Skip to main content

Chanukah Rap, Unwrapped


 

I love, love, love words. But - - boy howdy - -  an image will really grab you. Like this one:



Rows of lights shine down. An ovoid shape, rather like a chalice, hovers over the scene, topped by what looks like the candle flames of a menorah. Out of those flames a man in a white suit with a black hat and a microphone is holding forth. Preaching? Singing? 

I don’t know.

Chabad Lubavitch of Howard County presents 

Chanukah On Ice at Color Burst Park

Thursday, December 22nd at 5 pm.

Over at the Chabad Lubavitch of Howard County Facebook page I learn that this year’s Chanukah On Ice will feature rap artist Nissim Black. Ah, so he’s the central figure in the image above. Chanukah rap? I’m going to admit ignorance on that front. Off to Google I go.

Well! Someone has Chabad has been doing their homework. The first entry on the page is their Chanukah event.






 And here’s an article from The Times of Israel online:

Jewish hip-hop royalty take ‘Chanukah song’ to NY streets, Philissa Cramer, November 2021

Yes, that Chanukah Song. The one by Adam Sandler. Only this is an entirely new take. 

Nissim Black and Kosha Dillz are two of the best-known Jewish rappers making music today. Black is a Black American and Hasidic Jew who moved to Israel in 2016, while Dillz is the stage name of Israeli-American rapper Rami Even-Esh.

Take a listen. It’s The Chanukah Song 2.0. 

Black is a convert to Judaism. His conversion story, which begins in Seattle, Washington and brings him to Jerusalem, sounds like a compelling life journey. It also has appeal to the folks at HBO Max who are developing a comedy series based on his life. Honestly, there’s a lot going on here.

Nissim Black is a superstar in the world of Orthodox Jewish Rap. He’s described as a Hasidic hip-hop star. And he’s coming to Columbia, Maryland on December 22nd. Learn more at the event page. Register for tickets here.

I’m a bit confused by their categories for what is billed as a free concert, but, maybe this makes sense to you.


(It does say that the VIP Ticket includes an invitation for two to a VIP Chanukah Dinner and a photo with Nissim Black.)

There’s so much in this story that is new to me. I don’t know very much about how Chanukah is celebrated other than family celebrations at home. I’m unfamiliar with Jewish rap music. And, while I knew that Black people are sometimes Jewish, that’s about all I know. Period.

Most Americans make the assumption that Jewish people are not Black. Clearly that’s not the case.  I’ve realized that my initial reaction to this event had a lot to do with my own assumptions or lack of prior knowledge. The poster which looked rather alien and otherworldly to me may make complete sense to someone else who is able to put all that usual information in context.

Just for fun, here are photos from last year’s Chanukah On Ice. 

Wait, there was one last year, too? There sure is a lot going on in Columbia/HoCo. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more