo way of connecting people to Shabas, connecting people back to themselves, which I think is really shines through this project. So like Friday you play the music in your mishbra and then Friday night you sit down with this maybe you you hop around a little mirror like how do you >> I have I have a friend who's actually one of the main sponsors in this project and he tells me it can't come out soon enough and because he knows a little bit the background of what's happening and how it's he's on the chat and this says yeah I want to sit down on Friday and I want to prepare for Shabas in my mental state but I want to prepare it in a way that takes take the songs that I grew up with, which I can't play now because it's on some recording on a cassette that's stuck in the garage under the shoe box >> with the stuff, right? I have to get the pencil to get it back in. >> So, I can't even get it out. So, the songs that I really wanted with today's recording and today's and Donnie is doing a phenomenal job in also telling me do this softer, do this this way, do this that way. Donnie has a tremendous talent and and knowing how to take these arrangers. You have to understand we're using really the greatest arrangers of all time. I believe Mona Rooseveler, Suki Berry, uh Israel Lamb and you have so many others and that are in the younger guys of today but really upping their game in terms of medley's are like a painting and it's a matter of coloring the right the right you know song into song and the keys and the way to it's it's an art. It's a it's really really an art. I've done medleys before and now we're doing it with Donnie and this shabas and 25 minute medley's you're talking about you know Donnie has to go there and then Yago you know every time I got to edit this medley I got to eat a whole shall and it's a whole >> yeah it's an in item here so it's it's pieces like really really big pieces that was really never done before and to me it's Go ahead. Yeah, it's it's another element the we're doing I don't know the number of songs at this point. It's a lot. I think it's over 100 or not in that vicinity. talking about 11 medley's 10 plus asphardic you know medley and it's plus some >> forced him to do a spartic [laughter] >> he's gonna be the most >> I told dopartic medley but we're we're getting you throw a lamb's aranger I wanted to appeal to I don't want this to be something that the enjoying that I want it to be I want >> don't go too heavy on now >> I wanted to bring it to shovel the whole >> I was wondering which derori you would have I was hoping that >> we have a few right we have >> we have a few but these melodies again when you have a lot of songs it takes a lot of time this song. Usually an album comes out, there's 10 songs. Yeah, it's it's long, but we're talking about a lot a lot of songs and I really want again we're dealing with great songs. We know they're already most of them, you know, all the songs are proven already hits and we're dealing with Yakov doesn't. And uh we so say, okay, let's let's, you know, let's do it. Let's every single song we did here, we sang before. Before means before we sent to production, let's make sure the keys right. Let's make sure the tempo's right. Let's make sure each song is hitting the spot on the highest level. that when people listen it's really not just like okay we're doing 100 songs so 50 hit the spot and 50 are just like oh I like that it'll be good no every song has to and if it's not sometimes we listen back no I mean even after we do we're like no let's do it a little faster let's raise the key let's lower the key in the studio even after we do all that work because we we're taking this very seriously we know that this is a it's not just another album it's just another project it's a it's a mission >> it's a cli soul project this is this this bigger than than the music industry it's bigger than than books it's big it's bigger than everything this is something that's that's I I think hasn't been done, you know, and but we we're taking it seriously. We understand the crisis of it and we're treating it with so and instead of just, you know, rushing through we we spend time songs, we'll record a song and we'll say, you know, let's redo that high part. It's not good enough. Let's switch the key. Let's switch the tempo even after we already picked everything because we're taking it very seriously. one really each song to really do what it has to do to do its mission to his purpose to connect with the people should be able to relate to it to connect with it and then you know should be a big >> I just want to add one thing >> sure yeah >> a number of years ago Yakov came out with an album those were the days >> and he had a Rothenberg medley and A Rothenberg with or without that would still be a legend and he's kus's national treasure um after ai happened you know we'll have for a lot of years go on I couldn't get my kids to listen debut because there were journeys it was just it was like tat's music you know like at we drive Montreal to New York eight hours a lot numerous times a year so I I had the chance to force them to listen I couldn't get them to do it then he came out there was days and they think the magio's card or whatever I'm like you know what that is they're like yeah [laughter] I was like yeah okay but and this is and all of a sudden there he opened up because we found a that it's it's it's tasty or interesting or has a flavor that resonates with them. Yakov and Donnie both are proven gave him to get into the hearts of 2025. So what for the person who's sitting there singing singing Kakadesh and his kid is already wandering away and ready but now that Jakob sang it with Donny's imprint. So it's going to the kids going to be singing Kakadesh himself. So now the work is already done for you. Just don't don't blow it. Just don't mess it up. Don't make it unpleasant. So that's I'm hoping that the safer will do for you that when your kid is actually sitting there think and he says to you what what's why not you'll know what to say. As you know, the reason why I did the the medley's and named it after the the uh original singers or the original composers is because I was walking with my son from Shul and years ago and he's he was like 14 at the time or something like that and he's a good voice. He can sing like a you know what sing let's sing our way back to the house. Let's sing in the street, you know, long branch. You're there. It's quiet. Sing. So he says, I said, you know, let's sing a duvus song. Ah, and who's that? I thought of goes, you know what? Let's do Kbahak. Let's do Mosi. And he's looking at me, who's Kalbah? I'm like, you know what? Let's do uh uh journeys. I don't know. Let's do what else do I have on? >> Time to take a child. >> Let's do some English song that I What's that? >> I start to get afraid son. It's not some guy. >> I thought No, I just He's He happens to know how to sing. He's musical. Comes from the wife's side. But he and he >> and he's looking at me with this blank stairs. And I'm thinking to myself, yo, hey, what? >> Yeah. >> What's going to be here? What is going to be that night? I sat with my wife. I'm like, I I got to do something about this. That's when those are the days came and she happens to be I was looking for a name for a long time for this this thing. But but I wanted to also give credit to to AB and to to MBD and to to and all them to understand that there were great people in our industry. Let's give also other people credit and let's understand that each one has their own song to sing. And I feel it's important in the in the world to teach them that they all have a song. Yeah. You're not going to be some of you are not going to be the singers on stage. You're going to be the, you know, the the the the guitarists or the the keyboardist or you're not going to have anything to do with music where you're going to be singing your own song. And music talks to everyone. And it's a matter of just you know understanding that we have such beautiful songs over the years from Jewish music from from A from Vegas from from >> all you have years old. >> Yeah that is one thing but Jacob also he's like he's a little like no one knows what he's so there's all sorts of flavors. >> I'm assuming you have everything. Did you do that? >> Yeah. Okay. [laughter] >> You're talking about a song that's hundreds of years old. >> By the way, this I don't know if there's a song out there that that is on recording and recording Camino was recorded on someone's tape recorder. We have someone by the name of Yako Brown. >> We got to give him credit. >> We got [applause] who had every I could like we could be in the studio and we're like recording a song. Yako sent me a few different versions of this and he sent 14 versions of this song. Do you want a more like this more slow? More fast? Jewish music. You came up with the term the curator. >> I didn't bark leaves. >> You just whatever song you're looking for. You have like a fragment in your head that you once heard in your 80s and in the mud to steel and flatbush. Boom. You got it all the way across the board. >> The collection of evidence all at his fingertips and he's been he has it all organized. So we could be in a song like is this how it goes? Is this I remember like this like that. I'm like oh because originally do oh schlim himself recorded it four times and he sings it four different ways. meaning that we see he goes in 19 to 58 he sang it like this in ' 67 he sang it at a concert like this in 72 like this yeah I guess you could pick you know and then he dropped the third part you see in the 80s he's not singing it anymore I'm saying so we we were into that we should try to be true to you know the songs we're not the idea is we're not looking to reinvent the wheel there at the end of the day like [clears throat] you know sort of going on what Yaka said Khal is based on we come from somewhere we didn't start today and we're taking songs that are classics obviously we have a some a new section also songs but put you know putting that aside that's not The bulk of the project is the oldies taking songs that people love every every single type. So there's some stuff that I get excited like the songs I remember singing in camp camp Rome camp as a kid like Mu like the classic even was jumping out of his chair the other day. >> I was going last week singing >> I was wondering if that made it. >> Yeah. By the way song >> and by the way I'm also >> he's ordering [laughter] kids. It is nine parts. Right. We we all did it, right? >> We did. I mean, this is this is what we grew up on. Of course, even in Yeshiva, we did that. >> You left outside today until after the album. Yeah. But right now, we grew up on the thing, but like that. >> By the way, I love it. We did the other one also. We we hit we those even the songs we don't do, we we went through to them, meaning maybe some of them either weren't as well known or just it really didn't, you know, I I also want the songs to resonate with Yako. But then he sing it, he has to feel it. But there were songs like listen, this is a song for Kos and we'll do it. Like there was it's not like his own a new album that like every it's like >> the first example he used he said he's singing every [laughter] and then I heard him sing I was like okay now I know he want >> yeah you know the funny thing is he's like listen they don't really sing in shim club but I love him I'm going to sing put on that week we recorded that shabas I was in shul and they sang it back was like >> okay that's a gutsy move >> it was a really gutsy move and it was like it was just look like a shaman like showing like you know >> Waldo was buying me for shabas the shabas because it was a reb deal. So he came he go to the rubbish tish but then come to eat. He came and he and was I told him he goes give me something of the shabas that I you know that maybe I wouldn't know. So I did he's like what that's a song from another song but you took it and you apply. I said yes. [laughter] I says that's a kidoo. You want a kidoo? And besides the fact that we're going to have almost 10 brand new songs, we have a new from Greenashta. We have from Chait. >> It's a brand new section of brand new songs. Just to throw that in there as an extra [laughter] >> which which is fantastic. But I'm I'm like you by the way. Classic Sha on Friday night. Yeah. Yeah, but every once in a while when all my kids are together, somehow Hashem is like, "You got to do >> it. It's got we got to we got to galvanize the mishbah before we even make and that just brings everyone together." >> Yes. No question about it. And I think what's really said before about those are the days. I felt that and AB I think I met him at a house concert behind the stage and I was telling him, you know, what I was doing. You don't realize it till it comes out. So many of these kids know the songs because you recorded it right because you gave them a presentation that they can eat. >> Yeah. >> You know, you gave them something of today that they're quality and and today's sound and this that they're able to Hey, you know what? It is a beautiful song and now go back to the original. I told them I always tell them go back to the original. >> You see AB goes to camp this summer, right? He goes on the kids know the lyrics. >> Yeah, they know that. But for sure this contributed to making measure of a son. >> This kid, the Sparta kid, sends me a a a his grandfather sends me a uh a recording of him singing. He might even record in Donnie studio. Who knows? He's he's singing Joe Deaggio's Card. I'm in somewhere on vacation. I think I was somewhere out of the country >> and I'm on a Friday. I open up this voice and I start to cry. My wife said, "Why are you crying?" I don't know. I hear this pure angelic voice of a Sparta kid that maybe would never know the song and he's singing Joe Deaggio's cart with card with his whole heart. It moved me and I called him out. I said, "Thank you so much for sharing. You made my chabas because you hear the younger generation and you hear them picking up the songs that you really want them to maybe they would never know it. >> Forget that they wouldn't know who I would know who George Majio is. [laughter] That also drove >> Tati who's Joe Deio was told [laughter] >> I I watched the I saw a clip um I think you should all sent me a clip of you recording and you're you're just you're you're in such a different world and I want to ask you a question like I am I was moved to tear watch tears watching you just recording so much herish what what was going through your mind as you were recording a that's a really beautiful song what what were you thinking >> it's amazing Donnie also said you're going to have to learn some new songs that you don't sing >> I thought I another benefit besides applause was getting you're going to learn good song >> and that song and and a few others have just moved me when you start to sing the words and you start understanding what what it it's just the melodious >> I show yakob when he's singing he stands there with the ber he's very what am I singing what do the words mean to ask him on the chat ask I can see like you were mamish you had like this was kavana it wasn't just like a guy who's practicing no one was there it was just you bunch >> not to get too cabbalistic But >> I always tell the kids that the energy of the singer singing the song and today with all the Israeli stuff and everything they're playing and I said it's nice, it's great, this that but when you have a cavana and you sing a song that really means something not stam you know uh you know I love him she loves it's it's it's it's not when it's in the song the cavana of the song especially the words that We're seeing the kesh all or these anything and you really concentrating the energy of your nishama and your kavon is in there and it will come out to whether they know it or not >> when they listen to it subconsciously you'll be able to if we can have a little kavana and understanding what the words mean and really having that I believe it's it's important while you're recording because it does go into the nishambas of cli that way >> I got to say something he's never going to say this you know people say over that is known as a tadic primarily because his gyus was hidden by his reading. Look at the how the fluency and the mastery that it takes to do that but everyone knows he's a tadic. So yes he was a tadic they don't realize right he he sings so well this guy that he's on stage and then you hear his thoughts and you say talk more on stage right but when he's people want him to sing because he's singing right and Mr. Shreki is from the great heroes of this project and from a lot of other good things he does. Oh, he says Yakov has so much to say. Yakov has so much to say. Um, how many years are we talking? We going to do a book together for years. every time we meet but what but when cuz his his first all his his stories that just from being an ambassador for Zong and traveling through the world and and again it's the thing he won't say but the amount of time he gives to to children who either just want to be listened to or you know children who listen to him in a way that they won't listen to him because because of who he is he spends a lot of time in conversation with with you know with people who aren't having it that easy spiritually they don't have that natural right so you know so much of This was inside of him already. So you say what's his kavana? All that is also when he's singing that he's already there's so much inside already. It didn't just happen now. That means he's really got a lot a lot to say. He's very very uh a lot of depth. Listen had a very good rebain that they they put an emphasis originally. He composed tat he's the composer the original composer. He composed over 500 songs. Luckily, Hashem put me and him together because I was looking for a yeshiva. Um, and I was also one of these kids that was trying to find my way like so many other kids today. Trying to find what my song is. Where is it? And I sat down. I'll never forget with the fah. I actually just thanked him. I did the dinner for his the yeshiva 50 years. And I thanked him for connecting me in the right way to understanding the song within me but also understanding how important music and ziras are and the yeshiva and I gravitated to it. He made us he made us do a yeshiva band mat shabas. We sat we practiced he goes go practice go do it go musical instrument. I was telling Gadalia the story about this baba this this kid that was playing violin. and he was in Kabad school and he went to Carnegie school to to to learn violin and they asked the reb they wanted to kick him out of yeshiva and they thought they're going to have the stamp and approval of the Reb. So they called the Reb and the the Reb said kick him out of yeshiva. He said not only you don't kick him out of yeshiva [clears throat] pay the lesson of the violin take the budget out of yeshiva and pay for that lesson. You don't understand how important it is to find your song. This kid is finding his song with the violin and you want to take that away from him. So I was I was so connected to the yeshiva and he used to take the microphone sing his compositions he would compose he still does every yam a few new songs and teach it to us and we would sing it during the beautiful I cried like I never cried before yam now when we sing it we're happy yam we're we're dancing over there we would cry and he was he just taught me that music is so important in the religion it's it's It's it's everything in the bim label. It's everything because shows that you're in it. What? Hashem gave the gift of music for what? To just jump up and down in a concert and say that the band was great and this that. No. If people come out of a concert saying that I'm more connected, more I feel more alive. I feel like I want as opposed to they ask me a class comes to me. Rebby brings a class every year to to my house to ask me questions and answers about music and about general life and I like to talk to these kids. So they sit around my dining room table and I say go. >> So nice >> and and I enjoy it too. I enjoy it and it's it's they're doing me a favor and I tell and I I ask the kids and a lot of them ask me like what's wrong with Gisha Music? What's wrong with it? What would you say is wrong with it? The streaming everything is streaming today. So my same membership that I pay for uh you know whatever it is I'm just what's wrong with just said you have to understand the the connection of your nishama to you don't understand it at that age and I didn't either till I when I got into music I didn't realize the the responsibility of course and also the the effect the strong effect it has on people's whole way of thinking and of whole way of living and whole way of connecting in the adus I didn't really till I heard stories started to hear tearful amazed this guy went to your concert and he heard this and you said this and I'm like really wow was and you sing and you start to go and and I I believe everything was a preparation for such a project because my rashiva you know knowing the music and then I went to to to to another yeshiva now I'm in rabb diamond for 25 years he loves singing rabb diamond he he's a composer himself self also a composer. You see that the people that really can have an effect on love music. They have music playing in. Why is that? Why could Rabbi Diamond I could sit and talk to him about anything. I feel he's like my second father. Rabbi Diamond Mish sat with him in his office for an hour yesterday after learning. I just couldn't I can't leave him because he but he he always has that he wants to sing. He wants to you want to feel sim in life. You want to feel that and if a rebby is very rigid and I explain to these kids that the questions and of course there's a lot of a lot to say but at the end of the day you're going to be the biggest loser if you can continually try to find a philosophic answer of why because it goes into your no matter what it is you don't have to be a a cabalist to know that when you listen to something you see something it goes into you and it becomes you can you imagine if you gravitate towards some shabas songs and understand what it means means what your shabas could look like on the inside and also on the outside. >> Beautiful. What's your dream? What's your dream with this this mirrors? What's the dreaming the impossible dream? Like they say that fathers should discover their own abilities that mothers who worked the whole Friday and maybe a whole Thursday to make a shabas table and then they cleared the table at the end of the meal and and they were like, "What? What just happened? Why did I should understand that these are the most I I uh I think I mentioned this to you. My day job it involves a lot of times interviewing people about their parents, deceased grandparents or bay. So many of those memories end up being around the shabas table talking about 5 hours a week if it's that much. But in a week that everybody's so hectic and busy and distracted, it comes down to these few hours. And if you look around outside of the people who get to say every day, it in the world there's no such thing. There's no such thing. Maybe like on a parent's anniversary party, you can get people to come Thanksgiving. Maybe. >> Yeah. It's not. And how do you talk to your Trump voting relatives on Thanksgiving dinner, right? Like he can't even talk to you. And we do this every week. We talk about this a lot, Tony. Right. Right. >> Yakov's dry cleaners. >> We have a gift >> in the book. and and and we have a gift for what I I would love that people should realize the the potential that they hold that fathers that should wake them up to what they could say. I I think that if they treat themselves, the parents, not just the kids that listen to the music, I think that they're going to wait eagerly. They're not going to sing 11 medleys of 100 songs every one. >> Eight is fine. >> But we know that >> as long as he's got the Smarty track in there, then he's okay. The plan M for the roll out is you know late summer over at L I think by Shabas. Everybody comes to Shabas with a feeling of they they want to do it a little better. >> M book will be out. >> The hope is that people should come to Shabas a little a little more ready for Shabas and and know that you could make this the best five hours of your week. >> Oh man, that would be amazing. Donnie, what was the most beautiful moment? I don't know moment of inspiration in this whole project >> besides the sesame chicken. [laughter] Yeah, it's a good question. Um, I definitely enjoyed the process still. We're still finishing up now. And, uh, >> was there a particular song that you like, you saw Jakob singing, you're like, "Oh my gosh, that's way." >> There's definitely certain times I could sing and I would have my headphones on, I'm listening, you finished singing, I'm like, "Wow, I'm getting emotional." Like, and this is a song I know since I'm two years old, but it just hitting me like I'm like I'm excited for Kalisol, you know, like they're getting the chev, they're getting a good product. Uh, it's something that's really, you know, as I said before, we spend we spend a lot of time and it's hard. You know, it's a lot of songs and we I don't know if I ever spent so long on one project. Um, it's a long project and we take every song very seriously and the end of the day these songs, you know, I'm listening I even listen back and like it just it's very moving and again we're talking about songs that most people know. Yeah. Maybe the kids don't know all them. Even the kids know a lot of them. They didn't hear it in this way. It's it's very relatable, so to say. You know, it's uh I don't know if there's, you know, one specific moment. >> How do we know when there's a moments like this? Cuz after almost every song, he wants to do a video for the chat. [laughter] >> Yeah, we got to do a video. >> I saw the one. >> After the one was for me, I don't pulled back. >> Why is that? Because it's hitting us so much that we're crying. >> I wish you knew how much fuel it gave us. It gives us, >> right? And we want to give fuel to the people working on it. Yes, I want to I want to find words to try to say this thing that you're singing. >> It is a bit the truth is the power of music is so powerful. Exactly. So to write it's hard. You got to come to the how do you get music sort of like just breaks all barriers just get straight to the heart and it's it's like you know it's like you always figure how do we reach people? How do we reach people? How do we reach then like you have someone that you hear these stories and a lot of it's in the book not in the book but these stories someone hears one song and >> turns around the whole life like wow like how does it how does it make sense? >> This guy with the cleaners. I'll go to the cleaners. Tony. >> Tony. He's got pictures on his wall of his family. And I'm like, "Hey, Tony, I didn't know you got I have one son and it was a Friday right before show. I have one son." I said, "Wow, how often do you get to see him?" He starts looking. So, maybe I asked the wrong question, you know. He said, "The truth is, not much. Maybe once a year we do a Thanksgiving dinner. He comes a few times, but he's always on the phone." I'm like, "You have a beautiful grandson, Tony." I tried to, you know, I want to give him happiness. I said, uh, he goes, "You know what? I know you guys come here on Friday. I know you come here with Friday and I try to talk to you guys and it's amazing how you get together." And he starts to cry together once a week. I said, "Not I said, Tony, thank God we have a religion where we sit and we sing and we want to connect through music." thinking once he said once he heard me talk about he started to shed tears of what could have been what could have been maybe okay he's a he's a this or that but maybe get together a little more and just play some music and this they don't know what the I don't think sometimes and I I walked out of that cleaners I don't know I forgot how we we wrote it down but I walked out out of that cleaners such an elevated yid of thanking I just looked up Thank you, Hashem, for giving us song. Thank you for giving us a way to connect in a way that's joyful and and the way that's a uniter that that's all the kids can really feel a part of it. I don't think there is a greater gift. The filming says that there wasn't around the world here to be dealing with music all day long. The the the music is just something so special and thanking Hashem that we have a family and we have we're able to to connect that way. It it it made me tremendously sad for him because he was crying and I I got emotional with him, but at the end of the day, you know, coming out and realizing what we have and how, you know, how loving it can be. >> Could you share with us one one final story of an incredible moment that maybe it's in the in the book where music just broke every single barrier? >> I don't want to give away the whole books really. No, >> one one second. Can we have permission for it to say one beautiful story? He just that's true. >> That's one of the stories I said. You mentioned Kamova before. I said it before. I don't know if they were recording so I'll say it again. >> I hope you guys are recording now. [laughter] Kamov >> they were recording before already. >> Right. They might have gotten this but Kamovadia called his gab. I called with Kamovadia at back in the day when I didn't have a cell phone. I just started learning coil. No, you know I used to come home in between star. So, I was making my little tuna fish or whatever it is. And I'll never forget this caller ID Israel. I said, I was expecting a phone call from Mo at the time. I think I was doing the the first album. Oh my, you know, one of these arrangements. Maybe he'll play it over the phone. There was no no such thing as I'll hear it over the phone and I'll make a comment and then I'll quickly go make my tuna and go back to I pick up the the caller ID and it's Ken Zakov Ken. So I said, "Okay." I didn't I thought I was joking around. I don't know. Was really there. And he he asked me, just to make a long story short, he asked me, "I need you for a certain date to go to Marseilles, France." I looked at uh you know the little paper calendar I had and it said special children's center singing with the children in Miami. And I said, "The truth is it's not a job, but it's something that I love to do. It's my wife's organization. And I thought I'm going to say special children. His dad's going to say, "You know what? You're doing a great mitzvah. You have to be there and you're going to see great things are going to happen from this visit. You're going to sing. It's going to be 5,000 people in a political rally in Marseilles, France. The I said, "Okay, I got to change it up. I got to go to my wife say what are we going to do at the center anyway it was a whole to-do back and forth we changed the whole week the tickets there's many 150 people coming to it was a whole change of schedule but I went there and I'll never forget I was saying the story many stories happened on that trip one of the first stories that happened is they asked me to sing rahim in front of this this rally here I sing rahim and I'm thinking about the words and obviously had an agenda that the former person that's going to make make chabas better and rules of regulations will win as opposed to this guy in New York running now. Anyway, so this so little >> political commentary >> little comment for his status. Anyway, so he likes things that are, you know, can ignite the situation. So something for the status really. So he uh so I sing the song and we get into the song and all of a sudden after the song this guy is running after me. on the I was trying to sneak out to go to the back and this guy I see from the side he's running through the crowd with his langa reckle he's like a I said wow I thought thousands of people and this guy's a Rashiva and he he opens the doors I go backstage over there and he tells me starts speaking in French I'm like no no no Hebrew you have no idea what just happened he starts to tear up I have I have to take care of a girls program that that you know not coming from such religious homes but we usually get them to to go to seminary and we go to this girl is coming really from a former background home and she wants to marry a it's two years I'm giving up my life for this girl took her to every shear took read her every book this story that nothing is working and he tells me with tears in his eyes after he sang that song Rahim she whispered to me on her own. I don't have to say anything. I'm giving it all up. I'm coming back. I was thinking to myself saying great things are going to happen. I said it was all worth it even just for that to hear first of all the power of music, the power of a few minute song that for two years he's trying with classes and with this and she's changing generations. generations are being changed because somebody got stirred emotionally with the song and wanting to do it on their own. And I believe this project touches upon the of our children of this generation. Yes, you're right. It's an extreme story. She's way, you know, in her own world marrying out that that means she's totally disconnected with. But can you imagine if that can do that for the just just that that emotion that I want and I I just walked away from it, you know, I was crying with him because can you imagine what this can do? And there's other stories in there. Did I put the South Africa story with this girl with with with uh with in the mall there with Colin Goldstein? >> Nope. Okay, we got to put this in the book. >> We got to put this in the book. I'm reminding myself of another story. This other girl I went to the to I was in South Africa. First of all, I didn't realize it was amazing coming to South Africa back then. My my manager at the time, Yoki, he's telling me, Yakob, we got to do one concert in in Cape Town and we'll do one in Johannesburg and then you'll you try not to be away for Shabas. We get a phone call the next day. The concert sold out in 40 minutes and we got to do another one. Then the next day that one sold out in 40 minutes. We have to do another one. We ended up doing a bunch of concerts and I was there for like a long time and one of the things was I was away and I don't like to go away. Shal Kaminski told me when I got married, try every Shabas to be home and sing with your own children. So you can make an exception here and there but make sure Shabas don't travel. be there and sing and watch your kids grow up and sing with them. And it made a tremendous impact on me. Anyway, so I was there in the in South Africa and I told Colin Goldstein, my dear friend to this day, now he lives in Israel to say thank you to Colin again for the sponsorship on this project as well. Dear dear friend of mine, his brother's the chief rabbi of South African South Africa and Johannesburg. Anyway, so I'm with him in the mall. I say, I want to buy something for my kids to bring back home. What am I going to buy? I don't know. They've came out with the digital camera. Okay. This thing that you play this digital >> dating yourself now. >> Exactly. This is 15 years ago. I don't know what it was. And I'm sitting there and I put I don't want my friend to pay for it because Colin loves to pay for things. I said, "You know what? I want to pay for it myself." So, give I take out my credit card. I throw it on the counter. I said, "Please charge this card, whatever this camera is." So, there's a girl standing to my right. She doesn't even look. I don't even know if she's Jewish. She's not. She sees apparently my car says Schweki music on it. She says, she looks at her. She says, "Is that you?" [laughter] I don't know what that meant right away. Is that me? Uh oh. She says, "Uh, I said, "Yeah, I'm singing. We're doing concerts here." And she said, "The truth is I don't know if I can listen to your music anymore." I said, "Uh, I never got that comment before. Appreciate it. [laughter] Let me know if I did anything wrong because I'll improve it maybe for the next album. Maybe it's not the songs you like. Maybe the arrangers, maybe the producers, I don't know what's script writers. I don't know. >> I don't know. Maybe I'm just not hitting it with you." And she's like, "No, but not for the reason that you think." This is when I listen to your music, I start to cry. And I realized that the guilt is getting a hold of me of I grew up with religion and I went away from it and I don't want to cry really. I don't want to feel guilty. So it's hard for me to listen to your music. I said it's such a unique take on things. So what's your name? Got her name. How old are you? This that said first of all there's an album called Cry No More. [laughter] Bet I'm going to send you first. I said, "But you have to understand the beauty of what you're saying now." I said, "Your tears are coming from a place of connection, of emotion." I said, "Why do you want to push that away in life?" I said, "I'm not I'm not I'm not here as a rabbi telling you to be religious and and sending you to Colin's brother now to the chief rabbi. I'm not doing that." I said, "But look at your own identity. You're cry. Why are you crying? What's the depth of your cries? Hashem wants us to be happy. He wants us to sing. He wants us to be around the table singing and being with we have everything. We have everything. Just sing and be thankful and that will give you that in turn will make you a happy person. Instead of her and she I had a whole 10 15 minute conversation with her. She ended up crying also and I ended up sending her back then was CDs or whatever it was. But but it just it's a unique conversation right there. >> But but it's it just teaches you the depth of even in a shama that went far and just wanting to come back but not knowing how and feeling that the crying is a is a sadness. Meanwhile, it's not a sadness. It's a crying. Yeah. >> It's crying of longing of connecting. It's crying with the music. Some you know what Jewish music it's very sad. It's very Yes, there are sad hit. We do have history that we have to sing about. There are songs that you can cry about, right? And the heart like Donnie is saying is something that we there's always hope. There's always singing about something that's connecting us to a to a to a greater level of being a Yid. >> You know, we don't got to go to Marseilles and we don't have to go to Johannesburg. >> He just did. [laughter] Jacob had that but for surely and myself and Donnie just bringing this nearest to our table listening to it letting our kind listen to it mashem you know that'll that'll impact and get into the namas of our children what does it say kaso keeps two shabas that's just one shab on the >> just the album that that's what we need it was such a to sit with you should give such I should shower you that every Jewish family should buy this safe the kids should sing the sing around the table >> and and and and we'll we'll break Shabas is the most amazing thing and then Msiah will come and that album by the way the Msiah album the medley's just won't end. >> That's right. >> All be on the eighth note, right? singing that song of Gah with happy children >> happy generation not a door that's a door that's you know being and actually go all the way That's correct. [music] >> [music]