Montreal, Canada – Moshe Yess, a beloved performer and musician who has entertained audiences around the world, passed away Motzoei Shabbos, considered Shvat 4, 5771.
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He was 65 and suffered from Cancer.
He was hospitalized earlier this year at University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, Arizona, and was visited by local Chabad Shluchim, before he underwent recovery treatment.
Yess, known for the song ‘Zaide Made us Laugh,’ lived in Montreal, Canada, for many years after he became a Baal Teshuva and made a living singing and teaching.
He was a member of the Chabad community there and was a regular performer at Chabad House events and shows along with general music festivals and the annual HASC concert.
In addition to performing, Yess produced with Abie Rotenberg animated music videos for children at a time when few were available. Among them were Roburg, Middos Machine and Amazing Torah Bike.
“We used to sing and compose in the early days, but it was Moshe Yess who taught us how to do it professionally,” known composer Yossi Green of New York told COLlive.com in a recent interview.
In fact, a group on Facebook crowned him “the Real King of Jewish Music” noting that “we all know deep down in our hearts that the only truly good Jewish music is the music of Moshe Yess.” The group has 40 members.
He retired from his music career in recent years.
“He was a Jewish music legend that will live on through his amazing work and inspiration,” said California based entertainer and actor Mendy Pellin, who tried in 2007 to convince Yess to hold a tribute to his career but was unsuccessful.
“He had a unique personality of being very funny, yet very intense,” Pellin told COLlive.com. “He was the same person on stage, in conversation, in private and public. People thought he lost it the last 10 years, but that was part of his journey wanting to be 100% living the truth.”
The Yess family told COLlive.com that their father is being flown from Phoenix to Montreal, but is being delayed due to bad weather in Atlanta.
They said there is not expected to be a levaya and will be just heading to burial in the local Jewish cemetery.
Yess is survived by his children Ze’ev Yess, Naftali Yess, Rivkah Yess, Devorah Smajar, Shoshana Shaffer and Yossi Yess, all live in Montreal.
Yess is famous for his Hit song ‘My Zaidy’. watch below.
He will be greatly missed. He was one of the pioneers in this genre of Jewish music.
Yehai Zichro Boruch
Boruch Dayan Emes. I loved his mellow, sweet voice. We will surely miss him.
BD”E.
Moshe Yess was a true pioneer in Jewish music. While his music will live on, he will be sorely missed.
BD’E What a great singer. I loved him from Megama.
BD”E
He taught everyone of my generation through song.
Noooo… Baruch Dayan Emes
Aside from being such a talented musician, he was such a humble good person. This is so sad. Another wonderful person is gone. I will never forget you moshe..
Terrible loss.
Baruch Dayan Emes. A truly talented person. I will miss him and his inspirational and meaningful songs.
Debbie Freidman who is known to the reform movement as a major Jewish folk music song writer just passed the other day as well. Perhaps they are making music in the world to come together.
BDE – my children grew up with his songs. Chaval al d’avdin
BDH he will be missed
Midos are the way we act and how we think and feel….
The Torah tells us just what we should do…..
So if you want to do what’s right and really be a mentch…..
you’ve got to have good midos through and through….
=======
We will miss Moshe Yess, ע”ה.
I admit I did not know the music of Moshe Yess. The news of his passing brought me to youtube to see what some of his works were. What I saw and heard was a great talent with a unique style. The loss of any fellow Jew is a loss for us all. The loss of a man at only 65 is a terrible thing…this damn disease wins too often.
Moshe Yess was a kosher entertainer with great talent. I enjoy his productions to this day.
He performed with Eliezer Rabinowitz at the miami exp2 Plus I think he played Uncle Chaim in the play ON THE ROAD TO YERUSHALAYIM.
may he be a melitz yosher to all of Klall Yisroel