[EXCLUSIVE] Yossi Green Vistory: Shabbos with Zeidy Berish – Shalom Aleichem

This past Tuesday night, Yossi Green released the new single entitled “Shabbos with Zeidy Berish – Shalom Aleichem” at the wedding of his son.”

This single is the fourth in a series called “Shabbos with Zeidy Berish” and is part of a new project and series called “Yossi Green Vistory.” Vistory, Yossi tells us, stands for “Vintage Music History” and marks the beginning of a new endeavor on his part to produce, present and thereby preserve some of the most precious and beautiful songs of the previous generations so that they be readily available for our generation, as well as future generations to come, IY”H.

The first single in the series was released in August, 2010 and is called “Shabbos with Zeidy Berish – Boruch Hashem Yom Yom”, the second was released in 2011 and was called “Zeidy Berish – Ma Yedidus Menuchoseich” and the third Zeidy Berish – Loy SayVoyshi.

The name of this current single is “Shabbos with Zeidy Berish – Shalom Aleichem.” It was composed for the venerated Satmarer Rebbe, R’ Yoel Teitelbaum, Zatzal….

Yossi is involving many different music professionals in the Vistory project. This time the song is being arranged by the talented Leib Yaakov Rigler who is a true genius. The vocals on the song are done by the Vishever Voices (Yossi, Shhhhhh) paired masterfully with the Vishever Violins. As is Yossi’s time honored practice of Hachnosas Orchim in this project, he has once again invited a guest to sing with him. This time he chose the multi-talented Azik Hoenig. Yossi tells us that the next song is already in the works.

Click PLAY below to hear the first part of the song Shalom Aleichem

Who is this Zeidy Berish?
Zeidy Berish is none other than Reb Dov Berish Halevi Horowitz, Zatzal, otherwise known throughout pre-war Europe as R’ Berish Vishever on account of his having lived in the city called Vishov in what was then Hungary. R’ Berish was one of the most wellknown composers of Chassidic music in Eastern Europe before World War II. He composed songs for many of the Chassidic dynasties in the Austro-Hungarian part of Europe. There are many stories and legends told about him. One of these is that R’ Berish, (some say that he could have been a Rebbe in his own right) after meeting and getting to know a Rebbe for the first time, would sense and understand the nuances of his Derech in Avodas Hashem and would then compose a song representing and reflecting this individuality. He would then have it written up (obviously, there were no recording devices readily available at the time) and sent as a gift to the individual Rebbe. It is further said that R’ Berish would develop a strong connection and relationship with these Tzaddikim who would then ask him to compose songs for specific times and occasions through the years. These songs would go on to become those that the Chassidim, and eventually the rest of the Chassidic world, would sing everywhere. Tragically, in 1944 at Auschwitz toward the end of World War II, R’ Dov Berish Halevi Horowitz, Zatzal, perished together with most of the members of his family as well as the other Jewish people of his city, Vishov. Hashem Yinkom Domom.

Yossi Green says that it was the music and songs of “Zeidy Berish,” which he heard at his father’s table and in the Shuls he attended as a young impressionable child, that created within him the drive and stimulation that would later inspire him to compose and set the world aflame with his own music.
The first song in the Vistory series, “Boruch Hashem Yom Yom” was in fact a Nigun which R’ Berish sent to the Satmarer Rebbe, R’ Yoel Teitelbaum, Zatzal as a Vehoil Maminim which the Chassidim then changed the lyrics to Boruch Hashem Yoim Yoim making it singable at the Shabbos table. The second song in the series was a Nigun R’ Berish sent to the Ahavas Yisroel – Vizhnitzer Rebbe, R’ Yisroel Hager, Zatzal as a Mizmoir Ledovid for Shalosh Seudos. Yossi arranged this one into a Ma Yedidis due to its length and great depth. It is a Nigun of immense Dveikus transporting the listener to a time in pre-world war years.

This series is being done with the support of some of the surviving grandchildren, which is the reason it is so named. The “Shabbos with Zeidy Berish” series will, IY”H, include a series of singles arranged to the words of Shabbos Zemiros & Tefillos followed by a full length CD and book when completed.

These CD Singles will NOT be available in all stores. At this time they can be purchased in Williamsburg at Lee Avenue Photo on Lee Avenue corner Ross Street. Otherwise, one interested in obtaining a copy can contact Yossi Green via his Facebook page’s “Yossi Green” & “Yossi Green II.”