Mendy Jerufi: Bringing Music and Joy, One Note at a Time

### A Childhood Memory That Sticks With You "I grew up in the Ta'anach region, the son of Chabad emissaries sent there by the Rebbe. It was a quiet and remote place without much cultural activity or clubs for kids back then. One day, a delegation came to my school from a central area, and one of them was a violinist. It was the first time I saw someone play the violin, and I was deeply fascinated. That's when my love for music began. For months, I would play with two sticks at home, imagining one as a violin and the other as a bow, 'playing' music. Years later, I had the honor to perform with that talented violinist, a unique Jew named Meir Rozen, who deserves his own feature." ### A Personal Jewish Connection "During my youth, I received a special blessing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Sukkot. Typically, when people passed by him during the dollar distribution, he would give a dollar and bless them with 'blessing and success.' That holiday, when I passed by, he gave me a dollar and blessed me with 'increasing in joy.' I realized then that the Rebbe was giving me a personal directive to connect with joy in my service to Hashem and to bring joy to others. The whole concept of happiness in Judaism fascinates me deeply." ### Judaism to You Is... "For me, Judaism is the privilege of being a child of Hashem. I know not everyone is fond of this expression, but we are the chosen people. Hashem specifically chose us from all the nations. To be chosen is a privilege, a great joy, and a source of life." ### A Mitzvah Close to Your Heart "I am particularly connected to the mitzvah of kindness, especially through joy. In my view, a solo performance in a small hospital room is worth more than any grand concert in front of thousands. Bringing joy to downtrodden and sick Jews, coming in to lift a broken soul and make them smile is, to me, the best thing in the world. I am thankful to Hashem for the privilege and ability to bring joy to people." ### Your Favorite Holiday "Passover. Partly because I was born on the evening of the seder, but also because it's a time of renewal and cleansing—a special holiday of faith. The changes in food, the Passover kitchen, and the springtime make me particularly connect to this holiday. It’s a holiday of ending and beginning anew with a fresh look." ### How Present is Hashem in Your Life and Work? "As an independent artist, I feel an immense connection to Hashem. I feel that Hashem manages my schedule. When people who want to enter the music field ask for advice or tips, I always tell them: Remember that Hashem manages the schedule. It’s not about public relations or a good word from a manager, but about what Hashem wants to happen. Where you need to be is where you'll be. I've been singing for 23 years, and there’s no better manager than Hashem." ### A Figure from Jewish History Who Inspires You "Of course, the Lubavitcher Rebbe is my greatest influence in every step and as a leader who has set my path in serving Hashem." ### A Biblical Figure You'd Like to Meet "Definitely King David. It is written that divine inspiration would come over King David, and he would begin to play music. He achieved prophecy and connection with Hashem through song. The words he wrote are moving; the simplest Jew can open a Book of Psalms and connect to those words as if they were written for them." ### An Interesting Encounter You've Had "A few years ago, I performed at the opening of a yeshiva in Jerusalem, near the Western Wall. At that time, I suffered severely from a hoarse voice and sore throat, which wouldn’t pass. The timing was during Sukkot, filled with performances and celebrations, and I was worried about how I would get through the holiday with such a voice condition. At the event was the righteous Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu of blessed memory. I approached him and asked for a blessing for the pain and hoarseness. He looked at me and said, 'On your tie, there’s a pattern of a warp and weft, it needs to be cut and thrown away.' I checked the tie and indeed found a hidden pattern of warp and weft I hadn’t noticed before. I tore the tie and threw it in the trash, and then he blessed me: May the acronym 'VOICE' (קול) translate to 'a swift recovery is forthcoming.' Shortly after, the pain and hoarseness simply disappeared. That Sukkot turned out to be one of my most successful, and I had the joy of performing and cheering many Jews at the celebrations." ### Professionally, Are You Where You Imagined You'd Be? "For me, the work isn't a career; it's a mission, and I don't set specific goals for myself. Every call I get to bring joy to Jews, I know it's just another part of my mission. Last year, I published a collection book, 'Increasing in Joy,' on topics of Chassidism, and I am trying to develop the mission in every step, not necessarily through singing. Branding and publicity don't hold a place for me as they're not my ultimate goals. What I want is to bring joy to Jews and work on the trait of joy." ### Where Do You Want to Be in Ten Years? "With God’s help, I hope that by then Hashem will have compassion on us and build the Holy Temple soon, and we will see the priests in their service and Levites in their songs. I hope to see the Levites bringing joy to the people of Israel and singing and playing music." ### Your Thoughts on Baalei Teshuva and Your Connection to Them? "I am deeply moved by them. My family and I live in Rechovot, and we constantly host baalei teshuva couples for Shabbat. Not only because baalei teshuva don’t always have a family to host them for Shabbat, but also for the benefit of my children. Every Shabbat, I ask a baal teshuva guest to share their life story, and my kids listen intently, understanding what they gave up and how much they sacrificed. I believe it also instills in them a great appreciation for baalei teshuva and develops a sense of gratitude, being fortunate to grow up as believing Jews." ### Your Latest Single 'And You Dance' Was a Big Hit. Any Plans for a New Album? "This song is, indeed, the third single from work on an album that, with God’s help, is coming together. I sincerely hope to release it this year, but there’s no exact date yet."