At a recent wedding in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a Chasidic man protested the singing of Benny Friedman’s hit song “Yesh Tikvah.”
Approaching the stage where Friedman was singing with Levi Falkowitz, the man told both singers that he was protesting the song because it was in Hebrew, and asked them to stop singing.
When they continued, the man then grabbed the microphones from their hands.
Friedman was unperturbed by the incident.
“I think it’s good people stand up for their own beliefs, but I’m focused on the messages of the song: hope, ahavas yisroel and achdus,” he told COLlive.
i love youre music
to answer # 80 #82 told you the guy had a point
why are peaple makeing fun of other peaple this is why the beis hamikdosh was distroyed
why did mr. falcowitz continyoue singing when the guy told him not to sing
the guy had a point the satmer chassidim do not like the fact that the non frum isralis use hebrew
Benny is such a great guy.
BENNY WELL DONE DONT WORRY ABOUT STUPID PEOPLE
If the guy that took the mics was the baal simcha then why were they singing yesh tikvah in the first place? If he was not the baal simcha then he had no business making that shturem. His feelings on the matter are totally moot since he isn’t the one paying the singers. Also #69 just for next time- agression not agreshion. 🙂
right on, Benny 😛
YOU BRING JOY EVERYWHERE YOU GO!
if ppl actualy read the comments before writing their own, they would relize that the reason is b/e its moder day hebrew, not in lashon hakodesh, which don’t ask me why but these chassisdim happen to have s/t against. relaz and respect that. i mean this might be strange to us but everyone has their own minhagim…i mean im sure we do some pretty strange stuff from their prespective. oh and to # 42:if your really a chabad boy, why are you on the computer and not in 770!? i mean seriously? they have lives to, just like we do… Read more »
falkowitz didn’t didn’t
1. it is in hebrew (not laha”k)
2. the title reminds them of the other Tikvah
it kinda like singing didan notzach in Mount-Claire, NJ
c’mon…and what about all the other songs? they were prob hebrew or english too. is he against having his kids learn hebrew in school too?
whats wrong with the song?
the beis hamikdash was destroyed
Benny make a yiddish version of the song for satmar chevra.
The guy had a request of them to stop singing that song if he fellt uncomfturble with it. but the grabing of the mike is totally unexeptable! I find this an act of agreshion!
definitely living up to the lyrics in the song
and leading by example
(if it mean singing with no words who cares as long as its together)
let him take it up with the family who requested the song, not humiliate the singers in public
benny youre the coolest!
keep making us smile!
YESH TIKVAH!
Kosis lamaor! Under pressure Benny shines even more than he usually does!
And that’s quite a bit! Yes the Satmar had a point, yes the family specifically REQUESTED yesh tikvah. Oh well, keep up the mentchlichkeit Benny!
he was protesting the song because it was in Hebrew, and asked them to stop singing.
I just realized that my WHOLE siddur is in hebrew
best singer in the world!!! love his music!!
and everyone should take an example….how smart he handled it! (actually, no wonder…the son of Rabbi Manis Friedman… 🙂
Im really impresed by the way Benny handled the situation
that guy has some nerve….benny handled it in such a classy way!!!
the satmer man was not the father
Benny did the right thing by stopping and so did the Satmer guy (who must be a close relative, hence the shtreimel) for stopping him – in Williamsburg, singing in Ivrit is not allowed and a “Macho” was in order.
I wish we had people in CH whould speak up when there is a pirtzah – we would be in much better shape.
Kol hakavod Benny!!
Grow up and stop being so imiture and making stupid little fights.
the man’s a loony thats a.fact
that benny responded in a classy respectful manner is what really impresses me.
Hahahhahahahah!!
If that was me up there I’d probably be crying. How awkward is that? To be mid-song and have someone tell you to stop in front of the whole audience?!! I was cringing for Benny the whole time. Kudos to him for taking it like a man and making a kiddush Lubavitch.
Perhaps if benny would sing it the way they pronounce it the guy would have calmed down. Ha ha.
I’m surprised that people are not aware of why this guy had a problem with Ivrit and more suprised that people don’t know the difference between singing psukim (what Jewish Music has always been) vs singing in Ivrit (a very new phenomenon among mainstream “chasidic” music. To many Chasidim, Ivrit is the epitome of Zionism. It’s the language without the kedusha. I personally love benny’s music and have no problem with hebrew or even Israeli songs. I also think it’s not this guys business what someone else chooses to have at their event. But, I think people should be aware… Read more »
and comments like #39 bring out such shocking lack of knowledge…
This satmar man is an idiot and an ill mannered one to boot. if he didn’;t like it he should have walked out. In my dictionary the Rebbe was a lot greater than this so and so and just as much of an anti zionist and yet when an Israeli came to the Rebbe the Rebbe responded in IVRIT! why not worry about weather people are putting on Tefillin etc. instead of these shtusim. and that’s what it is in the bigger scheme of things.
whats wrong with that guy
Benny you rock
the rebbe rashab was against the creation of a state and the use of loshon kodesh as a everyday language,but to say that nowdays -after the fact,one should not speak ivrit is equivalent to saying one shold not live in eretz yisroel.. the rebbe spoke ivrit to the wounded israeli soldiers.
It appears that this person did a public service in raising awareness that there is something wrong with speaking Hebrew. The Rebbe NE wrote very sharp things against it, and today people have completely forgotten. Yes, nowadays it’s not practical to avoid it; I speak Ivrit too, and I’m not about to stop. But we should remember that this is bedieved, and from the comments it appears that too many Lubavitchers need to be reminded of that.
Funny video! That guy had some nerve! But Benny handled the situation very well, go Benny!
So beautiful how Benny did not continue to sing the words and just sang the tune to the song. So respectful. We should all learn from him.
u rock!
if you really r a satmar boy, then what are you doing with a computer?????????
to #29- ivrit is a modern language based on loshon hakodesh- the Holy Tongue. the chareidishe people, some of them anyway, object to involving a holy language with everyday speech and a different pronounciation..to each his own, I guess.
go benny
Note to Satmar: Yiddish is a form of High German — a language native to people who killed six million Jews. Hebrew — even modern Ivrit is a form of Loshon Hakodesh which is the Jewish mother tongue. Interesting set of priorities these people have.
nothing against ur community, but out of currosity, whats wrong in singing in ivrit, i mean, plz, everyone, dont take this out of contex, and turn this into a chassidic war, but i just want to know, like, am i not aloud to sing songs in hebrew cuz there happens to b a zionist gov. in place thire, i mean come on, ertz yisroel is our homeland, even if u feel american, it is ur cultral homeland…. and i x support zionism, its totaly against yiddeshkiet, but the hebrew, sorry, dont understand
not that i agree with the satmar guy, i mean, come on, cuz its in hebrew,? but its his wedding and if he says, no yesh tikva, the other guy should stop, i mean, derech ertz. go benny, we luv u!
There’s a difference between a Hebrew song that’s a biblical phrase/ passuk and a song with lyrics in hebrew
I’m very happy about that since i don’t really either appreciate “yesh tikvah”
is he anti-israel??????????
Benny handled this in a really eidel manner. Very exemplary. Mamash good middos.
to # 4:
benny was singing in hebrew not loshon hakodesh
from things the rebbeh wrote and was magia the rebbeh was clearly aware of the difference between loshon hakodesh and hebrew (ivrit)
to # 25:
they pray in loshon hakodesh not in hebrew (ivrit)
i honestly haven’t laughed so hard in a long time xD
Amazing. The guy probably had an issue because the havaara was “ivrit” – such silliness. It is a beautiful song with a beautiful message. Benny is such a mentsh, really continues in his uncle Avrmels footsteps. Ashrecha!
It’s not his wedding?!? he’s not aloud to just do that. chutzpa
Could someone explain to me why the man wanted the song stopped? I am not Chassidic so I am looking in from the outside but I dont understand. Is speaking Hebrew assur for some reason?
So much respect… Very smooth mature way of handling the situation.
what were the other songs in? plenty of hebrew songs are at weddings…dont understand this guy?
u rock
handled it with such class
nebech those chasidim! in what language do they pray?
why on earth does everything that people do, nead to be publicised?!
benny answered in very cool and calm way!
goood job!
Keep it up .
the guy was right, and freidman did smart
Actually acceptance and Kiddush Lubavitch if for the frum not only the fry.
Actually if you notice Benny did NOT the sing words after the man pulled him over, he hummed. That was very in-tune and respectful to this (Satmar mans) request.
He Actually Thouoght This was ‘Hatikva’
I know for a fact that the baalei simcha requested a “ten minute” yesh tikvah set. What’s to be sensitive about? They requested it..
If It was Not the Host :;;;;;the Gentelman Should have just walked out
how could he stop in middle of the singing, GO BENNY!!!!
You need to be sensitive of your surroundings/environment and respectful of the crowd you are performing too. Regardless who’s asking the singer to stop a particular song that is offending someone they should have cut the song short and went on to another song.
What happened to basic respect and afterall it is a Simcha where the idea is to generate and maintain a happy atmosphere…..
hE PROBABLY THOUGHT THEY WERE SINGING THE ISRAELI HATIKVAH SONG!
benny did the right thing!!
This is ridiculous!!
Keep up your great work Benny!!
Love your music!
what were the other songs in? yiddish? english?
id like to say nothing shocks anymore but … wow.
i was there at the wedding but not at the scene when it happened i asked from those who were there they told me the guy had a problem that they sing “Ivrit” anyway my question is on Mr. Falkowitz your a Satmar boy why whould you sing in Ivrit
Unless the protester paid for the band, זה לא ענין שלו
he is smart did not continu singing
arent most wedding songs in hebrew anyway
See what the Rebbe Nishmoso Eden wrote about the use of loshon kodesh for secular purposes. Our use of it today is very much bedieved, and we should be happy that there are still holdouts who resist it, thus reminding us.
They both were quite gracious in trying to accommodate his wishes… Kudos
Gold!
Benny acted with class, the other guy – not so much.