New York – The long awaited Unity for Justice music video premiered at a press conference yesterday held at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. The video, showcased Mordechai Ben David’s classic Unity song, with new words added to highlight the plight of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, whose twenty seven year prison sentence following a federal raid on the Postville Iowa Agriprocessors plant has been decried by many as being excessive and unjust. Jewish music stars from all over the world showed their support for the Rubashkins and the six minute video features thirty nine artists and two choirs, including superstars Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried, Yaakov Shwekey and Lipa Schmeltzer.
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The press conference was emceed by Rabbi Shea Hechat and speakers included singer Yaakov Shwekey, Danny Finkelman producer and director of the Unity project, Meir Cohen, representing the Teltech Corporation, sponsor of the project, Rabbi Pinchus Lipshutz, editor of the Yated, a staunch advocate for Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin. Mrs. Leah Rubashkin gave an official statement from the Rubashkin family.
Also in attendance were music personalities, Lipa (Monsey), Yaakov Shwekey (Lakewood), Chazzan Yanky Lemmer (Boro Park), Yehuda Green (Manhattan), Benny Friedman (Crown Heights) Dovid Gabay (Lakewood), Shloime Taussig (Boro Park), Shua Kessin (Lakewood), Yoni Zigelboum (Crown Heights), Yossi Goldstein (Crown Heights) Y-Love (Crown Heights), DeScribe (Crown Heights), Yochi Briskman (Boro Park), Gershy Moskowitz (Flatbush), Avi Newmark (Far Rockaway)and more.
Producer Gershy Moskowitz of TeeM Productions described the mood in the room after the video screening. “You could have heard a pin drop in the room. It was very emotional, everyone had tears in their eyes.”
The video was only released Thursday afternoon, and the clip has already received more then 26,000 hits as of this morning.
While the music video can be seen on YouTube, the song is available for download for 99 cents at mostlymusic.com and the iTunes store with all proceeds going to benefit the Klal Yisroel Fund.
Online: http://unityforjustice.com
Watch below.
Lyrics Written by MBD and Shea Mendelowitz, Additional lyrics by MBD and Moshe Kravitsky
Like angels in the sky
In a garden full of glory
The galaxy so brilliantly related
Ultimately high
On that first page of our story
‘Till the time our parents were created
Envious brother Cain
Threw a blow so mad and chilling
Tragically he never did recover
It’s really so insane
All our selfishness, that’s killing
That stranger who’s our sister and our brother
CHORUS
So listen brother, listen friend Enlarge Notes
Just a little smile, a helping hand
And we all will find a loving kind humanity
We must teach our children to
Treat your fellow friends like they were you
And then we all find some peace of mind and unity
Eagle soaring by
could you lift him up with you now
and fly him home w justice pride and freedom
His eyes are gazing wide
From behind the bars he prays now
With faith with joy, oh how we wait to greet him
Ages rushing by
Writing chapters full of sorrow
Webs of self destruction, we are weaving
Because if we don’t even try
There’s no hope for our tomorrow
So what’s it all worth if we are not achieving?
CHORUS
Yes one thing makes me smile
I can feel that happy ending
As justice will prevail, so delighted
And in just a little while
He will join in freedom singing
With peace and love across a world united
CHORUS
Wow! no words to describe! the Achdus is amazing! hopefully hashem will hear the cries of klall yisroel and say Di Ltzoroseino! and bring Moshiach now!
and may Shlom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka have a Geula Protis now!
“We Are The World” this isn’t.
this is nice, but in realty I think this is hurting SMR in his legal battle and just getting the feds and the judge mad.
to # 2…
so much for your unity! why do you need to be negative? the video is amazing, and you’re nasty!
Isnt the whole point of these ‘unity’ videos is to show all walks of life coming together and singing for a cause. This list of singers are all alike and only only coming from 1 walk of life – yeshivish and right wing. apperently they missed the the point of these videos.
Wait does this mean he’s innocent?
They should donate the money to autism instead.
The real world of 300 million in this country will look at this video and say that religious tribal Jews are just like Arabs. They both defend their convicted tribe members to the end even when court of the land finds them guilty of crimes. Talking to Rubashkin defenders is like talking to Muslim college students who think that all convicted Arabs are innocently accused by Islamophobic Americans.
Maybe they should put in the clip a series about crime does not pay, and if you commit a crime you must take personal responsibility. Then show another clip about how the parents should teach the children proper midos, and true Torah, and the Ten mcommandments. To be honest Jews, lead a Torah lifed, as defined by the Torah, not a life of a crook, and skewered Torah logic.
No one is saying he didn’t do a crime and that he should sit for a few years. But don’t you think that 27 years is a little excessive for the crime he was charged for?? I know I do.
This music video is a massive chillul Hashem and it boggles the mind that so many people can be fooled. Does nobody have a backbone anymore?
yeah, theyre just gonna sing him right out of jail…
Why not make videos for the poor families who had their house burn down, instead of raising millions for somone who has millions?
Now every Jewish criminal will think someone will write a musical about him. All money should be donated to a medical charity to help promote health for Jews. We have so many genetic diseases this CD could help instead of putting more money into the attorneys’ pension plans.
reply to #16 “No, it’s just an outcry for justice (read the organazation’s name), 27 years is just not justified.”
No, it is not, you’re wrong.
It’s called “Unity for Justice”. If it were truthful, it would be called “Unity for Rubashkin”. Unless you can tell me who else they are supporting with this “fund”. No one is saying his sentence wasn’t too harsh.
But if there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, you shouldn’t have to hide the real name and purpose. Who else are they singing about besides SMR?
reply to: 15 “Well, there are a couple of Lubavitcher Chassidim, a Belzer Chussid, a Satmer Chussid, a Breslav Chussid, Sfardim, Mizrachim, Geirim and Ba’alei Teshuvah (pardon me if I missed any). To me that sounds like pretty much ALL walks,”
You are so right! That’s like saying “there are American Satmar, European Satmar, African Satmar, Australian Satmar, Asian Satmar, there, that represents all walks of Jewish life, right?”
Different Chassidim and some baalei tshuvah do NOT represent “all walks” of Jewish life. That is a very ignorant statement.
Why do you call it a “Unity” fund, or a “justice” project, why don’t you call it what it is?
It is plain and simple a “Rubashkin fund”. Why are you so afraid to say so?
reply to #10 “No one is saying he didn’t do a crime and that he should sit for a few years.”
Actually, yes, that is EXACTLY what they are saying.
After the article yesterday in VIN about Rav Elyashiv considering a request to ban this type of music, and so many gadolim calling it a chillul hashem, this video makes a joke of the whole issue. I’d love to see this kind of achdus for yidden who really need and deserve help; not for a convicted felon who admits his crime but is whining about his sentence (which I agree is excessive but this video is even more over the top).
This is a great idea, we can’t let the issue just fade away & have him languish in prison, this must remain in the headlines until this travesty of justice is corrected.
To all the complainers: Go ahead & do a project for autism, poverty, medical etc. etc. but don’t grumble about our efforts on behalf of a fellow Jew – & there is a reason why we are singling him out from so many others that are serving time. Obviously, the injustice cries out in this case as opposed to others.
reply to #23 :
Although you will get much criticism for your last statement, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Re your first point, I think Rav Y was considering banning concerts, not music, although I may be wrong (however much banning Jewish music, or even just concerts is ridiculous to me),
reply to #24 : “there is a reason why we are singling him out from so many others that are serving time.”
Really? Can you tell me the reason? Is it because the others were innocent?
Firstly as many others stated.. all those that are bashing this and saying money should be donated elsewhere.. open you’r organization and maybe ppl will donate instead of bashing this cause.
Secondly there actually are music videos and cds that were put together by singers for the other causes as well Ex. Harei Yehuda ( go buy it and support the cause..) , Miracles by Rccs and others..
Thirdly 27 years is unjust for the crime here ( ps this isnt the only case where an unjust sentence was given..)
(people that do a bussiness crime of some sort should not be put away for 25+ years its rediculous.)
reply to #27 :
Your reasoning is as faulty as your spelling.
Firstly, if this is so above-board, why hide the real purpose of it? Call it what it is, not “Unity for Justice”. This has nothing to do with justice, it has to do with a harsh sentence for a convicted felon, as you pointed out, who got 27 years. But as you also pointed out, it is not the only case “an unjust sentence was given”. So why isn’t this “unity for Justice” fighting ALL the unjust sentences? The answer is obvious.
Secondly, who are you to decide what is “rediculous” for “bussiness” crime? I think 27 years is too harsh in this particular crime, but it is not up to you, it is up to the court, some crimes deserve 27 years, and the appeal will determine whether the sentence is legal or not in this case. In the meantime, real justice would be to get people out of jail who are innocent and shouldn’t be there at all in the first place.
Can anyone tell me what exactly is “the Klal Yisroel Fund”? What specifically does it do? Is this a general fund, or another name for the Rubashkin Legal Fund?
The rebbe always advocated QUIET DIPLOMACY and this is far from it. 3rd singers making a song will do diddly squat for SMR other than cheap promotion for themselves on Sholom Modchoh’s cheshbon
reply to # 7
Autism can be cured, so if anyone wants to donate to autism, or better yet learn how to cure autism, go to AutismHomeTherapy dot com. And what does that conflict with helping a Yid who is being overly punished just because he is a Yid.
The rebbe always advocated QUIET DIPLOMACY and this is far from it. A bunch of 3rd rate singers making a song will do diddly squat for SMR other than cheap promotion for themselves on Sholom Modchoh’s cheshbon.
reply to #31 –
You claim this deceptively-named fund is “helping a Yid who is being overly punished just because he is a Yid.”
Please show me ANY proof that it is “just because he is a yid”
Reade is known as a ridiculously harsh judge on everyone. Show me ANYTHING AT ALL that shows this is related to his being Jewish as opposed to his being a criminal.
Also, it is interesting that the claim is not that he doesn’t deserve prison, but that 27 years is overly harsh. Yet in the same breath (or should i say song), it is demanded that he be immediately released.
If 27 years is too harsh, isn’t immediate release too light?
I am so far unaware of the “Chassidishe defense”, that is, any frum Jew should not do any time in jail regardless of the crime, ever working in criminal or civil court.
This song just made my night! i cant remember the last time i laughed so hard. im sorry but its sooooooo pathetic
#34 – I agree. It’s a bunch of emotionally descriptive words that don’t mean anything when put together.
It reminds me of poetry assignments in yeshiva English classes which made us squeeze words in to fit the poem, not any particular idea, so long as the rhythm was right and the last words rhymed (here -only kind of, though).
This song is very pretentious, and ridiculous when you just read the words, as at the top of this column.
However, what is very interesting is that depite protestations that 27 years is too harsh, apparently ANY sentence is too harsh – this song celebrates the hope that “justice” will be done and SMR will shortly be “joining in the freedom, singing”.
I guess the “justice” everyone is donating to and singing about is not “27 years is too much!”, but rather, “ANY years are too much. Set him free now. He shouldn’t have to do ANY time in a just world!”
So maybe someone will translate this song into another language, like simple English, and will state the truth: That everyone seems to be upset that the courts do not recognize SMR’s “get out of jail free because he’s chassidish” card.
Given the political overtones of the case, it is very reasonable for us to want to see his sentence reduced to supervised probation. It is amazing that America has sunk to the point that PETA, the Backward and their squawk box Failed Messup are taken seriously enough to be used by the unions to ruin a business and its owners.
reply to #38 :
given WHAT “political overtones”?
What is so reasonable about supervised probation? He did the crime, he was found guilty, what are the politics? Either he was legally allowed to be given a very harsh sentence, or he was not, and it will be powered after the appeal.
But on what basis should he be allowed to be set free? Because YOU think this had something to do with politics?
Maybe you can explain to me why you think a convicted felon should be set free and not have to pay for his crimes AT ALL just because he’s a chassidisha Yid?