In this interview with the undisputed KING of Jewish music Mordechai Ben David, we talk about his newest hit album "Tzeakah" which was released on June 4, 2017. Find out how he picked his songs, why it took so long to release this album and what the King has been up to. 

the gedolim of Eretz Yisrael have come out many times with statements that concerts and the like are prohibited, even with separate seating and even if the event is only for men.

Kikar reports about a "dinner" on behalf of the Gerrer institutions of Eretz Yisrael set to take place in the USA next week with the main attraction being a performance by Mordechai Ben David, along with some other performers.

Now, they could have explained it away saying that the Gerrer Rebbe never signed on any ban or prohibition but that would not be true as he did sign on such a ban a number of years ago...

So, with the Gerrer Rebbe against such performances (arvei Shira and the like), why is it ok for the Gur institutions to hold such an event with such a performance?

The answer given by the relevant askanim is that the culture in the USA is different so it is ok (even though it is on behalf of the Israeli institutions.

Sounds good to me. Whenever there is a self-defined cultural difference we are now able to ignore the psak of the gedolim and even our own rebbe... many people have said similarly in the past - that a given psak isn't relevant because of x, y or z differences - but now the response has the hechsher of one of the gedolim saying my psak can be ignored for those reasons.

MBD has been one of the most vocal, if not the most, Jewish performers to speak out against the sharing of music on the Internet, and he does so here again, after a new, unfinished, song (called "shamati") of his was leaked on the Internet. Some suspect this is all just a PR move for his new album soon to be released, to pique interest. Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't, but I am not posting it here, just in case it isn't. Some say he is the last one to be talking about these things, considering how much music he has stolen from non-jewish singers and used in his own compositions. And some say that he needs to come to terms with the new (not really so new, as even he himself has been railing about this for years now), and stop making such a big deal out of it, as it doesn't help anyway.

In recent years before Pesach a number of singers would get together and have a nice evening of music for yeshiva bochurim.

Sounds like good, kosher, fun. No women allowed, all kosher music, kosher singers. Shouldn't be a problem.

This year it was set to take place on the 10th of Nissan, April 18, and to include Mordechai Ben David, among others.

Shortly after it was announced the event was already canceled.

Mottka Bloi, the head of the Guardians of holiness and education, or whatever they call themselves, announced shortly after the initial announcement that the event has been canceled, as the event is against the wishes of the gedolim, as they disapprove of all such types of events.

It is canceled for now, at least in its current format. Maybe it will be changed and get put back on the table, or maybe not.

It seems the problem with it is that this event is being advertised as an erev shira and not a kumzitz. It seems erev shira is problematic (though I dont know why), whereas a kumzitz would have been acceptable.

As well, Mordechai Ben David refused to sign a commitment that he would not appear in other events that did not receive the approval of the gedolim.
source: Kikar

Seemingly good kosher fun, but some people did not have authority over it and could not get the participants to grant them control, so they had it canceled. I don't know what is different about what was supposed to happen this year than what happened in previous years, or if it is just a matter of this time they were successful in thwarting the program.

The holiness and education people should just not be surprised when the bochurim who are bored during vacation and looking for interesting things to do find things that are slightly, or not so slightly, less kosher to do.

this beautiful song, composed by Elie Klein and sung by Mordechai Ben David, is in memory of the victims of Har Nof Massacre. The anniversary of the attack, the yahrtzeit of the victims - except for Chaim Rothman who fought death for nearly a year but just recently succumbed to his injuries, is this coming Shabbos...

MBD also takes a stand in the Gaza conflict.. replaces the word 'amalek' with the word 'hamas'!

one of MBD's greatest songs...

MBD and 8th Day will be performign together, for the first time, in February. This promo is an interesting interview with them about the upcoming experience..

this is a great clip from Hasc 26, with Avraham Fried, MBD and Abie Rotenberg all singing and talking together...