rosh chabura:
just got this list from the apple iTunes store and the following is the top 10 downloaded Jewish songs of all time…
I have no idea what iTunes classifies as Jewish but it’s hard for me to beleive that the entire top 10 is Baruch Levine. I didn’t even know that his songs were on iTunes. As far as I know, most Jewish songs are not sold on iTunes and I assume that this top 10 list that you give, assuming it’s not completely fake, is not a good indicator of good Jewish songs.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Baruch Levine. All his compositions and songs that he sings are great. He is a great composer and has a great voice.
rosh chabura:
Baruch Leevine is the most greatest ‘heartful’ singer,composer and rebbi ( thats right rebbi, does Gabay or shwekey teach yiddeshe kidelach?……..i dont think so) in the world
Rabbi Abie Rotenberg used to teach as well. Of course, he still teaches us all with his songs, even if it is not in a classroom rebbi/talmid setting.
rosh chabura:
i was not saying anything bad about other singers or composers, it is just that you never find a singer that composes his own music. Baruch Levine is simply unique and multi talented
True, Baruch Levine has many great talents. Everyone has special gifts that Hashem gives them and R’ Levine uses his many gifts to inspire klal yisroel. He actually composed many of Abie Rotenberg and Shwekey’s songs as well as most of his own.
Abie Rotenberg composed and wrote the lyrics for most of his Journeys songs as well as his many other albums (Aish, Marvelous Middos Machine, Dveykus, etc)
Keep in mind, this isn’t a contest of who has the most talent etc. These aren’t l’havdil rock stars who need people rooting for them and saying how great they are. These are Yidden who are just doing what they can to inspire klal yisroel. If Abie Rotenberg feels that some of his songs are more inspiring with Shwekey singing them then he will have Shwekey sing instead of himself. Everyone has a unique voice and way of singing and they try to match up the songs to the singers. Check out Harey Yehuda where Yehuda Gilden wrote a bunch of songs for different singers to sing. You can read Abie Rotenberg’s beautiful write-up about it at this link
postsemgirl:
Yerushalaim by Abie Rottenberg always gets me
LOL, I think that is the only song on Journeys that was not written by Abie himself. Which itself shows that it is such a great song that Abie wanted to include it in his Journeys album.
blinky:
With everyone talking about Baruch Levine, i can’t believe no one mentioned his english Lecha Dodi. Its very inspiring. Does anyone know if its true?
I love that song as well. I don’t know if the story is true but I know that I heard the story before the song (probably from the book). All of the songs on Touched By A Niggun are based on stories from the Touched by a Story series. Interestingly, Baruch Levine wrote this tune for another Lecha Dodi song, I can’t remember who sings it, I think it was a Yiddish song.