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This brand new song, Chasoif, is a free download, made available to anyone who wants it by the generous support of the Wolmark family from Los Angeles, California. Addtional sponsorship provided by Sameach and Aderet Music. It was composed by Yitzy Spinner and produced by Avi Newmark. Singing on this track are Yisroel Werdyger, Yitzy Spinner and Benny Friedman.
All the people involved in the making of this song come from different backgrounds. One of the code names I used while discussing this track was “The Achdus Project.” The singers are not just from different communities but different music labels and different music-family dynasties (Benny and Sruly are the nephews of Avraham Fried and Mordechai Ben David, respectively.) I wanted to bring together different people to sing on this song because it is through the Achdus we all displayed in the days during and following the Mumbai tragedy that Moshiach will come. It’s through the Ahava that we display towards each other that we will finally be Zoche to bring this bitter Golus to its long awaited end.
The lyrics are from Maoz Tzur, where we implore Hashem to finally bring an end to the seemingly endless suffering visited upon us.
A Shliach doesn’t have a specific Mission Statement, or a set of parameters for whom they help and when they help. They don’t have off buttons. Even when the event is over, and the people have left whatever Holiday party took place that night, they don’t become “regular” people. That is what is so unique about a Shliach, he stand as a leaders to us all, no matter our level of frumkeit.
Since I was very young I always held a special place in my heart for Shluchim. When I was 14 I had my first experience working for a Shliach. I went with a group of older Bochurim to a Shliach for Yom Tov and helped out with the youth Minyan. Later, when I was about 17, I went with some other Bochurim to Rabbi Dovid Bryn’s Chabad House in the California Club Mall in South Florida. Rabbi Bryn (link) was a shining model of what a Shliach of the Rebbe should be. Quite tragically he passed away far too young, but his kindness and love inspired many others to take over in his place and continue his work.
Click here to download Chasoif
After I concluded with Yeshiva I spent many years working with Chabad Houses, including 4 years in Northern Virginia. I was working in an area where there was a small but loving and warm group of Shluchim within an hour’s ride from one another. I learned so much about not just being a Shliach, but about being a Chassid, a Mentsch and a human being from those years. What these Shluchim may not have known was that they had an influence on me, a frum Lubavitch Bochur, an influence that would help shape my foundation for years to come.
It’s because of my close connection with Shluchim that when I heard that the Chabad House in Mumbai was under siege, I felt such a strong personal connection to the situation. I was never in Gavi’s Chabad House, but I was in many others just like it. In that respect they are the same. The door is always open, the food is always over flowing, the warmth is always strong, and the smiles always bright. They are there for you. They are there for me. Seeing that kindness and warmness being violated struck me deep in my heart.
As the siege went on I started getting this feeling that I knew Gavriel. I couldn’t place it, but the smile on his face in every photo that flashed across the many websites and TV news programs was strong. I knew that smile. I could just feel it. When we got the terrible news that all the Kedoshim in the Chabad House were murdered, I suddenly remembered where I knew him from.
Gavriel was a learning director in an overnight camp the year I was also a counselor. I didn’t know him well, but once I placed where I knew him from, all the memories of him flooded right back. Most of all, that smile. He had such a love to teach and to get people involved. That may be one of the reasons I was inspired to “do” something. Gavriel would run around the camp at very early hours in the morning to get the kids to learn. Dealing with cranky campers in the wee hours of the morning is not an easy task, but Gavriel always had the bright, wide smile on him. He was excited by it. You could see that learning and “doing” something just put him in a special place.
This is why I dedicate this song to his passion and his warmth and of course his smile. We should all have the mind set that nothing is too hard and we should do everything with passion and with a smile on our face.
Gavriel’s sacrifice and dedication in such a dangerous and remote location will inspire untold numbers of people to realize that no matter how far away you are, you can always be a force for goodness.
It’s our wish that while listening to this song you will donate to the Tzedakahs setup to rebuild the Chabad House in Mumbai, help out with the expenses of the Holtzberg’s now orphaned children and the families of the the other Kedoshim murdered in the Chabad House.
Donate to the Chabad House Rebuilding Fund or the Holtzberg Children Fund
Donate to the family of Benzion Kruman
Donate to the family of Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum
A Special thanks to everyone involved in this track. When I called, you answered and were eager and excited to jump on board.
To Mr. Zevi Wolmark, thank you for sponsoring the track. We shared a vision, and we made it happen. May G-d bless you with continued success in all the good that you do.
Thank you Izzy Taubenfeld, of Sameach Music (JewishJukebox.com) and Mendy Werdyger of Aderet Music (Mostlymusic.com) for additional sponsorship. You are a blessing to Jewish music. Thank you for joining forces in honor of these heroes.
I also want to thank Avi Newmark, Yitzy Spinner, Benny Friedman, Yisroel Werdyger, Ian Freitor, Eli Lishinksy, C Lanzbom and TeeM Productions. Your enthusiasm in jumping on board was energizing, inspiring, and very much appreciated.
This is something I am tremendously proud of, and I hope that this spirit of Achdus will continue and spread, not just through the Jewish music community, but throughout and across the Jewish community and the world. May we only know from Simchas, and may we merit the coming of Moshiach now, when we will really dance to happy news.
Wishing you a Freiliche and a Lichtige Chanuka,
Sruly Meyer – Sameach Music
this is buitiful
very nice song
I know Yitzy… outstanding Chazan, mentsch and did a great job at my wedding a few years back.
Beautiful!
very sweet in these dark times
Mordche and Avremel, you should be so proud of your newphews!!!!!
achdus!!!!!
keep it up!!!!! greta idea
Beautiful song, hartzig and sweet singing. May we be zocha to happy songs for happy occasions.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS SO NICE
not really; the words are much more violent than the tone of the song. i have nothing against the original writer of Maoz Tzur (who was probably a big dude, hopefully someone in the comments will give a big name), but the tunes we use for all the verses generally don’t fit, and the mood really bums me out a bit during this joyous commemoration of G-d’s compassion. Please don’t read this as me saying it’s wrong to crave revenge and violent retribution against evildoers who killed our family, but if not channeled correctly, we could become as bad as the evildoers, “revenging” indiscriminately. We should ask G-d for an end to our suffering and tragedies, and act in his ways so to deserve his compassion; but must we ask for revenge? If we do sing this with a smile to our children, we should also make sure to explain the difference between an Eisav and someone who follows the basic “Noahide” laws. same for a radical islamist and a guy who’s parents called him abdul.
Sruly, you are the best. The song is truly hartzig, can’t stop listening to it.
lousy song
No hespedim during Chanukah.
benny is a brother of avremel not a nephew
Can someone please supply a link so I will be able to download it to my blackberry?
Wow just what we need, a few professional singers sitting in a circle and singing kumbaya. As if that will accomplish anything l’ilui nishmas the kedoishim. Only teshuva will help end this terrible evil golus we find ourselves in. Secondly, last I checked when something bad happens gedolai yisroel composed kinos,to be recited tisha b’av, not songs. I just don’t get it. I guess 2008 has different standards……..
Dai dai dayenu…enough alrweady. am i the only who is getting just a little tired of all this endless parade of mumbai music???
Guys, I think we have over the last month seen a very warpedversion of achdus. Everyone is gaga that one of the satmar rebbes mentioned chabad,wow, that’s achdus. Or the fact that a delegation of chabad was seen by R’ Chaim Kanievsky, people think we have accomplished something. And I think “achdus” doesn’t neccesarily mean between different sects and groups. Achdus and ahavas yisroel means every jew should act towards his fellow jew in a decent manner even if he belongs to the same “group” he does. Included in this concept are: not pushing into a line waiting to pay at a checkout counter: not robbing someone of a parking spot they have been waiting for: not blocking other peoples driveways: not honking the horns of the car especially at night when people are trying to sleep and other such social graces we in BP seem to have flushed down the toilet. That is achdus, not the 2 satmars/bobovs/viznitz/slonim/ger(sorry if left a fighting chasidus out)stopping to fight……
Beautiful!
http://www.vinnews.com/downloads/view/mp3/1001
Won’t work on bb since to large. Will work for palms
Actually, have Jews sit together and work cooperatively seems to me like a giant step in the direction of tshuvah.
Ahavs Yisroel is a great mitzvah, and when we perform mitzvos for neshamos in heaven, those neshamos certainly appreciate it.
The kinos were meant to arouse some emotional movement within our sadness – i.e. emotional-flatline. This song sure did that for me.
Final thought: A Jew who has a problem with Jews doing what they can in a way that is pleasant to heaven and pleasant on earth is not acting so Jewish.
I think the American culture is having a severe effect on us. I’ll never forget after 9/11 when there was a flood of new songs from every shmoiger in America, and I was thinking to myself “if Afghanistan was attacked the way we were, I bet instead of ppl running to their basements to compose songs they would grab their guns and go to war”. Although not an exact analogy, but there is some parallels to it. Instead of writing songs about Mumbai we should pull out our weapons and attack. And we all know what our weapon has always been: Teshuva Itefulah Itzdakah!
#24 If you like the articles of VosIzneias , Why would you waste your time and look at their website? If you had enough of Mumbai music perhaps you should take your Kinos out instead. This way you will not have any complaints.
I think the people taking their time and composing this song are thoughtful and wonderful.
FABULOS SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Takes me a minute to digest this song- in other words its a real song, not Oorah style.
Kudos to all of you for doing this.
With all due respect to #26 , the” weapons” of tehuva tfila and tzedaka,can they be used indiscriminately?or we should be careful and measured in how and when we employ these weapons?
mizmor leduvid? kineh leduvid meboeye lei
lousy song lousy idea stop it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how about Learn something for the Kedoshim, this songs will not help them up in haven
It sounds like most people on this board have not opened a safer for years
What a disaster !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11 says: “the words are much more violent than the tone of the song.”
I understand what you say; if I would be in your place I would most probably say the same. I remember last week on13th ave. in b.p. a driver was very angry at a driver so he used some real violent and hateful language. That’s why I think their is no violent words in this pizmon, it’s rather a normal and completely natural expression of tefilah for a people who were oppressed and killed for thousand’s of year’s.
May god hear already our outcry and put an end to the pain and suffering of the Jewish people by bringing real peace by bringing moshiach very soon, we can’t wait any longer…
Nigunim have a very powerful way of connecting us to Hashem. I think this was a wonderful idea.
The song is very moving. The words and the tune are beautiful. Sruly Meyer, thank you for putting this project together. This is Ahavas Yisroel. Achdus has never been about “doing the same thing at the same time”…more like being accepting, nonjudgmental and loving. Mumbai touched hearts. Gaby and Rivky were the epitomy of Baalei Achdus. Every Jew felt unquestionably accepted, unjudged and loved in their presence… and then CHOSE to love and not judge the neshomos sitting around that Chabad House table.
To those who chose to increase their learning l’ilui nishmos…that’s awesome!
To those who chose to say an extra kapital of T’hillim and those whom have chosen to continue to say T’hillim…that’s very special!
If you’ve chosen to support the families of the Kedoishim monetarily…that’s great!
If you taken upon yourself a single extra mitzvah…that’s incredible!
If you’ve shed a tear and that’s where you are, that’s ok too.
It’s not for any one of us to judge. That’s achdus. That’s what Gaby and Rivky did and Chabad Shluchim around the globe seek to do.
Do that…and you will have done a lot.
Thanks again to Sruly and all those who contributed to this truly hartzig project!
Thank you to Reb Zev for coming forth as usual. From your fans out there in Lakewood!
I hate to say this but this is how I feel. I think todays singers do not sing with hartz. The singing is just singing with no feeling and emotion what so ever. I am not even sure if any of them actually no the pirush hamilos, because if they do it would come out different. Dont get me wrong , they have nice voices but emotion and feeling is what it is all about and these new singers lack it.
Beautiful and moving melody. The vocals, arangement and lyrics meld into a powerful and meaningful message. I especially want to thank Yitzy Spinner for all of his hard work in implementing this important project.
Sruly, that was beautiful!!!
Sruly, your gr8. (and so is Gerrorist).
This is just beautiful… People who don’t appreciate music will never understand what soothing effects it can have on people.
Gerrorist – cute name!!!
It’s a beautiful song. It was a beautiful idea to work together with Ahavas Yisroel and Achtus to find a way to inspire and give a measure of comfort to all of us who have not “moved on” and want to do something to make a difference.
Song is a form of Tefillah and connects us with others and Hashem. It should inspire us to learn more, do more, give more tzedakah and to help bring Moshiach. To think positive of others and judge less, accept more and work together.. because only by working together can we bring the ultimate redemption.
If you have time enough to think a negative thought then you should be learning or doing mitzvos..
This was put out for the Shloshim.. it’s going to have been a month. What have you done? News has legs.. it only stays in the news so long, music is forever ..
Thank you to anyone and everyone who worked together on this project and most of all ..thank you Sruly for inspiring me so much.. your Mother 😉
Sruly, it’s the most beautiful song and your most beautiful voice that nearly put me into tears. Thank you for everything you do for Klal Yisroel through your singing and beautiful voice. May you be zocheh to sing for us and be Mesameiach Klal Yisroel Ad Bias Goel Tzedek, Amen.
Special song for special people.
R. zev
thanx a mil for such an emotional gift .keep up the chessed u do with klal yisroel and its mosdos hatorah……………………
yeyash koach reb zev for such an emotional gift to klal yisroel
keepup all the chesed u do for klal yisroel and its mosdos
We are so proud of your beautiful song, lyrics and voice. It’s unfortunate that kedoshim were killed and we’re still arguing who is realted to whom, and if the song is proper……….Yitz, keep up the great work….we love you!
Not my taste.
great song sung by great singers…
The words are הקם לנו “רועים” שבעה not רועה!!!
If this song doesn’t bring tears to your eyes then your a heartless and empty individual who has amounted to nothing more than some scribled words on blogs and chat rooms.