Jewish hip-hop singer Nissim Black performs during a Hanukkah festival in Pittsburgh in 2018. (Photo/JTA-Esther Wayne-SOPA Images-LightRocket via Getty Images) Culture Music Orthodox rapper Nissim Black’s new single, ‘The Hava Song,’ remakes ‘Hava Nagila’ just in time for Hanukkah Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Laura E. Adkins, JTA | December 9, 2020 The latest single by Nissim Black, a pathbreaking Orthodox hip-hop artist, reimagines what may be the mostly widely known Jewish song. “The Hava Song,” released on Black’s 34th birthday Wednesday, is a modern and bass-forward reimagining of the traditional “Hava Nagila.” It features Black rapping about gratitude, his place in Jewish society and even allusions to the coming Messianic age. “Big house coming down / from the sky to the crowd / we’re gonna sing it out loud / Black, Jewish and proud,” he sings. Black’s previous releases, including the popular single “Mothaland Bounce,” have racked up tens of millions of views on Youtube and are popular with Orthodox audiences. Black has been producing music since his teens but has been exclusively creating Jewish music with religious themes since his conversion to Judaism in 2012. He moved to Israel in 2016, where he currently lives with his wife and six children. “I put my heart into my music and I love to give my heart to everyone. I’m a lover of humanity,” he told Alma back in February. Laura E. Adkins Laura E. Adkins is opinion editor of the Forward and former opinion editor at JTA. JTA Content distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news service. Also On J. Clich or anthem Either way, Hava Nagila a crowd-pleaser Music Israeli fans swoon as Queen plays ‘Hava Nagila’ Music Adam Sandler’s ‘Chanukah Song’ gets hip-hop remix on streets of NYC Celebrity Jews David Cronenberg does Star Trek; Hallmark does Hanukkah; etc. Subscribe to our Newsletter Enter Email Sign Up