With the horrific terror attacks in Europe still fresh in our collective minds, an all new music video titled Hava Nagila strikes an optimistic chord with a musical affirmation of the Jewish nation’s solidarity with our brethren in Paris and in Copenhagen.
A modern take on the iconic Israeli folk song, Hava Nagila stars Israeli superstar Gad Elbaz, who took to the streets of Paris with filmmaker Daniel Finkelman to show both locals and the world the indomitable spirit of the Jewish people.
“We spent a week in Paris and people there are scared,” said Finkelman. “I saw with my own eyes as Muslims walked by, pointed their hands like guns at us and called out ‘Jew, Jew!’ in French. It felt like Europe in the 1930’s and we want the Jewish community of Paris to know: ‘The world cares about you. We are here for you and we are not going to leave you.”
“Its all about people taking a stand and refusing to be bullied, we will not hide our identity as Jews, we are proud to be Jewish,” added Gad Elbaz.
Producer and choreographer Zvika Bornstein summed up their message in three words: “cheer over fear.”
Composed by Elbaz with lyrics by Zvika Bornstein, HavaNagila is a Sparks Next production, co-directed by Aharon Orian from Olam Umeloo and co-produced by Shlomi Cohen with ZOAB Entertainment. Featuring choreography by Bornstein and Daniel Wdowik and dancers from New York, Israel and Parisian locals, Hava Nagila is an explosion of positive energy and optimism that affirms the unbreakable bond that unites Jews worldwide.
Hava Nagila was sponsored
www.NationalDiscountVitamins.com and was also made possible by producers Johanna Arfi, Hai Saroussi and Paris Popack.
this is the best song ever! its awsome!
LOVE THIS STUFF ITS SO FUN!
most jewish music is not cool
this is
His voice!
he didnt thats how the song goes in HIS song- i saw him singing VENISMICHA in the CTEEN motzoei shabbos video on chabad.org
love it 🙂
I have no knowledge of the history and I only learned the meaning of some of the words this day, but I have sung the melody for more than 50 years because the music is one of my favorite expressions pure & simple joy at being Alive.
As a peacenik, I applaud this response to ignorant hatred and violence. What better way could there be to say We are here and you can not destroy us or take away – we will embrace life & joy and go on (and on and on and on…..)
this song is the song I was waiting for
CANT STOP LISTENING TO IT!!!!!!!
its nagila VENISMICHA
there is a story that happened when the frierdiker rebbe was visiting the kramer family (chaim zalman, shmuel) in Bensonhurst in 1927 – they made a melave malka, and they were singing this song, and the frierdiker rebbe waited in the kitchen, and would not enter the room until they stopped singing the song. (Even though this same niggun was sung as far back as the Mharash or the Tzemach Tzedek – however, since it became the zionist ballad – it was transformed into a catalyst for klipa.)
The song resembles Zionism and the Jewish Statehood.
Almost 50 years ago in Oholei Torah some friends told me that someone was singing this song and Reb Eli Chaim Roitblat said that the Rebbe Rashab forbid singing it since the Zionist started singing it
Just because it was played after a Rebbe’s video doesn’t make it Ok. Some think it’s okay b/c it’s a niggun, and others might think the opposite b/c it’s an Israeli folk song(#9)
I remember singing in chabad yeshiva school when ypunger but later they stop singing not sure the reason why
I dunno. But I assume it is ok, being that it was played following a video of the rebbe at the cteens event in times square.
The tune: The tune is an old chassidic tune sang by many chassidim in pre war Poland/Russia. The niggun is attributed to the Sadigurer Chassidim, who lived in what is now Ukraine. (Source: Wikipedia). Till this day it is sung by some chassidim. In Lubavitch this niggun was sung at the hype of the farbrengens. The chassidim would dance on tables and sing this joyous melody (source: Reb Mendel Marozov). Reb Mendel Marozov sings this niggun till this day by farbrengens. The words forming the song ‘Hava Nagillah’: It’s an Israeli folk song. It’s one the first modern Israeli folk… Read more »
Whoa! The best song i have heard in a while! This song makes me dance!
association with Zionism and anti-torah movement.
En Kamocha!
The tune: the tune is an old chassidic tune sang by many chassidim in pre war Poland/Russia. Till this day it is sung by some chassidim. In Lubavitch this niggun was sang at the hype of the farbrengens. The chassidim would dance on tables and sing this joius melody (source: Reb Mendel Marozov). Reb Mendel Marozov sing the niggun till this day by farbrengens. The words forming the song ‘Hava Nagillah’: it’s an Israeli folk song. It’s one the first modern Israeli folk song in the Hebrew language (Zionist Ivrit). (Source: Wikipedia). For this reason, chassidic Jews which reject Zionism… Read more »
My teen watched and said there’s hope for Jewish music! Go Danny Finkleman
He is just awesome!!
I thought I heard somewhere that it used to be considered a standard niggun in chassidishe circles, but it fell out of favor in the frum world due to something — but I don’t know what…perhaps its popularity among the non-frum? Maybe some kind of association with Zionism?
Can someone refute or verify this (with more info.)?
LOVE IT!!!!!!! 🙂