Hava Nagila: What Is It? is a documentary romp through the history, mystery, and meaning of the great Jewish standard. Funny, deep and unexpected, the film will celebrate 100 years of Jewish history, culture and spirituality. It will also reveal the power of music to bridge cultural divides and bring us together as human beings.
Update: Post-Production Begins!
Because of your generous donations—and a substantial single contribution—director Roberta Grossman hit the road in June 2011 and tracked down the origins of Hava Nagila in Israel and Ukraine. Now we are officially in post-production! With enough luck, and funding, the film will be finished by Summer 2012. We welcome donations as we still need to pay for editing, sound mix and other post-production costs.
Spotlight On: Our Editor Chris!
Our brilliant editor Chris Callister is currently burning the midnight oil, piecing together a rough cut of Hava Nagila, What Is It? Chris was our assistant editor and post-production supervisor on Blessed Is the Match. In addition to being a crackerjack editor, he is a writer/director of music videos, a USC grad (BA and MFA) and an all-around mensch from Nashville. Help us keep Chris chained to his desk in our editing room with a donation today!
We began making Hava Nagila: What Is It? in 2009. In April 2010, we completed the ten-minute fundraising clip above. This sample clip touched a chord. Nearly 500,000 people have seen it online. What's more, over 400 people have donated to the film!
With foundations drastically reducing their funding of the arts, we're counting on hundreds of donations large and small to finish the film…And it's working! With online donor support, we've been able to continue shooting with scholars and celebrities including:
Click below to see our weekly pick among the 1,000's of wacky Hava moments on the web.
The Jewish Music Research Centre
The Jewish Music Research Centre (JMRC) is an academic institution dedicated to the documentation, research and publication of Jewish music and has consulted on Hava Nagila: What Is It? since the project's inception. ...more
The American Society for Jewish Music
Founded in 1908, The American Society for Jewish Music (ASJM) continues to promote the study of Jewish music, classical and contemporary, liturgical and secular. ...more
Bubbe and Avrom from Feed Me Bubbe
Bubbe and Avrom, grandmother and grandson, created over 35 online videos, have a hit television show on JLTV, and a #1 Amazon Bestselling Book in the Kosher Category entitled, Feed Me Bubbe. ...more
