5th Period is Shemspeed Programming

Shemspeed offers a very wide variety of programming with an emphasis on education and music. Most of our programs take place in Universities, High Schools, Synagogues, and even in kindergraden classrooms. Feel free to get in touch with us if you would like to host one of our programs. Email 5thperiod@shemspeed.com

5th Period programming artists include:
Y-Love, Gregg Wall, Yoshie Fruchter, Mr. Shabbos, Matthue Roth, Avi Fox-Rosen and Yuri Lane.


Y-Love

Y-Love (Yitz Jordan) is an MC unlike any other; he converted to Orthodox Judaism in 2000, and later took on the traditions of Hasidism (the mystical branch of Orthodox Judaism). He is among the most innovative MCs on the scene, weaving seamless polyglot rhymes in English, Arabic, Yiddish, and Hebrew. Most unique is Y-Love's revival of Aramaic, the language used to discuss Jewish Law and Kabbalah. Through his unique style and music, Y-Love shows incredible talents in bringing races and religions together with the power of Hip Hop and his own personal positivity.

Y-Love tells his fascinating story of how he came to love rhyming through his converting to Judaism and studying the Torah. During the week Y-Love will inlcude examples of songs with a live DJ through his story telling. When the class is hosted over the Sabbath, Y-Love will spin it into a hip hop tisch that includes rapping Niggunim and beat boxing. Often, he will conclude the exciting Sabbath (weekend) with a big show Saturday night. (pricing for shows are seperate from that of programming).
view profile


Yuri Lane

Yuri Lane is an actor and human beatbox whose innovative blend of live beatbox performance, drama and dance is beloved across the country and across continents. He stars in two critically acclaimed solo shows: "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah" and "Soundtrack City."

"From Tel Aviv to Ramallah" is a non-ideological look at the everyday lives of young people amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Soundtrack City" is a rhythmic, comedic beatbox play about the contemporary urban environment in which Jewish characters blend with fellow ethnic city dwellers. He has performed at mainstage theaters across the US and in Helsinki, Jerusalem and England. These shows have also been performed at several college campuses including the University of North Carolina, University of California at Berkeley, University of Southern California and University of Illinois, to name a few.

Yuri often brings "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah" to synagogues, youth groups and summer camps. When spending a weekend with a congregation or group, Yuri performs his beatbox show for children called "Solomon Builds the Temple" and teaches biblical improvisation to students of all ages. Yuri Lane also shines as a musical performer. He collaborates with Y-Love and DJ Handler in an unforgettable hip-hop show and brings his harmonica to every type of performance to dazzle audiences with his famous beatbox harmonica


Greg Wall

World renowned saxophonist and composer Greg Wall, "the Jazz Rabbi" has been a leading figure in the New Jewish Music since the early eighties. He is the the co-founder of Hasidic New Wave as well as the leader of both Later Prophets and Klezmerfest, and has toured and recorded with Neshama Carlebach for many years.

Greg lectures on a variety of music and Torah related topics and is available for community residencies/shabbatonim. Rabbi Greg can help design an interactive shabbat program, with spirited singing, inspired divrai torah, and memorable tales. The shabbaton can conclude with a melave malka concert featuring Rabbi Greg. Below are several topics that Greg has to offer when lecturing whether it be for adult educations groups, such as evening workshops on Jewish music for both musicians and music lovers with no experience, or highly engaging programming for young adults.

Lecture topics:

"Music and Kabbalah" We explore traditional Jewish sources-Talmud, medieval, hasidic, and contemporary- to learn about the power of music in achieving spiritual goals, and the role of music in prophesy,prayer, and celebration.

Music Workshop topics-

"The Art of Cross Cultural Collaboration-A hands on workshop for integrating world music sources into our own traditional music.", "Klezmer- from Ancient to Future", "How to start a Jewish Jam Band", and "What is Hasidic Music" .
view profile


Matthue Roth

Matthue Roth is an author and performance poet. Live, he's a firecracker on stage, performing his poems—a combination between hip-hop, storytelling, and standup comedy—with a seemingly unlimited amount of energy. He performs for kindergartens, universities, and everything in between.

Matthue has toured nationally and internationally, filmed for HBO's Def Poetry Jam and Jewish Impact Films, and performed at Harvard, Yale, and Penn State and the University of Maryland, for crowds from 15 to 5,000. His novel *Never Mind the Goldbergs* (Scholastic/PUSH Books) was nominated as one of the American Library Association's Best Books of the Year, and was named one of the Best Books for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library.

Matthue does specialized shows for all groups, from elementary school to high school, college, and adults. He's available for poetry performances, leading discussions on art and Judaism, Chasidus, and creative writing, and teaching workshops on all of the above.


YOSHIE FRUCHTER'S BEYOND THE BOOK

Yoshie Fruchter is a guitarist, bassist and composer who has quickly made a name for himself in the New York Jewish music scene. Since moving to the city 2 years ago, he has performed with such artists as Soulfarm, Y- Love, Chana Rothman, Chayim Dovid, and Aron Razel among many others. He also is a force in the Jewish avante garde scene with his new experimental rock outfit PITOM, and as a member of the breakbeat klezmer jazz group Juez. Additionally, he is an involved Jewish educator, teaching Jewish studies and music at the Garfield Temple in Park Slope.

Beyond the Book is a collaboration between Yoshie and his father Chaim, and is a collection of original songs written from the perspective of characters in the Torah (Bible) - Adam laments his expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Sarah expresses her excitement at the upcoming birth of Isaac, Noah releases his anger at the destruction of the world. Yoshie leads workshops with students ranging from middle school to high school using the music from his album as a basis for textual discussion and poetry and music composition. Students will have the songs from Beyond the Book as a springboard to their own musings about what the Jewish ancestors may have been thinking and experiencing in their lives. The program, which can be tailored according to the situation, can also culminate in a concert with Yoshie solo, or the entire band featuring his father Chaim.


MR. SHABBOS

The Mr. Shabbos show is a new great musical act that combines an eclectic mix of worldly music and true Torah values. Created by Rabbi Joshua Alpert a.k.a. Mr Shabbos the show has been delighting audiences all across North America. Using Irish, Country, Bluegrass and World Music all with Heimishe lyrics, the Mr. Shabbos Show is guaranteed to inspire, delight, and reJewvinate audiences of all ages.

The show is a Chinuch (educational) based music and comedy show that includes a either a solo, duo, or 6 piece band. The family show is an inspirational and entertaining experience for people of all ages. Mr. Shabbos's original compositions are about the joys of Shabbos, loving all Jews, and the coming of Moshiach. They have been loved by both adults and children alike. The music is inspired by Irish, country, and of course Chassidic Niggunim. The difference between this and other family shows is the high energy and exquisite musicianship of the performers. The show runs about 90 minutes, and includes well known sing-along-songs, high energy stories, and skits.