“This is the first concert I’m doing that I’m getting paid one dollar,” said Joey
ONChol Hamoed Succos, singer Joey Newcomb was performing at an event in Toronto when he was approached by a Chabad shaliach from Orlando. The shaliach told Joey that he runs a kiruv-oriented summer camp and that the campers love Joey’s songs, which are played over and over at camp. He asked if Joey would come down to Orlando and perform, and Joey readily agreed — but there was just one problem. The camp was running on a negative budget and had to fundraise to cover its most basic expenses. Funds to cover the cost of a proper concert were simply out of the question.
Then an idea popped into Joey’s head. “You know what?” he told the camp director, “I never had a dollar from the Rebbe. You give me a dollar from the Rebbe, I’ll come and do the concert.” The director readily agreed and got to work procuring a “Rebbe dollar” for Joey. The two exchanged numbers and promised to be in touch.
A month later, Joey got a call from his newfound friend. “Wow, this is rough,” he said. “The olam doesn’t want to give up their dollars.” But Joey was insistent, and so the director approached his own grandparents. “Zaidy” he said, “please give me the dollar. It would be a true fulfillment of the Rebbe’s shlichus — Joey’s gonna come, and it’s going to light up their whole summer.”
His grandfather acquiesced and relinquished the dollar bill so that these unaffiliated boys would enjoy a concert full of songs dedicated to ahavas Hashem and ahavas Torah. True to his word, Joey flew down to Orlando to perform for the boys, employing his trademark blend of zaniness and awesome vocals to rouse the attendees to greater heights in Yiddishkeit.
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