I’m back home in ND for the holiday break, and yesterday I saw this commercial for some company that sold and repaired appliances. They had cartoon representations of washing machines and such scrolling across the screen with Hava Nagila (sic) playing. I don’t want to get unnecessarily PC, and I don’t want to accuse the company of anything, but this offended me a little. I can’t imagine something like this playing back in New Haven (which has a much larger Jewish population than Fargo, to say the very least), since the commercial seems a bit disrespectful towards what I’ve thought was a more religious song than not.
I’m not Jewish, but the only time in recent memory I’ve heard this song was at my sister’s wedding a few years ago. Then again, I did hear it used in a Nickelodeon commercial back when I was about six, so maybe I’m being too sensitive. Does Hava Nagila (sic) have a level of sanctity to it that warrants my reaction?
No. Although the tune itself may have its origins in a wordless religious chant, or Nigun, the words themselves say not much more than (paraphrasing) ‘let us be joyful and celebrate’. Nothing sacred to see here. Move along. ;j
