Rosh Hashanah video roundup

If YouTube searches are any indication, we Jews love making music videos, and holidays offer the perfect opportunity to create new ones and hope they go viral. This Rosh Hashanah is no exception!

The Ein Prat Fountainheads’ “Dip Your Apple,” based on Shakira’s “Waka Waka,” seems to be the most frequently forwarded video ushering us into 5772. It’s bright and enthusiastic – and the lead singer has a singing voice worthy of more than just YouTube fame. Star Wars characters and the Angry Birds even make an appearance! Quick, who wants to take shots of honey with me?

Aish Hatorah tries to dispel any thought of Rosh Hashanah being a less party-worthy holiday than the secular New Year. To the tune of LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” (yes, the song from those annoying Kia commercials with the dancing hamsters/robots), Hassidic men with mean dance moves sing, “Pass our prayer books around! Rosh Hashanah’s in the house tonight … Let’s all get written in the Book of Life. Shanah tovah, it’s holiday time.” The lyrics are a little (OK, a lot) cheesy, but the dancing totally redeems them.

Flash mobs are all the rage, and Jews want in on the fun! In this video, a group of Chicagoans stage a shofar flash mob outside Wrigley Field, which is exactly as loud as you’d expect it to be. The video concludes with a Rosh Hashanah-themed rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” in homage to the flash mob’s location.

On a more serious note, spoken word artist Danny Raphael interprets Rosh Hashanah parshat Psalm 27 with incredible rhythm and soul, plus a “Newsies” style hat and a really great British accent.

Though it’s not a song, this Chabad video starring a rabbi puppet actually made me laugh out loud. I confess to being afraid of puppets, but this little bearded guy is pretty endearing.

Finally, if you want to go a little bit old school, there’s always Birthright Israel’s (somewhat uncomfortably romantic-sounding) “I Gotta Love You, Rosh Hashanah.” This ditty, set to the tune of “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama,” raised the profile of Jewish musician Michelle Citrin, who became known simply as Rosh Hashanah Girl after the video went viral way back in 2007.

Did we miss any? What’s your favorite Rosh Hashanah video, past or present?

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How to cite this page

Bigam, Kate. "Rosh Hashanah video roundup." 22 September 2011. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on April 24, 2024) <http://jwa.org/blog/rosh-hashanah-video-roundup>.