Sheya Mendlowitz, 61, OBM

By COLlive reporter

R’ Sheya Mendlowitz, the famed Jewish music producer known for his decades of work in the Jewish music industry, passed away on Friday, 12 Cheshvan, 5784.

He was 61.

With a career spanning many decades, Sheya not only left an indelible mark but also played a pivotal role in elevating the standards of Jewish music production. He is renowned for his transformative influence on Jewish music, as well as his enduring commitment to Tzedakah and many causes. Most notably, he was known as the producer of the HASC “A Time for Music” benefit concerts, events of the highest musical caliber featuring the biggest names in Jewish music, which raised millions of dollars for children and adults with special needs.

Sheya worked with dozens of Jewish music singers and performers, and produced music and albums for many Jewish music stars, including Avraham Fried, MBD, Piamenta, Yigal Calek, Lipa, Dedi, Shlomo Simcha and many others.

Sheya, born in Brooklyn, New York, entered the world of music at a young age, and it was evident from the start that he was destined for greatness. Remarkably, Sheya was just 25 when he embarked on his first journey with Camp HASC. An invitation from the legendary Mordechai Ben David Werdyger led him to the camp in 1987, where he felt an immediate connection with the children and the unique atmosphere of Camp HASC.

Sheya Mendlowitz’s true musical legacy took flight with the inception of the HASC “A Time for Music” concerts. The inaugural concert in 1988, held at the iconic Lincoln Center, marked a groundbreaking moment in the Jewish community. Under Mendlowitz’s leadership, these gala benefit concerts went on to become synonymous with excellence, bringing together an ensemble of prominent Jewish artists while raising crucial funds for Camp HASC’s important work. It was also the template for all future major Jewish concerts.

Mendlowitz’s journey through the world of Jewish music has always been guided by a deep love for music and a desire to maintain its Jewish identity. He was the composer of the popular ‘Siman Tov U’mazel Tov,’ melody which is sung at weddings around the world, and he often stressed the importance of preserving the authenticity and purity of traditional Jewish melodies in an ever-changing musical landscape. He produced an astounding 15 Camp HASC concerts.

Renowned Jewish music composer Yossi Green told COLlive.com that Sheya has made an unforgettable mark on Jewish music. “Sheya is definitely the one who brought the public awareness of the lives of the children and families of HASC to all of us! He changed our world with this accomplishment itself! He also created the modern Jewish concert idea, taking it out of high school and college auditoriums and bringing it into the classiest of venues. Prestigious venues like Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Metropolitan Opera House, Madison Square Garden Theater, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall as well as others,” Green said.

“He built the idea of the prominence of what a show presenting Jewish music should look and sound like. He was the ultimate Shliach who will forever have the Zechus of bringing us Avraham Fried, as well as bringing us MBD in a way that no one had seen or heard him before,” Green said.

Legendary music star Avraham Fried told COLlive.com that he is grateful to Sheya. “Sheya was a trailblazer. A visionary who lifted Chassidic music from second class status back in the 70’s to first class where it has remained all these years.

“That we can enjoy live concerts at world famous concert halls instead of campus stages, is thanks to Sheya. When in 1980, he heard the demo of a young aspiring singer, and detected great potential and offered him a contract to do a full album which was titled ‘No Jew Will Be Left Behind…’. I thank Sheya Mendlowitz,” Fried said.

David Golding, one half of Suki & Ding, came into Jewish music around the same time as Sheya and they worked on many classic projects together.

“We worked very well together,” Golding tells COLlive.com. “I remember the first meeting in Lincoln Center for the first HASC concert. We had both never produced such a large scale concert and we had no idea what to ask the crew members for. Before we got there, Sheya ordered a large deli platter from Lou G Siegel’s for the entire crew. After that, we were well taken care of!”

“When I first started working in Jewish music at Sameach I worked with Sheya on several projects, and later as I started producing I would speak to him for advice,” Sruly Meyer says. “Every conversation started the same way, with Sheya asking me, ‘What’s your big idea, you always need to start with a big idea.’

“Sheya loved the thrill of entertainment and the effect it had on people. He often used surprises at his concerts to shock audiences, including one event when MBD showed up as a surprise guest during a Lipa concert at Madison Square Garden,” Meyer recalls.

Singer Yaakov Shwekey, who often discusses the history of Jewish music and its importance says, “Sheya Mendlowitz was the most creative producer in Jewish music. He laid the groundwork for everything that came after it in Chassidic Jewish music. This is a huge loss for Klal Yisroel and of course, everyone who grew up listening to these classic Nigunim.”

Recently Sheya battled an illness.

He is survived by a son and two daughters.

The Levaya will be on Sunday morning 10:30am at Shomrei Hadas, 14th Avenue and 38th Street.
The Kevura will be in Floral Park NJ

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

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