Sunday, June 05, 2011

Oldie of the Week ~ To Love A Fellow Jew - 1980

After more than a six months break, we once again present to you our oldie of the week series. The Oldie of the week features classic Jewish music which due to their age are not very well known to the younger generation. The song will first be posted here on the main page and remain for approximately a week (we try) on the right column above the three featured videos of the week.

For the twelfth song in this series we present "To Love A Fellow Jew" from the album "Wake Up Yidden" by Camp Gan Yisroel of Montreal, Canada, a Lubavitcher camp under the directorship of Rabbi Berel Mochkin, along with Avraham Rosenberg's Tzlil Vezemer Boys choir. The album was the recording debut of the Tzlil Vezemer Boys Choir and was released somewhere between 1980 and 1981.

The Melody was composed by Rabbi Michel Twerski (pictured right) of Milwaukee. Rabbi Twerski originally composed the song to different words and the lyrics used on this version were written by one of the staff of Camp Gan Yisroel.

Soloists is Mendy Wald who was a star soloist as a child with The Tzlil Vizemer Boys Choir.

Lyrics:
To love a fellow Jew
just the same as you
is the basis of our holy Torah

Though he's far from me
across the widest sea
still I always love him just the same

For 70 80 years
a Neshama wears and tears
just to do a favor for another

Love him with all your heart
the heavens spread apart
for every Jew is really our brother

Composed by: Rabbi Michel Twerski.
Soloists: Mendy Wald.

7 comments:

Sholom said...

First of all ... thank you for continuing this series. These songs bring back many fond memories.

Secondly ... these words where put to this tune in the summer of 1972 for the BOG war team of "ahavas yisroel" (obviously). (I don't know who wrote up the words:( )

Finally ... the word is "the BASIS of our holy torah" not "BASES".

Anonymous said...

i'm almost sure the words were put to the tune by RABBI Yosef MUNITZ now rosh yeshivah in Buffalo yeshivah Mesivta Menachem
(you may want to add that credit to him on the post)

Anonymous said...

words written by rabbi shmuel greisman now living in jerusalem

Anonymous said...

i cannot thank you enough for bringing this series back!

Anonymous said...

Moiredek, please keep the oldies coming. Ashrecha for bringing simcha to Yidden

Anonymous said...

the melody was composed by his brother Dr. Abraham (Shea) Twerski, not Michel

Anonymous said...

BORING.