Yoel Lebowits
Encyclopedia
Yoel Lebowits (יואל לעבאוויטש ) is an American Hasidic
entertainer, comedian, singer, and actor. Lebowits is the son of the Nikolsburger Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits
, and lives in Monsey, New York
. He is a popular figure in Hasidic Jewish communities, specifically the Yiddish-speaking communities.
in 1997, performing Comedy at friends' weddings. He gained popularity after acting the comedic role in the Yiddish play "Hamaloch Hagoel" in 1998.
He became known as the "Pester Rebbe" because of his talent of imitating the Hungarian Language
, implying that he is from Budapest
.
In 1999 Lebowits debuted his first comedy album "Purim Y2K" (produced by Yochi Briskman). This was followed by "Purim Station" in 2004.
As his popularity grew, Lebowits was hired to entertain at parties, dinners, Weddings and Sheva Brochos in the USA, Europe, and Israel.
Lebowits has performed with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
, Lipa Schmeltzer
, Mordechai ben David
and Avraham Fried
among others in various places as well as "The Prudential Center" in New Jersey
.
, received record breaking amount of hits in the Hasidic clips category. The clips include: "Pester Rebbe Inauguration", "Mayn Geller Bus" (My Yellow Bus) which is a parody of the "Yellow Submarine
" by "The Beatles
" and "Thruway".
Lebovits has been featured on the cover of Popular Jewish magazines as Yediot Achronot, Hamodia
, Ami, Jewish Lifestyle, Di Shtern, Der Blick and more as well in Israeli Hebre Magazines
He performs often with fellow badchen
R' Yankel Miller, and comedian Hilly Hill (son of Steven Hill
) as well as with other badchonim
.
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
entertainer, comedian, singer, and actor. Lebowits is the son of the Nikolsburger Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits
Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits
Rabbi Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits, is the rebbe of the Nikolsburg Hasidic dynasty of Monsey, New York. He is a descendant of Rebbe Shmelke of Nikolsburg, for whom his dynasty and associated community are named....
, and lives in Monsey, New York
Monsey, New York
Monsey is a hamlet , in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the state of New Jersey; east of Suffern; south of Airmont and west of Nanuet...
. He is a popular figure in Hasidic Jewish communities, specifically the Yiddish-speaking communities.
Career history
Lebowits started as a BadchenBadchen
A badchen or badkhn is a Jewish comedian with scholarly overtones who entertained guests at weddings among the Ashkenazim of Eastern Europe...
in 1997, performing Comedy at friends' weddings. He gained popularity after acting the comedic role in the Yiddish play "Hamaloch Hagoel" in 1998.
He became known as the "Pester Rebbe" because of his talent of imitating the Hungarian Language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, implying that he is from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
In 1999 Lebowits debuted his first comedy album "Purim Y2K" (produced by Yochi Briskman). This was followed by "Purim Station" in 2004.
As his popularity grew, Lebowits was hired to entertain at parties, dinners, Weddings and Sheva Brochos in the USA, Europe, and Israel.
Lebowits has performed with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
, Lipa Schmeltzer
Lipa Schmeltzer
Elazar Lipa Schmeltzer is an American Hasidic singer and composer. He is a headliner within Hasidic and Haredi communities worldwide and has been called "the Jewish Elvis". Schmeltzer has released 10 solo albums as of 2011...
, Mordechai ben David
Mordechai ben David
Mordechai Werdyger , professionally known as Mordechai Ben David or MBD for short, is an American Hasidic Jewish singer and songwriter popular in the Orthodox Jewish community. He has been referred to as the 'King of Jewish music'. He has produced many popular Jewish albums over the past 40 years...
and Avraham Fried
Avraham Fried
Avraham Shabshi Hakohen Friedman better known by his stage name, Avraham Fried, is a popular musical entertainer in the Orthodox Jewish community.-Career:...
among others in various places as well as "The Prudential Center" in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Performance Style
While Lebowits is mainly a comic. He sings at hospitals, or for the homebound as well as for the people with special needs.Recent Activity
Recent video clips posted on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, received record breaking amount of hits in the Hasidic clips category. The clips include: "Pester Rebbe Inauguration", "Mayn Geller Bus" (My Yellow Bus) which is a parody of the "Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (song)
"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , with lead vocals by Ringo Starr. It was included on the Revolver album and issued as a single, coupled with "Eleanor Rigby". The single went to number 1 on every major British chart, remained at number 1 for four weeks...
" by "The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
" and "Thruway".
Lebovits has been featured on the cover of Popular Jewish magazines as Yediot Achronot, Hamodia
Hamodia
Hamodia is a Hebrew language daily newspaper, published in Jerusalem, Israel. A daily English language edition is also published in the United States, and weekly English-language editions in England and Israel. A weekly edition for French readers debuted in 2008. The U.S. version is the first...
, Ami, Jewish Lifestyle, Di Shtern, Der Blick and more as well in Israeli Hebre Magazines
He performs often with fellow badchen
Badchen
A badchen or badkhn is a Jewish comedian with scholarly overtones who entertained guests at weddings among the Ashkenazim of Eastern Europe...
R' Yankel Miller, and comedian Hilly Hill (son of Steven Hill
Steven Hill
Steven Hill is an American film and television actor. His two better-known roles are District Attorney Adam Schiff on the NBC TV drama series Law & Order, whom he portrayed for ten seasons , and Dan Briggs, the original team leader of the Impossible Missions Force on CBS's television series...
) as well as with other badchonim
Badchen
A badchen or badkhn is a Jewish comedian with scholarly overtones who entertained guests at weddings among the Ashkenazim of Eastern Europe...
.
Discography
- Purim Y2K - 1999
- Purim Station - 2004
- Purim Bailout - 2009
- Boondash - 2011