The Nachum Segal Network (www.nachumsegal.com) aired its first ever “Kosher Halftime Show” during Super Bowl XLVIII this past Sunday night. The 20-minute online experience featured a performance by the “King of Shlock,” Lenny Solomon, and a band assembled from leading names in the Jewish music scene, including Avromie Weisberger, Jonathan Rimberg, Ari Boiangiu, and Ethan Bill.
The JLBC was granted an exclusive look behind the scenes with a special interview with Nachum Segal after the show.
“The halftime show is a key component of the big game, and the NFL consistently brings the biggest names in contemporary music to play on the main stage. The only issue is that those acts often don’t appeal to the Jewish crowd,” explained Segal. ”We were proud to provide a quality, kosher alternative that entertained Jewish audiences and maintained a family-oriented vibe even during halftime. Who better to give a kosher audience than us?”
The show garnered a lot of feedback online and Nachum told JLBC that nearly 10,000 people tuned in to watch with over 2,000 YouTube visits on the night of the Super Bowl. “We also had our highest ever numbers for our website with the half-time show.”
Nachum also said that post-show a small furor erupted because Shlock Rock did not play their song “Minyan Man.” Many Shlock Rock fans, he noted, feel that whenever the band plays, they must play “Minyan Man.” “We are even considering re-doing it with ‘Minyan Man’ being played.”
In addition to the music, the show had a few light moments with a mock Super Bowl commercial featuring Nachum emptying the frozen meat case at Cedar Market and trying to sneak out with all of the store’s Empire Buffalo Wings in his cart. However, Nachum didn’t make it out door, because he was tackled by Cedar Market co-owner Yossi Hollander dressed in full football gear, including a helmet.
Cedar Market was happy to be a sponsor, said Nachum, as the store’s management enjoys innovative marketing and publicity. “We approached them with the concept and they jumped on board right away. They are a good fit for us.”
The show showcased Shlock Rock favorites and famous original Lenny Solomon songs handpicked by Nachum and Lenny. According to Segal, Lenny “chose the songs that he believed would make the greatest impact in the short amount of time we had to work with.”
Nachum also explained the Super Bowl connection to show sponsor Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) which aired a video about aliyah during the show. “Lenny Solomon is an ambassador for NBN and one of his songs that were sung was about making aliyah. When we approached NBN, they were happy to sign up also.”
In addition to Cedar Market in Teaneck and NBN, The Kosher Super Bowl Halftime Show was sponsored by Empire Kosher Party and Buffalo Wings and Chicken Nuggets, and the Orthodox Union.
If interested, you can still watch the program on demand via the NSN website, YouTube channel (“NachumSegalNet”) and Facebook page (“Jewish Radio World with Nachum Segal”).
By Moshe Kinderlehrer
