Rosh Hashanah meets Daft Punk

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Waaaaay too much Auto-Tune…

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Isn’t that point!?

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I think I need a unicorn now. Maybe it’s because I’m not American, but the whole religions-coopting-pop-music thing gives me the shivers… And is that Jerusalem? If so, it’s really in poor taste.

But hey, happy new year of whatever calendar you’re following from before science was invented.

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We can at least be thankful that it’s not this. Judaism also seems a bit like an extreme form of Calvinism when it comes to membership, so you aren’t going to be shown it hundreds of times by people who want you to ‘get’ their religion.

I don’t see why it would be especially tasteless to make a video like this in Jerusalem though. It’s a living city and they don’t seem to be damaging the walls at all. They’re basically just singing about their culture and history while surrounded by symbols of that culture.

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God forbid citizens of a city which is home to three separate religions try to promote religious coexistance, especially through the medium of pop music and dance - it’s far too modern and peaceful.

Instead, they need to be carrying on the noble legacy of intolerance, hatred, and violence between people of differing religions that they’ve inherited from their past. If centuries of war and suffering were good enough for their ancestors, by God they should be good enough for them!

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They’re basically just singing about their culture and history while surrounded by symbols of that culture.

Yeah I guess. But Jerusalem has a very special status, and claiming it as a symbol of this or that culture will always be problematic.

God forbid citizens of a city which is home to three separate religions try to promote religious coexistance,

What promotion? I’ve seen only Jewish people in that video. Which is why it troubled me a bit, I have to admit. Jerusalem is a very weird and delicate place, and as I said above, claiming it for this or that religion (let alone this or that state) will always be a problem.

Btw, wtf is wrong with Discourse on Safari today? The Reply button is acting weird, it took me five attempts to post this.

Jerusalem is a symbol of certain cultures, because it is home to those cultures.

That’s only “problematic” when one or more of the differing groups of citizens act like the city belongs solely to them, despite all the evidence of reality. Jerusalem is Jewish, just as much as it’s Christian and Muslim, and anyone who gets upset with others for being proud of who they are, or for being part of the history of Jerusalem, is delusional and egotistical.

I just figure it’s symbolic to many different cultures at the same time. It looks like the particular part of the city wall that they’re using doesn’t carry a lot of symbolic importance, so I doubt that what they were doing would offend too many people.

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Only Jews in a Rosh Hashana video? Say it ain’t so! Next thing you know, we’ll only have Christians in a Christmas video! “Those filthy hypocrites! Wishing people “Happy Holidays”, but not having any non-Christians in their video! Who do they think they’re fooling?”

As for promoting coexistence? Maybe if you’d watched and listened you’d have caught some of the lyrics which seem to do just that. “All ends with beginnings”, “Let’s raise the bar”, “overcome” “We make mistakes / start anew, we can change / Take stock, search your soul / Shana Tov, time to grow”, “stop all the strife”, et cetera.

Moreover, you’ve got a bearded Hassidic Rabbi playing electric guitar with a bunch of young kids dancing to modern western pop music. I don’t know what more you want to demonstrate that this is supposed to be peaceable, inclusive, and celebratory. Could you imagine something like this happening fifty years ago? Because I can’t.

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“All ends with beginnings”, “Let’s raise the bar”, “We make mistakes / start anew, we can change / Take stock, search your soul / Shana Tov, time to grow”, “stop all the strife”

Yeah, the usual litany. Nothing in particular about coexistence.

you’ve got a bearded Hassidic Rabbi playing electric guitar with a bunch of young kids dancing to modern western pop music. I don’t know what more you want to demonstrate that this is supposed to be peaceable, inclusive, and celebratory

I guess I’m not familiar enough with the particular tribe customs (never heard of Rosh Hashana before, and I’m not an expert in Hassidism), so I don’t see why it should express such coexistence and inclusivity. I’m reacting like I’d seen a priest dancing to modern western pop music: I’ve seen quite a few and most of them were the less inclusive and peaceable people ever. Because you’re always welcome and we’re gonna have a lot of fun, as long as you accept etc etc etc. I guess it might be different for Jews… like @jsroberts said, at least I should sort-of assume they’re not trying to convert me.

Dunno, the whole religion-on-pop thing just leaves me a bad taste, that’s all. Ah well, time for bed.

Considering that Judaism has never involved missionaries on a fundamental level like the other Abrahamic religions, yeah, you should assume they’re not trying to convert you. :wink:

Also, if Rosh Hashana and Hassidism are alien to you, go ahead and look them up. Wikipedia is just a few clicks away, after all. You just might learn a few things about the world, and then you’ll actually know things about other people instead of just having to assume negative things about them. :smile:

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Is it Rashomon season already? And then comes Sacre Bleu and, before you know it, Yul Brynner.

Reacharound isn’t until spring.

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I think I’ll sidestep all the hand-wringing about religion and auto-tuning and note that it’s kind of interesting that this seems more based on George Barnett’s cover of Get Lucky than the original:

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never heard of Rosh Hashana before

Maybe you should just stop right there. Digging more is not the way to get out of a hole.

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A very interesting comment, I see your point.

And to use in a few months time

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That chap looks like a young Eddie Tudor-Pole… not a bad look…

Especially to us Jews!