By Mendy Pellin
Last Chanukah my friend Yaakov Shwekey and I went to Israel to film our first music video. That trip was amazing, yet disturbing.
The night before our big shoot, I called a Rosh Yeshiva to confirm that the young men from his Yeshiva would be dancing in a scene with Yaakov the next day. His response: “What are you wearing right now?” “What kind of kipa do you wear?” That was his way of determining if he could trust his students with me.
That was my introduction to an Israeli culture that has to be changed! Many observant and secular Jews disrespect each other. Within the observant community there are countless sub-communities represented by large and small intricacies in dress. There may be an undertone lack of respect toward other communities in the United States, but in Israel there is no shame with this discrimination.
Yaakov and I share a passion to help bridge this gap of labels and discrimination. That’s what this music video is all about. If one truly serves the Creator out of pure love, he will channel that love toward his fellow Jew. No matter what he or she looks like, wears, political affiliation etc… Only G-d can judge what is truly inside us. If this Rosh Yeshiva judged his fellow out of love, physical appearance would not be his deciding factor of trust.
We decided to make this video as an introduction to the High Holiday season after I read Yaakov the following quote from the Rebbe Maharash of Lubavitch: “On Rosh Hashana, thousands of angels hover around listening anxiously to hear one Jew say a nice thing about his fellow. This is more precious to Hashem than all the prayers of the righteous.”
This video is dedicated to the loving memory of my dear brother Yaakov Pellin who passed away last month. He was the essence of love beyond the label.
Now, enough heavy stuff. Enjoy this light hearted fun short film!
MAIN VIDEO CREDITS: (ALBUM & FULL CREDITS ON SHWEKEY.COM)
Video Produced & Directed by: Mendy Pellin
Cinematographer: Aviv Vana
Editor: Arnon Z. Shorr
VFX: Pellin Pictures
Casting: Andrew Frankel
A very Beautiful Voice on another Beautiful music video by Mendy Pellin !
Thank you!
Amy S
this is a nice video to show children, because they need to understand and love one another and respect each other religion… to live in a this world of differences … I love it !!! 😉
The beauty of this video is that Chitzonius shuld not be a barrier to Ahavas Yisroel. Don’t Judge your fellow jew by his cover but rather by the pintele yid thats inside us. If you can do that the that is true Ahava. When we can do that between all of us yidden, Chasidim, Litvish, Sephardim, Ashkenazim and Conservative etc then we will merit the true geula and people will reunite and return to yiddishkeit in a true AHAVA kind of way.
Magnificiant video explaining a beautifull song.
the litmus test is:
what would the Rebbe want.
we all need a mashpia to help us
I love Shwekeys voice!!!!
Accept those who are closed-minded.”
A smart line, said by Rabbi Sufrin.
🙂
amazing video! great job, yaakov and mendy! yes, we need to be accepting of all types of people, but we need to be the ones whom they respect, and we cant chas vshalom be affected by THEM!
Brasil!!!!
they are all yerushalmi breslevers:)
love the part where the the guy in jeans brakes through and wares the shtriemel! achdus is about accepting others HOW THEY ARE not to be like them…
TAYEREH YID YOU ARE A TREASURE
IM SERIOUS
GO MENDY PELLIN GO MENDY PELLIN
the twins with real peyos from mea shearim
I’m so impressed by the thoughtful and intelligent comments here! I fully agree with those who defended the Rosh Yeshiva and reminded Mendy that dress DOES have a strong place in Judaism/Chassidishkeit.
THE TWINS FROM ISRAEL!!!!;-)
Beautiful video!!! thanks Mendy!!! keep them coming 🙂
Sheweky lost some weight ! Looking good ;)))
how do the lyrics fit the movie?!
Mendy, I am a big fan of your work and not a fanatic by any standards. But you missed interpreted the Rosh Yeshiva’s questions. First, I don’t know of any Rosh Yeshiva that would agree to bitul Torah and send his students to be in a music clip – even if money was offered (to the students or the yeshiva). And I don’t know of any Rosh Yeshiva that would knowingly allow his students to a setting that he was not 100% sure of its purity. The minimum he could have done was try to find out a little about… Read more »
Well written and I like the song too. To everyone, I think Mendy is saying that we can not know who a Jew is based on dress alone. We really have to look into every Jew, as we can not tell a Jew’s worth by dress alone. This is not in conflict with a person himself or herself having the levush of a chassid.
Their saying to love Hashem, this isnt really the point….but nice song, btw.
The Rosh Yeshiva should have asked questions weeks ago, instead of the night before the shoot. I’m wondering why he gave permission in the first place, and only the night before started asking questions. Doing so means if he did not want to have his talmidim participate it would create a real problems for the people making the video, and that would create disunity. To make my point more clear: The Rosh Yeshiva should have done investigation weeks ago, and only then made a commitment to the video makers. To do otherwise is not responsible or mentchlich to either the… Read more »
The video was great!. Instead of holding flags with labels, we should just hold flags that we love each other. The concept was great, and I love the auto labeling machine idea, that eventually blows up. I wish at the end, they would have shown the “Yehudim” label for a little bit longer though.
I wonder how they made the effects in this video….everything was just great.
i dont what which rock you live under, but if you would ever have learned ANY chassidus properly whatsoever, you wouldn’t touch your own comment with a ten foot pole. what you wrote over there is completely hepech of the rebbes rotzon . not very impressive.
A Rosh Yeshiva is like a father to his talmidim. A father wouldn’t surrender his children to just any person dressed in any manner, and a Rosh Yeshiva shouldn’t be expected to do any differently. It’s a wonder to me that any Rosh Yeshiva would release his students from their studies to appear in a music video with a pop singer under the direction of a comedian.
this was probably your best work yet, and very nice to see, as the saying goes “veahavta lereacha komocha- zeh klal gadol batorah” period.
But I also understand the rosh yeshivah, he’s responsible for the bochurim and there are many people dress as orthodox and don’t exactly….vd”l. He could have been a little more diplomatic, but he’s just doing his job
One can’t comment on your experience with this Rosh Yeshiva since he wasn’t there. If his motivation in his question was to judge you, then he was wrong. However, the idea that dress does makes a difference is in itself important, even though it seems only something external. We can’t just say it’s all about what’s inside. On the surface it sounds very nice, but in reality it’s the seeds for a slippery slope… How important is dress? The Torah tells us that one of the three reasons the Yiddin had the merit in Hashem eyes that he take them… Read more »
Thanks Mendy
not disagreeing with lubavitch dress…however i would like to note. many years ago in the early years. one of the chasideshe rebbes had a tanyeh to the rebbe. how come his chasidim dont dress like other chasidim , the rebbe answered meineh chasidim dress like the alteh rebbe says in perek daled tanya…pnimius levushim….
NICE!!!!!!
You totally took Jewish videos to another level, without doing what others do!
B”H Your degeneration of the Rosh Yeshiva is completely off base.There is a big difference between loving every Jew , (irregardless of the differences or levels of observance) based on the common bond that we share- our Father in Heaven and allowing a person not equipped to be sent into the clutches of someone who could bring him down. Not accusing you of that chas v’ sholem, but the Rosh Yeshiva did not know who you are and he is responsible for the Bochers well being as well as answerable to the Bochers parents.
I`M WAS THERE BY THE WAY,WAS REALLY NICE. AND THE BACHUR CHABAD IS MY SON.CONGRATULATION TO ALL OF YOU.THE SONG IS GOURGEUS.
The point is not to be hippy or to “be chilled” bout the rules.
It is to be respectful and accepting (not change your standards). We can learn to respect the chareydim more I think
awesome video and brilliant message!!!!
if only it was really like that…
Awesome!
You make me laugh – today you made me cry too! May our Ahavas Yisroel bring us to the Geula Shelaima. Thank you!
Achdus – Halavai!!
What a sharp, brilliantly choreographed video with Shwekey’s real, authentic songs which hit home. Couldn’t have been better timing than to come out before Rosh Hashana. As a result of this video, I hope more yidden decide to spread some LOVE!
Moshiach Now!
love ittt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dont usually like music videos but this one is amazing!!!!
make a great team!!!!!!!
Stop pretending that chabad means being hippies!!! It’s not “all cool, man”. We live in a world of responsibilities and rules. Thousands of rules, that dictate every move in life. Ahavas Yisroel is a Chiuv, but it doesn’t mean that just because we have to love a Jew, that we also have to approve of what they do or dress in!!! Nor do we have to hang out with them making Music Videos!!! If you people would learn a little Chasidus this wouldn’t be a problem…
Mendy, you missed the point. As a Lubavitcher chossid, we DO have a dress. The Rosh Yeshiva wanted to know if you’re a proud chossid who wears his uniform.
We need to be proud of who we are while loving and respecting every Jew in the melting pot that is the Jewish people.
realy nice
the chabad guy is moishe savoy from the 1st jewish star…..
Excellent! Now let’s make it happen!
Great Video Mendy & Yaakov!
Yisroel Amar