Shlock Rock ft. The Maccabeats - Minyan Man

Music video for "Minyan Man," originally performed by Shlock Rock
Video by Uri Westrich
[e-mail]
It's such a privilege to cover "Minyan Man" with Shlock Rock's Lenny Solomon, the godfather of the Jewish parody genre!
Minyan Man is featured on Shlock Rock's latest album, Shlockapella: catalog.shlockr...
This and all Maccabeats music is recorded a cappella.
www.maccabeats.com
Bandcamp: maccabeats.ban...
Bookings: [e-mail]
Tour dates: www.maccabeats....
Facebook: / maccabeats
Twitter: / maccabeats
iTunes: itunes.apple.c...
Check out Shlock Rock: www.shlockrock....
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Arranged by Tom Anderson
Edited and mixed by Alexander Koutzoukis for Plaid Productions
Mastered by Dave Sperandio for Vocal Mastering
Video Assistant: Judy Herzfeld
Rabbi on the street: Rabbi Reuven Tradburks
Special thanks to Rabbi Aviad Bodner and the historic Stanton Street Shul

[@fiddlinvic]

When I wrote this I was in high school in Memphis, TN. I could have never envisioned such a warm, universal response. I have Lenny Solomon to thank for making it such a hit. I am also grateful to the Maccabeats for teaming up with Lenny and taking Minyan Man to the next level. Great job, guys! Victor Shine

[@Favorites227]

Really! Cool!! This is such a beautiful and spiritual anthem to me. I am Christian. But, I've listened to the song so much..I think maybe we all have Jew somewhere in our blood. Really, really great job!!

[@francinegray9383]

Thank you P Me.

[@amazingabby25]

fiddlinvic I have very warm memories of singing this song every Shabbat at Camp Yavneh, thanks for writing it.

[@impalamama7302]

Shalom from the "Big M" town! I love this song! I was born and raised in Memphis. I come from a long line of Sephardic Jews, who came to this country to Charleston, SC during Colonial Times, who lived and intermarried and were assimilated. But I have knew my roots,and have embraced them for decades. Thank you for realizing and putting into song that the Jewish influence in America isn't always from the Ashkenazim, and even in the depths of the South there is a presence and heritage of the Tzadkim. The Secretary of State of the Confederacy was a Jew...Judah Benjamin. Might not fit in with today''s PC enviroment ...but there it is! Shalom and La'shanah Tov!

[@francinegray9383]

Excellent! So right, as the Sephardis and Romaniotes too long have melded into Ashkenazi culture. BTW, I think there were other major Jewish figures in the South too. Shanah Tovah!

[@VictorLaszlo46]

Living in a predominantly Mormon town and as a practicing Jew (Conservative ), I met an Orthodox gentleman and I was so happy to see him. I greeted him and he asked me “How many Jews in this town?” And I couldn’t help but say “There used to be a minyan around.”

[@shulamislefkowitz7816]

Shit you don't know how much you can do

[@matero4life2019]

Hey I live in Utah as well we probably know eachother lol you probably mean rabbi Benny from the chabad in Salt Lake City . I grew up here it’s very challenging being a Jew here. Bennys a mensch I really like him. Love chabad of Utah 🇺🇸❤️

[@mcscott1st]

I’m from Birmingham where part of this was filmed. I went to a high school that had a large Jewish presence and I learned to love and respect the Jews and I stand for Israel! Our spiritual home on this Earth.

[@meniweizmann644]

Amen to that brother!

[@joescott123]

Thank you, form all of us.

[@francinegray9383]

For some reason this song brings a tear to my eye, and a simple sense of pride in The Tribe.

[@impalamama7302]

Amen, Francine, Amen.....I love the way the harmonies reflect those common to the harmonies of Southern gospel church music..... no Klezmer here...

[@francinegray9383]

Interesting point.

[@impalamama7302]

@@francinegray9383 The American South is MORE Pro-Israel than anyplace on earth. It is because the South was well-salted by the Sephardic Jews that were well assimilated prior to the War Between The States.In colonial times, and after the War for American Independence, It also blended well with the Scottish HIghland/ Ulster Scots and Cherokee customs that built up the LARGE parts of the South that did NOT rely on slave labor. It's very interesting just how much Southern tradition is closely aligned with Sephardic Jewish tradition.....there is very much shared...Israel has no closer friend but we don't care....we are used to being called names! We STAND with Israel!

[@francinegray9383]

@@impalamama7302 Thanks for that info! Very interesting. We need better education in the U. S. about these types of assimilations.

[@F_Tim1961]

I made post on this less than 4 hrs ago and it appears to have been deleted. Chabad AUCK was involved in the discussion. TE. Fidler in NZ .. Weird ?? @Francine Gray .... BTW The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravits is free to air on KZbin at the moment. I guess the copyright period is over. well worth a look . It is a real scream this film... cynical but quite subtle too. a very young Rick Dreyfus puts up a bravura performance.. th ebest scene is when He tries to do some Gesheft with Farber in the junk yard. Farber realises it is an idea opportunity to stitch up Segal after he (F) strikes a price for the bar mitzvah film with Duddy.. just priceless. :-) Tim Fidler New ZLD

[@DSKent]

I watch this at least once a month. I literally crave this song. Thank you.

[@susanschwarz8253]

I love this song. I am from a small city that struggled every week for a Minyan but thanks to our wonderful new Rabbi and his wife we are now reviving and starting to thrive!

[@emilaslan3316]

This is so profound and delicate; brings tears to my eyes. Shalom from a Mizrachi Jew!

[@learntogrow6861]

Crying!!! Shabbat Shalom, holy Jews. May we all come together under G-d soon

[@coribellanoche]

As the president of our synagogue in Rapid City, South Dakota where we have about 25 family units in our synagogue this song, the music and especially the words resonate quite personally. As a 70 year old I worry about the fate of our island of Yiddishkeit in our little corner of the world. When one of our student rabbis join us for the academic year I always play this video for them - a reality test of what we confront out here in the suburbs of the diaspora - frontier Judaism to be sure - and yes, I shed a tear each time. Fiddlinvic et all are genius who they captured the hopes and fears of rural Judaism.

[@stevesmythe6387]

What a great song and an awesome rendition guys. Thank you Maccabeats, you rock!

[@satchmoshello]

Love _everything_ about this! The words, the melody, the wonderful harmony of the Maccabeats, the filming. " ... and the back of the store still remembers the song."

[@fiddlinvic]

@satchmoshello I get chills when reading your kind words. Thank you!

[@twatmunro]

The most surprising thing about this video is how little Lenny Solomon seems to have changed since the original video. He must have been one of those guys who looked middle aged as a young man.

[@multilingual972]

This song is so moving it brought me to tears. I have been a minyan man several times in my life in a small town and it is an intensively gratifying feeling--a real mitzvah.Once I was a minyan man in central Tel Aviv. I said how could this possible; how naive I was.

[@SOCORROSILVA-in7px]

Every time I see my husband listening to this fine music I always ask him what the lyrics means and he tells me. Thanks to Lenny Solomon for making and creating this masterpiece of a lovely Jewish song that anybody can relate to.

[@fiddlinvic]

I give Lenny a lot of credit for making this song a worldwide hit, and for transforming it from the ballad I originally wrote. Here is the link to the original tape I sent him in 1986 with me playing guitar and violin, and singing. (I used two tape recorders): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIqonYqVjNGgrrs

[@booz394]

This brings much meaning to us in Southern Africa too… where one can find hundreds of beautiful synagogues throughout cities, villages and towns (dorps in Afrikaans) some have not seen a Jew, yet alone a minyan in many years. I too am leaving in a few months… I am making aliya… but even in Israel … a little part of my heart will remain in that beautiful stained glass shul (synagogue) where I had my bar mitzvah so many years ago. The shul opened in 1942… it can seat over a thousand; in a suburb that was once Jewish and today is known as Johannesburg’s China Town called Cyrildene. Cyrildene Shul

[@aphilip9447]

One of the best Maccabeats songs.

[@JsbergVR]

A Philip Actually this song is from Lenny Solomon (Shlock Rock Leader)

[@erikbishop7]

Religion in the South is amazing. Whoever you meet, they are most likely to be religious and practicing. There are mostly Protestants, but also Catholics, Jews, and a handful of Orthodox Christians. I am a young adult convert to Catholicism, and I must say, that every one of these congregations have their own sort of beauty. God bless, what a beautiful song!

[@hannahs1683]

Very few Orthodox lol

[@erikbishop7]

@@hannahs1683 Indeed, I know it.

[@mariekatherine5238]

Old comment, but it’s true. I’m Traditional Catholic and have spent many summers in the south. However unlikely, I can think of only once that I didn’t find a Latin Mass for Sunday or Holy Day.

[@davidbogart3269]

Thank you to the Maccabeats and Lenny Solomon for teaming up and bringing back such fond memories of the old KI (Congregation Kenneset Israel) minyan in Birmingham, AL. As far as I know, just about everyone of the men in the video are no longer alive or have moved away (Rabbi Tradburks to Israel and Richard Cohen northward). And yes, the hardware store was under Jewish ownership. I was teaching during the filming of the original video. Wished I could have been part of this moving musical video.

[@Gingit]

My grandparents were members of Kenseth Israel in Birmingham, Alabama where the filming of the minyan took place. My very tall Uncle Izzy Eubanks can be seen as one of the Minyan goers. Such a surprise❣

[@Gingit]

"Keneseth Israel"

[@simafeinzeig2959]

This hardware store w the minyan actually existed???? Wow !!

[@libertybelle6695]

This brings me back to my childhood. I love the song and video, especially the old film. Precious memories. A favorite.

[@gracebullen5584]

I love listening to this song. Brings me to tears at the end every time.

[@kristiroth8289]

This song gives me goosebumps, it is so beautiful!

[@divineangelvoice6846]

First time I listen to this song tears came in my eyes and there was pain in my Heart. It is Again an excellent touching song about jews, and yet the music is so great you cannot get it out of your head. The filming is so well done in colours Brown taking us back. God bless the jews ..... I stand for Israel.

[@mweinstein1542]

One of my all time favorites. The Maccabeats add a really different dimension. I loved the original too. The clips taken from the original were filmed in the back of my friend's father's hardware store in Birmingham, Alabama. Memories...

[@davidgolden1607]

My research used to take me to locations far more remote than Mobile, AL and with many fewer Jews. Sometimes it would just be 3 or 4 of us getting together in places like the back of a clothing store, and sometimes I was the minyan man. I love this song and it brings back so many memories. Yasher koach, Mr. Shine, please know you have brought great joy into the world.

[@fiddlinvic]

@David Golden that is so kind of you to say! I am grateful.

[@fiddlinvic]

I wrote this song when I was in high school, and Lenny published it in 1986. I really enjoy reading the comments describing how this song is meaningful for so many people of all backgrounds. Thank you, everyone

[@joshuakatz8367]

fiddlinvic you're lying I wrote this song when I was in the womb

[@fiddlinvic]

How'd you fit a minyan in the same womb?

[@PuzzlesC4M]

I thought for sure this was another Maccabeats parody. The 1st time I heard it I knew the tune and some of the words, but I’m not Jewish! How did I know this song? I figure it had to be from the few summers I went to camp at the JCC. I’m a Christian, but learning about the Tanakh and history of the Jewish people makes my heart ache for all they have been through and go through to this day. I’m so glad I found this and the writer. May G-d bless you!

[@PuzzlesC4M]

fiddlinvic Meant to tag you in the comment

[@dorothyyoung8231]

One of my professors in college was not observant but had been raised in an Orthodox family. When the local men needed a Minyan Man they’d call him and he’d always go on shabbos to make up the minyan.

[@judieubanks7421]

How did you guys have that film footage? My dad is the tall man standing right in front of the singer! He's been gone many years..... this was unbelievable!

[@Shlockrock1]

HI Judi, It is so nice to know that your dad is in the video. It was really a beautiful experience filming the original song back in 1989 and then again in 2015 with the Maccabeats!

[@SOCORROSILVA-in7px]

Judi, Is your dad located at approximately 2:04 being tall and having white hair?

[@stephaniesaklad9224]

My great grandfather was in that minyan too!!! We have vhs tapes with the original music video!

[@missym5196]

Awww

[@rebeccagurk1709]

Is that Frank Friedman at 2:16? And Rabbi RT?

[@firewilson573]

Makes me feel good

[@rebeccagutierrez1401]

I love, love the Jewish community so much. They've been through so much and yet are so strong. Greetings from Puerto Rico. Hey to complete I found out I am 1% Jewish in My DNA I was so happy to find that out.

[@frogallin1621]

Rebecca Gutierrez How is your DNA religious?

[@ellierichards3796]

Frogallin 1 depending on what dna tests you use, portions of your heritage can be simplified to “european jew” :)

[@mrfarina1474]

Judaism is an ethno religion

[@leonamay8776]

@@frogallin1621 it's not. But Judaism is also an ethnicity. Well, you can convert... So, if you're descended from converts the test may not find "Jewish DNA" 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@frogallin1621]

Leona DuLac So what exactly is ‘Jewish DNA’?

[@devikasingh5848]

God bless my Jewish brothers & sisters.

[@jonihenry8124]

I watch this video several times a week. The music and lyrics are so beautiful and it always brings tears to my eyes.

[@PAL669]

One of the greatest Shlock Rock songs and this rendition with Maccabeats is perfect!

[@lynnemarton5378]

This song is really right on - the way our people have drifted apart and away. It makes you stop and think about where we have come from and where we are going - and it needs to be back to our roots.

[@divineangelvoice6846]

Another wonderful song by Lenny Solomon and of course the MACCABEATS. Every day I listen to it - it lift my soul so high. You jews are so talented in all arts, science, acriculture - yes you are certainly blessed by God. Blessed be you all. I stand for Israel.

[@lorelicrummett5708]

My daughter LOVED this song as a little girl. Now we share these beautiful words with my grandchildren.

[@anniel9456]

so lovley... a recurrent event in small town Canada too... my old shul in North Bay also used to be a hardware store about 100 years ago; last year and a half a few elders passed away and for the first time in memory they can't make a minyan ... time to make aliyah

[@amandablount3121]

That is super sad.

[@impalamama7302]

May HaShem raise up some young men to replace them!

[@philw5699]

I would guess that the young men moved away to more exciting places.

[@wjameswright]

Didnt know there was a shul in North Bay or I would have been there when i lived there

[@christopherhartley845]

With the intolerable prices in a lot of big cities these days I am sure that you will see a lot of millenials & younger moving back to smaller cities & towns.

[@dotolsen3884]

Beautiful harmony and such tender words...the room remembers the songs. Well done!

[@KaylaPearlCPNinja]

I wish this version could be put on iTunes. I absolutely love this song!

[@Stellaki]

Thank you for the beautiful voices and my need to come back to our home one more time, please dear G-d!🙏

[@Loloisme]

I always sing thing. It was a staple on our high school retreats and the other day I was feeling emotional about the I/P conflict right now in the world and started to sing this and it brought me back to the sense of community we have and I started to cry in the middle of the mall.

[@Loloisme]

my high school partnered with some of the maccabeats who would come on our retreats (before they were the maccabeats) and this is where they heard the song I'd guess. we love it so much

[@stlev99]

Terrific and so real. I've sat around in shul while the rabbi sent someone to go get the car mechanic because someone needed to get kaddish. And I've gotten the call too "ARE YOU available to help us form a minyan so we can say kaddish. I'm not even a traditionally observant Jew, but if someone grabbed me on the street and said they needed me for a minyan, I'd do like any mentsh would. So the other commenter's tear is totally understandable. Beautiful song and great performance.

[@killer72619]

Saw this late one night on NYC public access. Tremendous song!

[@phurwitzma]

This song is one of all time favorite songs. This arrangement with the Maccabeats is amazing and I keep coming back to listen to it over and over! Brings back such amazing NCSY memories with lots of good friends.

[@lindaginsburg3080]

Thank you for posting this! It brings back wonderful memories of listening to my kids at camp - singing full voice and with pride.

[@Francisfaustina]

I'm sharing this all over!!! LOVE THIS SONG!!! brought tears to my eyes!

[@בתאליואלמן]

Shlock Rock איזו נוסטלגיה!!! וואו!! 😍

[@Gabriel_BenElishah]

Awesome song and video !! Shalom from Mexico City

[@abchasi27]

I cannot begin to comprehend the awesomeness of this.

[@ronir3114]

Incredible! Fresh sound to a classic. Great combo of talent.

[@captsparks1]

I really love this song and find myself singing along while driving.

[@cirene2550]

Great song and beautiful harmonies! 2

[@David-xw2sy]

ANOTHER hit by the Maccabeats! Amazing!

[@NageelaMom]

No, by Shlock Rock.

[@fiddlinvic]

@@NageelaMom Actually I originally donated the song to Lenny Solomon's Jewish Public School Youth, but thanks for the note!

[@bradlafferty4493]

I'm not even Jewish and I love this song. Cool Jewish singers, how did they meet, form, gather. The video goes from 1989 to present day. Well done.

[@carolinedevorahstephen7435]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maccabeats

[@asaftk]

Great song!!! it touched my heart its beatiful voices and words made me feel the happiness of those men in that time thank you very much, i now appreciate having a minyan more than before

[@sergeytsyplenkov4740]

Какое СЧАСТЬЕ - видеть такие(!) глаза у людей, которые ПОЮТ!!!

[@sophiakandy1532]

מקסים ביותר ,תודה 🙏

[@saragolembo4931]

love this song. Very emotional!

[@carlo_cali]

They filmed this at my shul before it had the renovations done. It's Stanton Street Shul, NYC and we just had a huge turnout for Yom Kippur on Friday & Saturday. Very beautiful and old shul constructed in 1913. Gmar Chatima Tova ! 5785

[@AsafMatan]

Amazing song, Lenny I shed a tear *every time* I hear this! All the wishes from Oranit Israel

[@corniebanman424]

Great song, and great singing performance.

[@jellyrcw12]

This song randomly popped in my head and I had to hear it again.

[@patricadawson6592]

Loved the song...brings me joy this Friday evening!

[@MoJo12355]

One of my favourite schlock rock songs teamed with the maccabeats 👌 fantastic

[@larrycopeland2413]

The Maccabeats harmonize so well.

[@ellierichards3796]

dude.... i’ve been listening to shlock rock since second grade. this is so nostalgic for me. i love being so proudly jewish.

[@TheOrneryNerd]

I'm not an orthodox, actually, not religious at all, but you guys are great. Keep on your great work. Lots of love from Israel

[@annamaegold]

This is my all time favorite tear jerker. It's an especially good shabbos for us today. Shabbat Shalom! ✌🏽

[@elissegoldstein-clark8913]

Lovin' me some Maccabeats!!!

[@chavabaskin3777]

excellent collaboration great jobs guys

[@shevyszcz6188]

I love this song!!

[@PAL669]

Great song! Powerful!

[@5lrhythms803]

Wow another awesome hit this is great I'm gonna listen to it a million times !!!

[@richstreitfeldloanoriginat6574]

This song is universal, it's about connection and community, right? It helps being Jewish, to help understand the context -- and the message is universal. And so beautifully sung and arranged.

[@extropiantranshuman]

I love the 90s nostalgia in the filmography!

[@BaerTheBlader]

This song gets me in the feels every time I hear it.

[@naomimorris6305]

you all did such a good job on this song. I love the message and your voices are so powerful and beautiful! ~~mazol tov!!!

[@alvaroaviel1935]

I am glad I could contribute with the subtitles in Spanish.

[@ytfan1012]

Guys! This is wonderful--thank you!

[@rachelnease4269]

There are more of us here in Mobile. We can find a Minyan, and 2 synagogues currently. I'm so thankful for our small community. I've lived in other places that this song reminds me of. Once I was the only Jew in Metter Georgia probably the whole county, for a few years. This song brings back those memories. Sometimes it's easy to forget how few of us there really are until you are the only one.

[@MrMitchgries]

Fantastic, and the guys all have wonderful voices. I am going to share this video with my mischbacha

[@mridley64]

It is physically impossible for me to be sad while listening to this song. :p

[@fiddlinvic]

This note makes me very happy :)

[@johnnypitt2767]

I love it sooo much

[@ThePaperclipgirl]

IM SO EXCITED. this is one of my all time faves. such great memories attached

[@fiddlinvic]

Hell yeah Hanji Zoe Comments like yours never fail to bring on the warm fuzzies :)

[@WushuGirl]

Such a touching song! Just is time for shabbos! Thank you, Maccabeats!

[@aurafhimarabayof9135]

one word: just AMAZING

[@ftliverpool7930]

Great song ,really well sung ,this took a lot of work ,thanks

[@jakobgundermann5656]

Love this it Is fantastic. Great I can meet you at Ycc this summer

[@shulamislefkowitz7816]

I think it's the best song ever

[@smorrisrn1]

Love this!!!!!!!

[@FeralSun]

Heavenly perfect acapella tune. Great beatbox. When you do it live add more scratch beat please)))

[@rabbimorey]

Just perfect! Great idea!

[@joelschafer289]

Wonderful song! Beautiful voices! The Lord is my song! ...mein Herz ist fröhlich, und ich will ihm danken mit meinem Lied.

[@audreyyermus930]

Absolutely beautiful!! KOL HAKAVOD!

[@LeonidGalkin-vr2ok]

Thanks! Beautiful song!

[@joeyh1457]

very nice song from america NY

[@bettyk8105]

Wow! This is actually a beautiful song!

[@BuckshotLaFunke1]

Won't you stay with us for shabbes, Minyan Man? My father got up for cattle market every Friday around 04:00. Around noon he was back to sleep for two hours, then got up and continued working. He was no active Jew, but if he was called for minyan he went. This was around 1960.

[@impalamama7302]

YES! Among the Jews along the towns Mississippi River Delta, many of the Jewish tailors and merchants had to adapt to a culture who rigorously kept a 7th day Sabbath, so they HAD to be open on Saturday! I have heard tales of Jews who would go out and mind his shop, but would retire to the back of the store when he could had say prayers. So the fact that there was a meeting place in the back of a hardware store isn't such a strange thing to me, being raised in that world!

[@BuckshotLaFunke1]

@@impalamama7302 I am seeing your very personal reply only just now. a groysen dank - many thanks, indeed!

[@JordanAthemusiclover]

Great song and awesome harmonies as always! Keep up the great work and I'm looking forward to more videos!

[@paulinetaylor8918]

Me and my parents a catholic’s my parents are old school and I love how much Judaism has in common with us beside us with the Jessie and them with their ways it’s actually the same really only minor differences even the service is done the same way but theirs is in Hebrew or Jewish English language or whatever they call it, I admire how they have been theought hell and back and they never give up or loose faith and there so dedicated I love that dedication., the catholic’s and Jess are known as sister religions how did we not think like that before? We could have helped them they don’t believe in violence retaliating they have us to fight for them, we should have don’t that to begin with, why didn’t we isn’t that what sisters and family’s ment to do? Stick up for one another’s no matter what, if one can’t do because of there ways we could have done it for them, now we’re here for each other’s and we hope it stays that way, I seen what this fecking natzi swines did to them and watching what they did broke my heart poor sods they deserved better, so you see the part where the 10 comandments mosses whent to phero in chains and what he said I agree with him 100 percent he was a good man a man after my own heart.

[@Moishe3rd]

Just the best! Yasher Koach to Lenny and the Maccabeats

[@shayaskoblo3043]

It was so amazing and awesome