By
Romy Salant
"AN
INNOVATIVE and fun way to teach Jewish principles through the
inspirational medium of song," neatly sums up "The Best of Shooby
Doob Shoimy", recently staged at the Eden College Auditorium in
Lyndhurst,
Johannesburg.
Shooby
Doob
Shloimy
is a children's real life character who teaches Jewish values in an
animated way through musical tunes. It was through meeting Mark
Samowitz
-who has become synonymous with the character - and whose Hebrew
name is Shlomo, that creator
Helen
Hedenmuth
brought the character of Shooby
Doob Shloimy to life.
Samowitz readily accepted the role, infusing the
"caricature" character with an energetic, jack-in-the-box
personality. As Samowitz - aka Shooby Doob
Shloimy
- entered the hall and led the children in song, their excitement
was clearly visible.
The stage lit up in all the glory of the primary
colours, decorated in red, blue and yellow, Shooby
Doob
Shloimy's
trademark attire. The show combines catchy tunes with lyrics
embedded in the principles of Judaism and Torah. It is an
interactive way of teaching mitzvot
through song, with songs of Derech Eretz, mitzvot such as Shabbat,
Shema and Middos (character traits) and educational lyrics teaching
children to "honour your parents and your teachers too" and to "love
thy fellow neighbour", "Ve'ohavta lerei'acho Kamocho".
The delight on the children's faces is evidence of
the concert's success, taking only three weeks to put it together
with an almost entirely new cast. The concert gives each child the
opportunity to be involved, as the children energetically danced,
sang and moved around the stage.
This is the purpose of the show: to spread the
positive message of doing mitzvot. As implied by Heldenmuth's words,
addressing the audience at the opening of the show: "If they (the
cast) can do it, then you can do it.”
Shooby
Doob
Shloimy
was launched in Johannesburg,
in 2002 and has achieved success worldwide.
It is the interactive ingredient combined with the colourful
sparkles of fun and energy that make the show a recipe for success.
The late
Chief Rabbi
Cyril
Harris said of this
initiative that “One does not need to be an educational psychologist
to appreciate the effectiveness of teaching items of importance by
way of song.”
Heldenmuth's writing talents combined with Samowitz's
musical flair, made for a tuneful duo. Samowitz has been in the
US
for the past two years where he has chazzaned in
Boca Raton,
New
York,
Philadelphia
and in many other cities and states across America.
With his passion for singing he has inspired both young and old with
his performances that echo the ethos of Jewish values and illustrate
the ability to praise Hashem through song. On his two week visit
back to South Africa,
Samowitz wowed the audiences in the resurrection of Shooby
Doob Shloimy.
