The 5000th Review — “HAVA NAGILA: THE MOVIE”— Let Us Rejoice

Amos ♦ September 13, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

“Hava Nagila: The Movie”

“Let Us Rejoice”

Amos Lassen

Hava nagila, hava nagila
Let us rejoice, let us rejoice

Hava nagila ve-nismecha
Let us rejoice and be glad

Hava neranena, hava neranena
Let us sing, let us sing

Hava neranena ve-nismecha
Let us sing and be glad

Uru, uru achim
Awake, awake, brothers

Uru achim be-lev sameach!
Awake, brothers, with a joyful heart!

“Hava Nagila” has become as Jewish as matzoh and brisket, bagel and lox and it has way past its origins and has been sung by almost every major recording artist from Presley to Dylan. This is a movie about a song that has moved from Eastern European shtetls to almost everywhere in the world. Hava Nagila is every bit a symbol of Judaism as is the star of David. It seems that everyone knows it— Jews and Gentiles alike. It is heard at weddings, bar mitzvahs, Major League Baseball games and this year at the 2012 Olympics. It brings back memories ye it is so much more kitsch and has become the unofficial anthem of the Jewish religion and it is tied to history, hopes and dreams and shows how one song can express and sustain identity as well as send culture across generations.

Films bring back memories as well and when we have a film about a song that has been an integral part of our lives for what seems like forever, it is only natural that people will relate to it.

Watching Roberta Grossman’s “Hava Nagila (The Movie)” is if not a religious experience it is very definitely a celebration of Jewish identity in which we remember events in our lives that have been tucked away in our memories and recognition of our heritage. There are many twice a year Jews and people who identify as Jewish yet never set face in a house of worship, yet they recognize Hava Nagila and probably know the words.

The film is a documentary journey through the history, mystery and meaning of the song which has gone on to become a standard. There are interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy, Connie Francis, Glen Campbell, Regina Spektor and more, the film follows the song on its fascinating journey “from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the kibbutzim of Palestine to the cul-de-sacs of America”. The film is fun and entertaining but more than that, it is a look at the universal themes of happiness and joy and the power of a people who have survived against tremendous odds.

  Since being Jewish is such an important part of who I am, it is only fitting that this is my 5000^th review and I am having great joy.