Posted to Chabad News on

Yosef Peysin and Mordy Kurtz, both from Chicago, love what they do. The duo formed a band named 'Rogers Park,' an ode to their hometown, and have been traveling the world with a message ever since. Although music is the primary tool the band uses to connect to their audience, a combination of humour, storytelling, and teachings of Chassidus make up the balance of the evening's entertainment.

Rogers Park: The Newest Chabad Music Craze

Yosef Peysin and Mordy Kurtz, both from Chicago, love what they do. The duo formed a band named ‘Rogers Park,’ an ode to their hometown, and have been traveling the world with a message ever since. Although music is the primary tool the band uses to connect to their audience, a combination of humour, storytelling, and teachings of Chassidus make up the balance of the evening’s entertainment.

“There are many great musicians out there, but people want more then just music. People want to spend an evening and feel uplifted. That’s what we try to do” says Yosef.

“For example, after a performance in Chicago, a member of the audience came over to us and said, ‘What I noticed when you guys were playing was that Jewish music in general, and your music in particular, often has a soulful, maybe even sad sound to it, but after you hear it you feel better, uplifted. I’m Irish and although our culture’s songs are very happy and upbeat, they don’t give that positive optimistic feeling your music does’”

The band has a very folk feel, using primarily acoustic instruments and focus on vocal harmonies. They sing original compositions, traditional songs and Chabad niggunim; and their music both connects with, yet inspires, the crowd.

“Growing up Lubavitch,” continues Yosef, “we were taught to constantly be involved in Shiluchus, and use our talents not only for ourselves, but also to help others as well.”

They do this by going on Mivtzoyim Friday afternoons, and traveling all across the world – be it to Dnepropetrovsk, Boca Raton or Perth – to help Shluchim spread the message of Judaism.

Related Articles

52 Comments

  • Fan

    So this is how you do it babe!
    Kuch in tochis world!
    Lets go play!

    Mordy and Yossef,
    I dont know if people laugh with you or at you.
    But heck, they laughing there heads off!

    Good luck and have fun.

  • Zev

    `To our new favorite and bestest duo. Saw this video and cried with pride. We know you and expect free tickets to your first Chicago concert. the K-L family

  • Steve

    Wow! Chabad really teaches the right things, this is something I respect. Good luck guys, you guys seem to have a great energy!

  • Rebbe ratzon

    Don’t know if you’re aware of it, but the Hava Negila tune was once, in Russia, a devekus niggun. When secular people added words and speeded up the tune in the 1960’s or 1970’s, and it became a huge American hit, the Rebbe said that we should not sing it anymore, even in the original version, let alone in it’s tumadic version. I remember there was a chossid who was lucky enough to be one of the early ones to leave the Soviet Union began singing the niggun in it’s original version(not knowing about what had happened, of course) he was stopped and told that the Rebbe has ossered the niggun.Yosef, I know you and I know you wouldn’t play the song if you know the truth, which now you do. The Rebbe never took the ban on the song back. Can’t wait for your first show in Chicago (at F>R>E>E> of course)!

  • a brother to a brother

    The yeka boys once again show the world how its done. Keep up the message paseboy

  • Big fan

    I think you guys are Really awesome! Power to you good luck on your shlichus! Keep on using your talents for good things

  • Gershon yosef Weinreb

    I’m in yeshivas with Yosef and he is an awesome person and he has sick music !! I love you Yosef !!

  • awsome dude who loves you soooo much!!!!

    I LOVE you guys SOSososo much!!!!! yayayayaya YAY!!!

  • Jew in PA

    This is exactly what Chabad houses need! Real Bochurim with Real music to get with the Crowd! G-d bless you both!

  • King willy ix

    Amazing awesome, spectacular, astounding, astonishing, dazzling, mind-boggling, startling, stunning, wonderful, overwhelming, eye-opening, fabulous, miraculous, remarkable, breathtaking, let’s just say u guys ROCK!! Your new #1 fffaaannnnnnn

  • Shidduch Crisis

    So the other most popular aritcle is Shidduch crisis.. just saying these boys won’t have and problem with the shidduch crisis..

  • Boruch P., Chicago

    Let R.P. utilize their talents to spread Yiddishkeit, messages of the Rebbe (I was proud to hear that coming from a radio station studio), make many baalei teshuvah, bring joy to Yidden, unite us based on ahavas Yisroel and that all will help bring Mashiach Now!
    Note for critics: yes, there are some standards based on which you have a basis to criticize R.P., but remember that one size does not fit all. You need to know their amazing personalities and look from the point of view “what positive they did” and not “what they did not do”. It’s their FIRST appearance on the web which has a splendid success- many requests from shluchim for Succos, Hanukkah, etc.

    Hatzlochah Rabbah, Rogers Park!

  • JD

    Rogers Park was great to have at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign over Sukkos!!

  • stan

    really something entertaining and kosher at the same time! rogers park good stuff would love to see you guys perform look like the real deal!!

  • Random Crown Heightser

    Love you guys!!!! this is really great, its like chabad Simon and Garfunkel, you should call yourselves Shimon and Gedaliah! or something

  • Your Fan

    Keep it up guys!! This is what helps bring people to yiddishkeit! I saw your fan page on facebook, you guys are really funny!

  • Curious

    i had not heard that The Rebbe assured it, only ‘that we stopped singing it’ When did the Rebbe assur it, and what are the details? Was it at a farbrengen, or was it a horaah that the Rebbe said to an individual – who?

  • Rebbe ratzon

    @51:“…When secular people added words and speeded up the tune in the 1960’s or 1970’s, and it became a huge American hit, the Rebbe said that we should not sing it anymore, even in the original version…,”
    I heard the Rebbe speak of it at farbrengen,and he was very specific that we were not to sing it any more, though I don’t remember the date(it was while the Amer. version was still being played on the radio). It would have had to be somewhere between 1968 and 1974,sorry I can’t be more specific. It caused a pretty big stir at the time- I remember being surprised, because I used to work the song into conversations when i was talking with frei ppl, it was a point of contact, but a wrong approach as it turned out. We never sang it since. Hearing Rogers Park sing it really shocked me. You can probably check with Rabbi Groner, or maybe Rabbi Klein. I’ve had occasion to call them to check past events and one or the other would remember the situation(never had occasion to call Rabbi Krinsky, but I’m sure he would help if he could).