Over the years, the Maccabeats have put pretty impressive videos — like this animated Beatles medley or this epic Hamilton Hanukkah parody. But the truth is, while the parody videos are so much fun, at the end of the day, it’s the great vocals that make the Jewish a cappella group really stand out.
So while the Maccabeats don’t have an awesome parody video for us this Passover, they do have a beautiful new Jewish a cappella song that is empowering and exactly what we need.
The group put together a minute-long video of “Vehi She’amda,” a passage from the Haggadah that is all about resilience and survival. Here’s the translation of the Hebrew:
“And it is this [the Torah) that has stood by our ancestors and for us.
For not only one [enemy] has risen up against us to destroy us,
but in every generation, they rise up to destroy us.
But the Holy One, Blessed be He, delivers us from their hands.”
The melody is from Israeli-American composer Yonatan Razel, and it’s just so lovely. While the video is as simple as they come — with the four members of the group just singing in the privacy of their own homes, as they are social distancing — the song, and its message, speak volumes. We may be going through a rough time right now, but as a people, through every generation, we have gone through unimaginable hardships, and yet, we survive.
Thank you, the Maccabeats, for this Passover gift. And hey, if you’re already having a Zoom Seder, why not invite the Maccabeats to sing with you via YouTube? Happy and healthy Passover, everyone.
