Say Your Name

The Maccabeats — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:15:02 +0000

After more than ten years of creating and sharing music videos, we’ve grown accustomed to a fair share of public scrutiny. And as seasoned veterans of the online world, we’ve long known that social media and YouTube comment sections don’t lend themselves to thoughtful discussion and critical analysis.

But our most recent offering, “Say Your Name,” written in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, seems to have touched a nerve. Several nerves, in fact. The censures of our song fell into four – sometimes overlapping – categories:

Many questioned why we wrote a song for George Floyd, despite having never dedicated songs to any other victims. Commenters suggested a wide range of substitutions, including Israeli victims of terror, American victims of antisemitism, white victims of police brutality, and victims of the violence associated with the recent protests.
Others suggested that we shouldn’t have dedicated a song to someone with a criminal past.
A third group complained that our song implies alignment with – or worse, pandering to – a group or organization that they viewed as unsavory, such as Black Lives Matter, the Black American community, or progressivism at large.
Finally, a small but vocal group suggested that our song emphasized ourselves over George Floyd and the causes he inspired.

With regards to that last point (the subject of a recent article in Kveller), we don’t have much to add other than to point out the irony of a mostly – if not entirely – white group asserting that our project somehow took away the voices of the victims.

Regarding the third objection noted above, that of joining the “wrong” cause: As to whether or not we believe that there are deep-seated, fundamental issues which require serious thought and action, we follow not just the armies of social scientists and thinkers who have shown this to be the case, but the example of our community’s teachers and leaders:

Yeshiva University: “Our hearts are heavy with sorrow and we understand the anger and fear being felt across the country, especially by Black Americans at this time. We join in the national outcry for justice and reforms that seek to prevent these tragic violent acts from continuing to occur.”
British Chief Rabbinate: “That ‘Black Lives Matter’ needs affirming at all is utterly shameful. There is no doubt that this is an essential wake up call for each and every one of us.”
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (the OU): “Yet, we are again witnessing that too many communities around this country feel their voices are not being heard, their complaints about racist treatment are unheeded, and we are not doing enough to point out that this brutal and unjust treatment is antithetical to basic American values.”

Yes, the antisemitism that we publicly protested with 25,000 of our brothers and sisters earlier this year is real. And yes, that antisemitism sometimes manifests more prominently in communities of color. But bringing that up at this moment is entirely besides the point. We don’t fight for the rights and dignity of marginalized communities for the sake of reciprocity, we do it because it’s the right thing to do.

To those who protest our mourning of Mr. Floyd due to his criminal past, we reply simply that this is an ugly, morally repugnant distraction. Neither Jewish nor American values teach that his life be treated as less than any other; his blood was no less red than ours or yours. As one of the bystanders desperately tried to remind the officers who killed Floyd, “he is human.” If one of the victims of the Tree of Life shooting were a convicted criminal, his or her death would be no less tragic.

Similarly, we shouldn’t need to explain the difference between the functional public execution of Mr. Floyd by uniformed government representatives and the tragic death of retired police captain David Dorn at the hands of criminal rioters during the subsequent unrest.

Finally, as to those who questioned whether we “have enough tears” for Jewish and Israeli victims as well, the answer, of course, is yes. The Jewish people exist in concentric circles, and it is only natural to grieve more at the loss of a family-member than at the death of a stranger. But assuming you were asking in good faith why George Floyd deserved a tribute, and not simply using those substitute names as a sideways disagreement based on one of the above critiques, allow us to explain why we felt the need to speak up at this time.

Hearing about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in the final hours of Shabbat brought on an awful jumble of feelings in the pit of our stomachs. After the attack on our sacred space of gathering and prayer we felt, all at once, mourning, grief, violation, anger, and fear. The Jewish community – our primary audience – shared in this emotional whirlwind. They didn’t need us to remind them how to feel.
Furthermore, all the commentary and finger-pointing over the following days and weeks didn’t really make us feel any better. Security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions would need to be increased. Antisemitism was on the rise from both sides of the political spectrum. We live in a climate of extreme polarization and radicalization.

What did make us feel better was the comfort that came from outside of our community. Not just politicians at all levels denouncing the violence, not just newscasters reading the names and stories of the victims, but the “rings of peace” that some groups of non-Jews formed around their local synagogues. And yes, the presence of local law enforcement outside those synagogues.

So when Black Americans were hit in the face with yet another video of the needless death of someone who looks like them, we thought we should take a few beats to offer our empathy, and to remind the rest our community to do the same.

The Maccabeats – Pan Fry

Maccabeats — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 21:09:21 +0000

For our tenth (!) Hanukkah video, we return to our roots. Parodying two of the most critically and commercially successful songs of 2019, we sing about the holiday’s rituals, traditions and ideas in colored boxes.

But there’s more. Though 2019 is still one of the best times in history to be Jewish, we’re beginning to feel tremors of uncertainty. Pittsburgh, Poway, and now Jersey City all remind us that there are forces of hate who would prefer a world without us. And to them we say: “we’re not going anywhere.”

This year’s lyrics focus on Hanukkah’s unambiguously public celebration of our faith and tradition. From the menorahs in the windows of private homes, to the menorah lightings in public squares, we “light our flames for all to see.”

Happy Hanukkah!

P.S. Make sure to stick around after the main song for some “outtakes”

Maccabeats on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2plllpJj0sU7FsdZrn8EHq
Maccabeats on Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/367163195

Stay in touch:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Maccabeats
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Maccabeats
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

MaccaBeatles Medley

Maccabeats — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 18:02:52 +0000

Iconic. Most influential band of all time. Cultural phenomenon. Musical legends.

These are just some phrases we hope will one day be used to describe the Maccabeats. But for now, we pay tribute to one of the greatest acts in Western Music with our signature Maccabeats twist. Ladies and gentlemen…the MaccaBeatles!

Many Beatles songs have enjoyed second lives in other languages, and the Maccabeats are the latest in a long line of artists to draw inspiration from the Fab Four.

The Beatles themselves recorded their classic “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in German as “Komm gib mir deine Hand,” which we then adapted into the similar Yiddish. Similarly, noted Israeli singer-songwriters Arik Einstein and Ran Eliran recorded a Hebrew version of “Yesterday,” performed as “Rak Etmol.” Finally, Naomi Shemer originally fashioned her classic Lu Yehi to the tune of “Let It Be” before later composing an original melody.

Maccabeats on Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/367163195

Stay in touch:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Maccabeats
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Maccabeats
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

The Maccabeats Minute

Maccabeats — Fri, 31 May 2019 17:57:42 +0000

Exciting new!
We’ve launched a new series of one-minute performances called “Maccabeats Minutes” which will allow us to share more of our music than ever before.

We’ve already released two of these videos:
1. I Wouldn’t Be, in honor of Mother’s Day
2. Mi Bon Siach – a Jewish wedding song we set to the tune of “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott – released on Lag BaOmer to mark the beginning of the traditional Jewish wedding season.

Maccabeats Minutes will be featured on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, so make sure to follow us there to be the first to see these and other Maccabeats updates.

You can also listen to Maccabeats Minutes on our Spotify page.

One more thing: We want to hear from you what you’d like to hear, so please do let us know what we should sing next.

Dreidel – Hanukkah 2018

Maccabeats — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 22:53:16 +0000

There are certain seasonal songs that become so powerfully connected to a holiday that it seems as though they’ve been around as long as the holiday itself.

“I Have a Little Dreidel,” originally composed by Samuel Goldfarb some 100 years ago, does not date back to the period of the Maccabees, but – for reasons no one will ever know – has become perhaps the best-known English song of the Hanukkah canon. For this year’s Hanukkah video, we’ve transformed this simple melody into a multi-genre adventure testing the limits of a cappella music and challenging us all to find new ways to bring excitement to our traditions.

The dreidel, a Jewish variant on the teetotum, traditionally memorializes a time when religious practice had to be concealed from an oppressive government; it thus celebrates religious freedom. Its four letters also remind us of the great miracles of Hanukkah. We hope our renewal of this classic continues to spread those messages and helps everyone celebrate a Happy Hanukkah.

Enjoy our “I Have a Little Dreidel” video and make sure to grab the track on CDBaby or iTunes!

Grab Our Music
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/Maccabeats

This is the New Year

The Maccabeats — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 20:47:30 +0000

There’s a lot of great music out there, but every so often we’ll hear a song for the first time and just know that this is a song we need to sing.

A Great Big World’s “This Is the New Year,” was one of those songs. Its catchy melody, captivating meter (try counting along, we dare you!), and driving rhythm are only exceeded by it’s powerful and timely messages.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is replete with contradictory ideas: a time set aside for introspection is celebrated as a community; “the day of judgement” is also a festival; and “the day of remembrance” is a day we spend looking forward to the coming year. This year’s song doesn’t shy away from these complicated ideas, telling us to “embrace the past” and “live for now;” asking us “pray for the life we’ve wanted” for ourselves but also to “tear the wall down that divides us;” and reminding us that though the world was created for each of us, “there’s so much to be done.”

Wishing all of our friends and family a happy, healthy, sweet, and musical new year!

Grab Our Music
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/Maccabeats

Despacito – דספסיטו

The Maccabeats — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 20:42:46 +0000

Have you ever had the feeling that the more you do, the faster time seems to go? Or that you’re a spectator – not a participant – in your own life?

Our newest video, a cover of Amram Adar and Itzik Shamli’s timely adaption of the summer mega-hit Despacito, asks us to pause and live deliberately. Family, faith, and meaning should never take a backseat to the rat race of work and blind ambition. As we sing in the chorus (translated from Hebrew) “Slowly – take things slowly, everything will come in it’s time my dear. And all delays will turn out fine as long as we keep faith.”

We’d really appreciated if you could take the time share this video with your own friends and family!

Finally, our love goes out to our friends in Houston, hometown of one of the Maccabeats. Please consider donating to the Jewish Federation’s relief fund (link here) or the cause of your choice, they need our help.

Grab Our Music
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/Maccabeats

Sound of Silence with Jew in the City

Maccabeats — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 21:48:09 +0000

Fifty years ago, one of our favorite artists wrote a powerful, enduring, and almost prophetic song about, in the words of Art Garfunkel, “the inability of people to communicate with each other.” Simon and Garfunkel’s classic “Sound of Silence” is more relevant than ever in the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and ubiquitous devices.

We would argue that perhaps our friends at Jew in the City used our cover to portray a more positive angle: despite our seeming addicion, we all have the ability to turn off our phones and connect with our friends and family, or maybe even just spend some quality time with ourselves. Indeed, Shabbat is a particularly auspicious time for this and we feel fortunate to have this “time-out” built into the rhythm of our lives.

DWe think Jew in the City did a great job on the visuals and story for this video and if you enjoyed the music don’t forget to grab the single:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-sound-of-silence-single/id1187098421
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/maccabeats20

New Pesach Video – Mah Nishtanah!

Maccabeats — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 03:32:51 +0000

Music is all around us, and the Passover Seder table is no exception! The Seder introduces many small variations from our typical meal-time routines; These differences are the subject of the famous “Four Questions” or “Mah Nishtanah,” usually translated as “Why is This Night Different?”

In that spirit, this year’s Pesach video is a little different. Using only our voices, mouths, and the objects traditionally found on the Seder table, we replaced our usual vocal percussion with “Pesach-cussion” and added a four-cups glass harp to fill out our arrangement. Needless to say, we had a blast filming this and we hope you enjoy – have a Chag Kasher V’Sameach and a Great Passover!

Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends, and don’t try this at home!
Check out our previous Pesach videos:
Les Misérables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmthKpnTHYQ
Dayenu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgDNPGZ9Sg
Let My People Go, Story, Why Do We Lean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1jRAf0u9Kc

Download this track for FREE here: https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/maccabeats21
Our music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195

Hasmonean – A Hamilton Hanukkah

Maccabeats — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 04:41:40 +0000

An empire bent on ruling a sovereign territory without fair representation. A scrappy country rising up against the odds and their much greater opponent. A young leader with history’s eyes on him, leading his people to a miraculous victory. This, of course, is the plot of the Hanukkah story, the subject of our newest video.

We’re huge fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical Hamilton, and we were especially impressed at how he used modern musical styles to direct the hearts and minds of millions towards the characters and lessons of history.

We borrow the tunes (and a few costumes) from Hamilton to trace the characters and lessons of the Hanukkah story, following Judah Maccabee as he leads the fight against the Assyrian Greeks and retakes the Temple. Don’t throw away your shot to share this video with your friends, and have a great Hanukkah!

Our EP, A Maccabeats Hanukkah, makes the perfect holiday gift:
Make this Hanukkah “A Maccabeats Hanukkah!”
iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/olwd8ov
CDBaby: http://tinyurl.com/no44vdm
Amazon (CD): http://tinyurl.com/qzldcxv
Jewish Jukebox (CD): http://tinyurl.com/przh65n

Stay in touch:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maccabeats/
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

Our music:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195