Shulem & Yanky Lemmer - The Man From Vilna | Reaction 

It broke my heart just a little when you asked if dancing was illegal then. It made me realize how lacking the holocaust education is for anyone other than Jews. No, dancing was not illegal. Being a Jew and being alive was “illegal”.

Just wanted to share, the "man" in this story is my wife's great grandfather, Rabbi Dr. Leo Goldman. I never got the chance to meet him, but I've heard incredible things. He was a very special man

As an Orthodox Jew, it's both hilarious and frustrating to watch you try and figure out what's going on. It's like watching a game show where the audience knows the answer but the contestants don't. Definitely entertaining.

I produced this track! These guys are legit top tier talent. This was for a music video but these guys just nailed their vocal takes. And the guy on piano is me 👋

This song was written by an incredible Jewish singer/songwriter Abe Rotenberg who knew a lot of holocaust survivors who inspired a lot of his songs. He’s writing here about how he met an older gentleman on a plane who told him a story. After they were liberated from the concentration camps him and other survivors that were from his home town, vilna (capital of Lithuanian), decided to go back home to look for loved ones. It took them months to get there and when they did they went straight to the synagogue (shul) which had been wrecked. They looked towards the eastern wall , which is the direction Jews pray towards and where the arc that the Torah scrolls are kept is, and they noticed that the arc was empty. It was a holiday called Simchas Torah, which is a holiday celebrated by dancing with the Torah scrolls, and without them they wouldn’t be able to. But then they noticed 2 little children in the corner (there weren’t many children because most of them were murdered and because of the holocaust most Jews hadn’t been able to have children over the past couple of years..) so they picked the children up and danced with them in place of the Torah scrolls (children are considered the purest like a Torah…) and they finally felt some relief seeing that there were still children that could carry on the Jewish nation for future generations…

As a religious Jew, I admire the way you try to understand the song, its background, etc. You are doing an amazing and thorough job! You can see that the music comes from deep within your soul Thank you so much!

This song was written by Abie Rotenberg (one of the greatest jewish composers -- many great English songs). 1) Vilna was a town in Europe that was home to many jews before the 2nd world War. 2) you are correct, survivor is referring to the holocaust. 3) Shul=synagogue, sifrei torah=torah scrolls 4) Simchas Torah is a holiday when we reach end of the Torah after reading a portion every Shabbos (kind of like siyum from dirshu video). Families come to shul and we dance and sing with the Torah scrolls after which we begin the first portion again. There are many different customs and traditions on simchas Torah, I'm sure you can find videos online. 5) jews pray towards the east: Jerusalem The song in summary: Jews returned to their home town empty handed and alone after being liberated from concentration camps and attempted begin life again, the want to celebrate the holiday Simchas Torah and dance in defiance of the attempt to exterminate them--they were still here! They find the synagogue destroyed and their Torah scrolls gone so instead they dance with the children because they are the future of the Jewish people.

Thank you for another amazing reaction video! Vilna was in Lithuania (Today it's Vilnius, the capital). "Survivor," as you guessed, refers to surviving the Holocaust. Lithuania was completely wiped of Jews during the Holocaust. Very few Lithuanian Jews survived/escaped. With regard to the children...very, very few children survived the Holocaust. It was a most unusual sight to see children in concentration camps and immediately following the War. A famous child-survivor is former chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau who was 8 1/2 years old at the end of the War. In his book, Out of the Depths, he describes the shocked reaction that many had upon seeing him in concentration camp and following Liberation. Also, Jews pray in the direction of Jerusalem/ the Temple Mount, which is East if you live West of Israel. The "Eastern Wall" is the important wall in every synagogue, as it is the wall that all the congregants face. The "Western Wall," also known as the "Wailing Wall," is a portion of the actual wall that surrounded the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jews in Israel pray at this wall. It is the only remaining wall following the destruction of the Temple.

Dude you’re amazing. You really get it. You have a soul of fire.

Good catch on the shoe vs shul or you would have gone viral again like with Tanya! On a more serious note, my father is one of those children survivors having lost nearly all his aunts an uncles ( a total of around 20) and both his grandparents and of course all his cousins. So In just one immediate family probably close to 75-80 people. It’s hard for us to understand how anyone can deny this tragedy. My father is now almost 84- both a rabbi and a PHD. When we call someone a survivor that’s what we mean. Rising from the ashes of complete and total trauma and still standing strong

It was so interesting to me to see how even an English song has so much in it that was difficult to understand. Growing up with these terms and concepts, they almost feel like general knowledge that anyone would understand. But it makes sense that someone who hasn't grown up with these words and ideas wouldn't get it. Thank you for trying your best. And you got a lot of it!!!! The story is a Holocaust survivor who goes back home and realizes its "Simchas Torah," a holiday where we dance in "shul" (synagogue) with "sifrei torah," scrolls of the bible. Because they had no torah scrolls and everything had been destroyed they danced with the children, a sign of hope for the future, instead. They end with the words "Am Yisrael Chai" which means The Jewish nation lives on!

It's about survivors returning home to Vila after the concentration camps. This song is based on a true story of an American Soldier seeing survivors on the holiday of Simchat Torah dancing with children instead of Torahs since their synagogue and torah scrolls were destroyed, but the children are our future. 🌟 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rtF9BnSWaXk.html It was very dangerous for Jews to return to their cities, there were multiple cases of Jews who survived the Concentration camps , coming home only to be killed in organized pogroms by the locals. When my family members returned home to find others living in their houses after surviving Auschwitz, the neighbors just looked at them and said " We didn't think you would return

Vilna is a city that had a massive Jewish community before the Holocaust, after they where liberated allot off survivors went back in hope of finding their lives ones, traveling at that time to along time due to the war. A sefer Torah (Torah school) is the bible handwritten and considered one of the holiest items in Judaism. Simchas Torah is a Jewish holiday where Jews Finnish reading the whole torah so to celebrate we sing and dance around a bima (a special table where we read the Torah) with all the Torah scrools. Vilna was under Soviet rule (if I am not mistaken) and the shul (synagogue) was boarded up but the went in either way, the Nazis used to murder allot of Jews in their synagogue and that is the scene described in the song. Around 3-4 million Jewish children where murdered in the Holocaust, so allot of people thought there wouldn't be a next generation of Jews but these children should the Jews will survive so they held them up and danced with them. Thanks for this video!

Great song choice!!! Yanky was famous for his incredible singing long before his brother Shulem came on the scene. They are both so talented, and their different voices blend together so beautifully!!

Youre getting a crash course in Judaism faster than anyone who would be learning this from books. I love this.

The guy on the piano is Aryeh Kunstler. I don't think we've seen him in any of your other videos. But he is a very talented musician (mostly guitarist) and singer in his own right. Definitely worth checking out too! Very nice songs in both English and Hebrew.

😭😭😭😭 omg my heart was getting emotional from this song. It’s so pretty ❤

By the way, this song was composed and written by Abie Rottenberg, the same composer and lyricist as "Memories" (a song you reacted to). I would love to see you react to one of Abie's songs with Abie actually singing it! I really think you would love his voice.

Been Really enjoying these videos. Would be awesome to see you do a part 2 of this video with your reactions once reading alot of these comments!

@portuguesepai I love all these so much. So refreshing for those of us who work in the Jewish music business.

It’s so interesting to see how little other people know about our culture! Loving this!! Very entertaining!!! Keep em coming please

In defiance we would dance. No- dancing was not illegal. But after what had happened to the Jews it took defiance to dance. And they did. They were an unbelievable generation. They started families, they worked, they sang, they danced. Am yisroel chai.

Stunning song!! I give 6 million likes for this one in memory of those lost in the holocaust. Hy"d

During WW2, jews from all over Europe were rounded up and murdered in concentration camps. After the liberation they tried to return to their home towns, but most of them no longer had homes or families. Here is the story of the people of Vilna trying to revive their little town. They want to celebrate the Holiday of Simchas Torah, when we dance with the Torah scrolls to celebrate the completion of the yearly learning cycle, but their SHUL (synagogue) had been ransacked. (The Nazis, may they burn in He11, often rounded communities up in synagogues, and murdered them there. But shooting, or by simply burning down the building with the jews trapped inside). When these people realized they had no Torah Scrolls (Sifrei Toirah) to dance with in their ransacked Shul, they danced holding the children instead, because the children were a reminder that despite the Nazis' greatest effort, there WOULD be future generations, there WOULD be a future to the Jewish nation.

Vilna ... a city in Europe that was a bastion of Judaism before the Holocaust which wiped out the city. Shul... Synagogue ... the old man was relaying his story after the war when the survivors regrouped back in Vilna their hometown which was all destroyed with no hebrew scriptures survived in the synagogue but all of them danced and celebrated on the Holiday.... they broke into the locked up Synagogue.... and covered with blood stains and bullet holes... then started dancing....which we celebrate Simchas Torah... rejoicing with the holy torah scrolls, but none survived the ravaging of the Natzi fires that destroyed all of the holy books.... Then.... a child.... a Jewish child survived! Survived the concentration camp...Appeared in the Synagogue .... the future of our faith.... a child was there! So instead of dancing with the torah scrolls .... they danced with the children... This is a song describing the survivors experience after surviving the death of the Concentration Camps...

Yes!!! An absolute favourite of mine! Thank you!!

“Memories” by Abie Rotenberg is a must see

The chorus is the most touching for me... after the horrific pain of the holocaust, when it came time for the holiday Simchas Torah, they danced with such joy and sincerity as if the world had done no wrong. On this holiday we dance with the Torah scroll, but they had no Torahs because they were all destroyed by the Nazis. Nonetheless they danced in defiance and held the surviving children as if they were Torah scrolls. They were as precious as the holy Torah scrolls. Tears!

Surprised no one’s mentioned it yet - Vilna is the capital of Lithuania.

Shul is a synagogue. Simchas Torah is the holiday in which we celebrate the time in which we received the Torah. An interesting take on this song, I was lucky enough to share Shabbat dinner with the daughter of the man who inspired this song. After the holocaust ended, all the synagogue’s Torah’s had been burned,; so when it was time to dance in celebration of our receiving of the Torah, there weren’t any Torah’s to dance with. A man in a Russian soldiers uniform (as the area that he lived in fell under Russian rule) took this five year old boy onto his shoulders and they danced with the children in place of the Torah. This boy remembered this experience his until the day he met the daughter of the man who danced with him that night in Vilna. This boy was one of the hidden children of the holocaust; Jewish children hidden among Christian families for their lives. This boy grew up to make it his mission to find all those hidden children and bring them back to Judaism, the way this Russian soldier did for him.

this is an awesome song. thank you.

This song never gets old!

just saw the name of the song on my feed and had to watch this right away (even though i wasn't planning on watching anything right now)!!

Thank YOUUUU! You did it ! 👏 Thank you 😊 This song was about Jews returning home after surviving the Holocaust There is some very moving back story to tgis son, composed by Abie Rotenberg , a brilliant composer. Now its time to check out Yonina and A Couple Of Basches !

hey, i think these videos are great! would be interesting to see you do a reaction video with an orthodox-raised person who can give context on all these beautiful and heart-wrenching songs - let me know

Havent watched this yet but IM EXCITED!!!

Shuel is a sanctuary, synagogue ) geez, you crack me up with your innocence

listen, you are the smartest non-Jew who asks questions about Jewish stuff that I've encountered! your curiosity is just formed so beautifully into your wonders and questions! the eastern wall: when a Jew is praying in the Holy Temple (which in Hebrew is called Beit Hamikdash), he has to stand with his face turning to the Holy of holies - the western room of Beit Hamikdash, which is the holiest place in the whole entire world! if you're out of the Beit Hamikdash - you shoud aim yourself towards it, if you're out of the Temple mount - you aim yourself towards it...etc..etc...zoom it out with your imagination... so, if you're out of the land of Israel, you aim yourself at it. so - as most of the Jewish diaspora went to the west side of the world - most of the Jews abroad got used along those almost 2000 years, to Daven to the east which is the direction to the holy land. and so, the eastern wall of the shul, became a thing, the Rabbi of the community would get a seat there, and the more important people would try to get to sit at that side, but also the Ark - the cupboard in which the Torah scrolls are placed, is mostly built towards Jerusalem - and Israel too. so that's basically what it meant.

The song started off that he met this man on a plane and the old man is now telling his story from the Holocaust A Shul is a synogogue

The pianist is Aryeh kunstler, singer, songwriter, and musician

Whoa! Just today I suggested a Yanky Lemmer video called Broken Hearts. I did not know you were already watching a Yanky Lemmer video to comment on.

Sifrei Torah are the Torah Scrolls that we read from in shul (Synagogue) on the Sabbath and holidays. One specific holiday is called; Simchat Torah, where we dance with these scrolls to celebrate...

During the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered, most of the survivors were younger middle age people, say from 20~40. Other ages survived as well, but very few children. Over a million and a half of those murdered were children. The story recounted in the song is of a group of survivors trying to celebrate Simchos Torah - a holiday that celebrates the learning of our Torah - without any Torah scrolls to dance with. Instead, finding two children survivors they decide to hold the children, recognizing that they represented the survival of the Jewish people. Motifs: Vilna - an actual city, however it represents Torah learning, due to the Vilna Gaon who had lived there roughly three hundred years ago and made the name of the city synonymous with Torah. Survivor - The remnant of Jews who survived the labor and death camps of the Nazi regime, having lived through utter hell, who tried to rebuild their lives in the coming decades. Children - The promise of renewal Am Yisroel Chai - The promise of eternal Jewish survival in spoken form

So Many children and men and women were killed in the Holocaust, there were survivors but to find these children was a huge sense of hope for them. Children are the future

Beautiful song!!!

Hi, the song is about a gentleman who is a survivor of the holocaust, who returned to Vilna to his Shul (synagogue), it was simchas torah (Jewish holiday) he and others ran to the shul seeing it was barricaded and inside the Torah was gone. They could not dance with it, but they danced with the children instead as they were the continuation of the Jewish people.

Side note there are two different types of Torah scrolls. The round one you saw in the other video is the sefaradi (Spanish origin) version. The Ashkenazi (central European) version is rolled on 2 poles and looks like 2 rolls next to each other.

The story is about a man who survived the Holocaust, and decided after the Holocaust to go to vilna (in Lithuania I think) he went there and there were a bunch of other Holocaust survivors. They went and realized that day was a holiday called simchat torah on simchat Torah the Jewish people dance around with sefer Torah or Jewish bible scrolls (the things you said with the blue velvet and the crown.) While there the Jews found some lone children and saw a bullet hole through the prayer book, siddur. They are dancing and praising God even though they've been through the Holocaust. Also, a shul, or you might've heard shoe, is a Jewish synagogue. Hope this helps you understand

I've been watching your videos for a while now, and I really enjoy your reactions! This song is stunning and it always gives me goosebumps. Especially with this new remake with the lemmer brothers and their gorgeous harmonies. On another note Shul is Yiddish for synagogue and yes siddur is a prayer book. They're on a plane speaking to a Holocaust survivor who is telling them a story. Simchas Torah ( simcha is Hebrew for happy) is referring to the holiday where we dance in shul with the Torah. The last sentence "am yisroel chai" means the Jewish nation will live on. Hope this answers your questions?. Please react to Yonina next! They are an american/Israeli couple. Many of their videos you will find are not pre-recorded so you can hear their raw voices :)

Also: the last line was Am Yisroel Chai (khai), the Jewish People live!

Others have done their share of explanation, here are my additions: - "Vilna" is Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. After WWII, Lithuania was occupied by the Russians, who turned it into a Communist state. I don't know if the "barricades" around the _shul_ were because it was a religious site (much religious practice was banned, or at least restricted, under Soviet rule) or because it was, otherwise, an unoccupied ruin. - "Shul" is the Yiddish word for synagogue. It is related to the English word _school,_ both from the German word _schule_ (a school). - "Sifrei Torah" are the Torah (or _Toirah,_ as it's pronounced here) scrolls, which you appear to recognize from other videos. - "Simchas Torah" is a holiday celebrating the end of a cycle of Reading the Torah. It's the last day of _Sukkos;_ just under a month ago for us. Part of the celebration includes dancing while holding the Torah scrolls. The Nazis had surrendered in May, in the Spring, while _Sukkos_ and _Simchas Torah_ are in the Fall. - Under the Nazi occupation of Vilna, the synagogue would have been stripped of its religious articles - the _siddur[im]_ (prayer books), the Torah scrolls, etc. - and the Ark, where the scrolls are kept, on the eastern wall of the _shul,_ would have been laid bare. The Nazis often carried out massacres in the synagogues, hence the "bullet holes and blood stains." A final note: The incident recounted in not fictional. One of the children the survivors danced with has been identified as Abe Foxman, who was the president of the ADL from 1987 to 2015. His parents had left him with a Catholic nanny during the War, which is how he survived. Most other children were killed by the Nazis.

I love your videos

As many have commented this song was written by Abie Rotenberg (one of the greatest jewish composers -- many great English songs) He has many compositions whose message would resonate with all people not only jewish. I'm surprised you didn't review him yet.

another beautiful song composed by Abie Rottenberg (btw a fellow Canadian)

As an Orthodox Jew, I love seeing your reactions and hearing your perspective on our music. It gives me a better appreciation for the music we're exposed to in our society whenever you compliment and critique. I know you're receiving many suggestions who to listen to but I have a few suggestions as well. 1)Ohad Moskowitz (especially the song Boee Kalah at Ohel Concert) 2)Shloime Daskal (Anything) 3) Gershon Veroba (not sure if you'll find anything live but you can try) Keep it up! We love it

You should definitely re-watch on your channel, now that Izzy explained it all.

Yankie is a very famous cantor at the Lincoln square synagogue. He gives concerts around the world. Shul is synagogue. Vilna was a Jewish village where lots of Jews were deported to concentration camps during the holocaust. Most of the Jews died and not many survivors. They are singing about the survivors looking for more survivors. Simchas Torah is a Jewish holiday where we dance with the Torah

Simcha Torah is the holiday where we celebrate the completing of the reading of Torah. On it we dance with the Torah Scrolls

A Sefer Torah or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish prayers

Yes it's a story of sadness, fear, distrucion, and courage.

Check out Abie Rotenberg on his 5 Albums Journeys

The synagogue had been desecrated.

This is a beautiful song. I really enjoyed it. It made me realize how little most people know about the Holocaust and its aftermath. I would love it if you would review the song Minyan Man by Shlock Rock. As much as this song is about the Jews surviving and coming back even after the horrors of the Holocaust, Minyan Man is about Jewish life here in the United States and about Jews connecting. It's very soulful. Please review Minyan Man.

Simchas Torah is a holiday at the end of the holiday of Sukkot We celebrate restarting the Torah and we dance with the Torah

"Shul" mean synagogue, "sefer tora" it is the holy book. the song is about after the holcost, that they didnt had "sefer tora" do dance on the annual day of endeing the book, So they danced with the children, as they are the continuation of the Jewish people.

I would love to see you check out BlackHattitude. They were a rap duo from the early 90s. They only came out with one album and got into trouble with their school for making it. But the sound is really cool and the lyrics are pretty dope. You might get some backlash if you do it though lol

The eastern wall is with every building, we pray toward east - toward Jerusalem toward the temple

Another great reaction, Pai! If I could suggest a few more songs by Abie Rottenberg you should check out: The Ninth Man - it's very humorous, cute, and fun. Country Boy - This one is based off a true story and is just fun plus mostly easy to understand. Dreams Come True - a beautiful song that's relatable to everyone.

I love this song!!! BTW yes it is about the Holocaust

On the "Eastern Wall", Shuls/ Synagogues are oriented to face Jerusalem. In Europe, (west of Israel), the eastern wall of a Shul is the front of it. The Western Wall in Israel is the easiest wall to access of the Temple Mount's platform walls.

Vilna was a very Jewish city in Lithuania Yes it’s the story of a man who survived the Holocaust It was very hard to get transportation after the Holocaust, because of the bombings and the war It was a long journey back hto his hometown of vilna When he got there it was simchas Torah, the holiday when we celebrate starting the Torah from the beginning again We dance with the Sif-ray torah or torah scrolls But there were no Sif-ray torahs to dance with cuz the nazis destroyed them And then they noticed 2 children and they hadn’t seen children in so long! The nazis killed most of the young So they danced holding these children Saying: they are our future of our nation, we will live They tried to kill us but we will still live!!!

Very nice review. (I think you should try to focus on the singing as well like you did in earlier videos. not only the lyrics) Thank you. We love your work.

Vilna is a town. He is indeed a survivor of the holocaust. He is on the plane telling about his life and a shul is a synagogue.

Vilna was a thriving Jewish community in Poland, perhaps looking for any family surviving the Holocaust. Simchas Torah is the holiday celebrating the Jewish Torahs. Very joyous.

@portuguesepai do Chuneini by Yosef Gestetner it is a new amazing artist! Amazing emotional song!

This is where you can see the background to this amazing song. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T4PyohECRn0.html&ab_channel=TomF%C3%BCrstenberg

Sefer Torah = (full) Torah scroll sifrei is the plural or sefer. When holding a sefer Torah and when dancing with one on Simchas Torah, one would hold it to his heart and maybe somethimes hold it up high as well.

This is a true story

shul =which means synagogue(not shoe)

A shul is a synagouage- a place of worship Simchas Torah is a holiday that celebrates the finishing of the torah-bible

Siddur is a prayer book

Vilna is Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. Lithuania had a large thriving Jewish community, and was an important cultural center, with a high concentration of yeshivas (Talmudic institutes) probably the highest in all of Europe. Lithuania was invaded early in the war, i believe in 1941.Something like 200,000 Lithuanian Jews were murdered by the Germans (and their more than willing local collaborators).

This song needs so much explaining no one can write it in a comment

Not a live audience But it was a live video, no auto tune

Vilna is in Eastern Europe. The Jews were all rounded up and sent to concentration camps to be gassed. Sifrei Torah are Torah Scrolls, with which the Jews dance on a holiday called Simchas Torah, which celebrates the Jewish connection to God through Torah. The survivor came back to Vilna after surviving the death camps. There were no Torahs to dance with so they danced with the children. "Shul" means synagogue. Am Yisroel Chai means - The Jewish nation lives!!!

This is such an intensely poignant song, and it was very moving watching you grasp the story as it unfolded. And it was very satisfying to see you correctly make the connection from the lyrics about "holding the sifrei Torah up high" back to the previous video where you saw them doing that. You can hear the little boy who is mentioned in the song tell the story in the link below. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T4PyohECRn0.html

A new video from yesterday live: Hanan Ben Ari Medley | @Freilach ft. @Benny Friedman @Shulem Lemmer @Itzik Dadya & @Yedidim ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MO2rgwQBFR8.html

Shul is Yiddish for synagogue

Yes, youre getting the story. It was post-holocaust, they went back to a synagogue to dance during a holiday, all the torah scrolls were gone, but they had the children to dance with, they would be the future of the Jewish people.

@PortuguesePai firstly I love your videos. The original version is from Abie Rotenberg. You definitely won't regret hearing the original. Here is a link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iEh_XxmekFo.html If you want to hear some of his classics I would recommend. Memories. Who am I. Dreams come true.

Okay because I haven’t seen anyone comment it yet, shul means synagogue, a Jewish building of prayer

I think it would be awesome if you had a bit of background on the songs before starting. Maybe have a schmooze with izzy before each reaction video 😆

He is speaking about the holacost

I love the both of them and this is a phenomenal rendition. I do tend more towards chazanut i.e Cantoral music, so I prefer Yanks.

Yanky - the a sound short A like Yahoo

Can you check out we are a miracle by Yaakov shwekey

Check out Abe rotenberg

Next can you listen to a song sung by Abie Rotenberg himself “Little Kite with Avrumy Kalter”

It was hard to find children because of the atrocities of the holocaust. So the fact that they found 2 children showed the future of the nation

You gotta look into chaim green singing live song mama rochel