very cool

let's start the week with a Zusha rendition of Hatikva

wow..

Today we take on a bit of a different project: the national anthem. Interestingly, it's not from one of our 5 native countries. This evening marks the beginning of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, so we decided to honor Israel with this original rendition of their anthem. It would be a great goal for us to record all national anthems of the world!
Happy 67th birthday, Israel!

Arranged by Simon Åkesson
Audio mixing by Evan Sanders
Video by Andrew Kesler

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We are 6 vocalists from 5 different countries. We create these projects through Internet collaboration. Check out our (kinda crazy) backstory:
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Someone in Geula was upset about the annual Neturei Karta protest at the Kikar Shabbos intersection at the time of the memorial siren for Yom Hazikaron. In response, that person, seemingly unidentified, blasted Hatikva out a window somewhere.

I was with Maran [Rav Ovadia] for 60 years. He had nothing else besides for Torah...At the coronation of the rav [Yitzchak Nissim as chief rabbi in 1955] we sat together, side by side. at the conclusion of the coronation of Yitzchak Nissim they started to sing "Kol Od BaLeivav" (Hatikva) and I thought - they are crazy. I did not stand. The Rav stood... I asked him why he stood. Rav Ovadia said "I said Aleinu" - he did not want that stupid song to have an effect on him.

  -- Shas Rabbinical leader Rav Shalom Cohen

Rav Cohen said this at some election rally, and people are upset he called Hatikvah stupid. Shas is coming to his defense saying he has the right to think it is stupid, he grew up within the walls of Jerusalem and nobody can teach him what is zionism and about love for eretz yisrael.

I happen to agree. He has the right to think Hatikvah, or anything else is stupid. he clearly did not learn the lesson from Rav Ovadia who was sitting right next to him. Rav Ovadia stood up when they sang it. He might have thought it was stupid or might have seen no purpose to it, or might have loved it - we dont know. But even if he thought it was stupid, he respected that others found importance in it, and he stood up. So he said aleinu quietly. He still made sure not to insult anybody else over it. Rav Cohen, missing that lesson, seems to excel in casting insults.

a Hatikvah and We Will Rock You mashup.. hmmmm

it seems almost irreverent..

Michael Greilsammer's version of Hatikva - with Uriel Sverdin and Shimrit Greilsammer - Filmed by Noam Revkin-Fenton Inspired by Game of Thrones music theme by Ramin Djawadi and Hatikva by Naphtali Herz Imber

The new Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rav Yitzchak Yosef and Rav Dovid Lau, were anointed yesterday in a celebratory ceremony...



Notice that Rav Lau is standing next to Justice Minister Tzippi Livni, and Rav Yosef is only a couple people away as well, who is also singing - he did not leave and did not ask her to not sing.. There are also plenty of other black hats, along with other women, in the audience.

For all those with trouble in the army - we have an expression "no need to be frummer than the pope". To paraphrase that, no need to be frummer than the Chief Rabbis...

MK Miri Regev (Likud Beyteynu) has proposed a law by which every event attended by the President of Israel would have to begin with the playing of Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah.

Regev is disturbed by the fact that Hatikvah was not played at the FC Barcelona exhibition game last week, despite the President's attendance, and despite the attendance of other ministers and public figures, and despite the large audience and the tremendous investment by the government to make it successful.

I agree with Regev. I don't know if it should be limited to events attended by the President. In the US all sporting events begin with the national anthem, and it should be that way here too. There is nothing wrong with trying to bolster some patriotism. Besides for sporting events, public events that are government related should all play the anthem, as well as any event that is ממלכתי , state-oriented, in nature.

Then again, it is nothing new that Peres is not interested in the anthem. In his annual birthday bash called "The President's Conference", he does not have Israeli flags on display now does he have the national anthem played at the start and/or end of each day, or of the conference. He claims to be in favor of it, with his spokesperson saying it was a matter of timing that they did not play it at the Barcelona game, but he really has to show us in action that he is favor of it by actually playing it at his events.