Hava Nagila

Humor and agreeable docu-schtick flavor this you-don't-have-to-be-Jewish-but-it-helps dissertation on the title tune. “Hava Nagila” is so thoroughly associated with Jewish culture and identity that some believe it dates to Old Testament times. But the song is actually a Ukrainian Hasidic melody from the 1800s, with 20th-century lyrics added by Zionist composer A.Z. Idelsohn (or, possibly, his adolescent protégé Moshe Nathanson—a lawsuit and royalties controversy followed, oy vey!). The upbeat, evocative song was popularized by Harry Belafonte, covered by Glen Campbell, parodied by Alan Sherman, and deliberately travestied by Bob Dylan. Serious Jewish musicologists still harbor a love-hate relationship with "Hava Nagila" and its kitschy associations (shown in Hollywood film clips ranging from Thoroughly Modern Millie to Wedding Crashers). Filmmaker Roberta Grossman uses "Hava Nagila" and its various iterations to portray the Jewish-assimilation experience and cultural resilience, right up to the YouTube era, in this entertaining film with a quirky interviewee list ranging from Leonard Nimoy to Connie Francis, along with illustrious rabbis, rebbes, and authors. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)