abcvision Review of Hava Nagila

Hava Nagila (2012)

Some songs make the soul sing

[10/10 · 4 February 2013]

• Even if you are not Jewish, you probably know the song "hava nagila", festive folk song that is played at most Jewish celebrations. In the Hava Naglia (The Movie), you are taken back to the history of this song. Seems most don't know about its origins. Turns out that two claim its authorship but most likely it bubbled up from the Ukraine where a charismatic rabbi used it to celebrate the faith. What I learned was that the song is really not that old, it is really a modern song. The influences of the Jews evolution in American enabled this song to grow into the cultural icon it has become. The movie is full of interesting clips of the diversity of singer's interpretation of the song from Elvis, Lena Horne, and Harry Belafonte. When I first saw the title of the song I wondered how you could make a film length movie on a song that is short and central to any Jewish gathering, but director Roberta Grossman had made a highly entertaining and educative tale. A cross cultural song Hava Naglia takes you into a delightful world of celebration. I saw this film as featured in the 2013 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival