The a capella Yeshiva Maccabeats group, which zoomed to fame with its “Candlelight” song for Chanukah, now unmasks a new performance for Purim.
The all-male group is made up of current and former students of New York City’s Yeshiva University and is committed to a philosophy of integrating traditional and secular wisdom. One of the band’s specialties is taking modern hits and “converting” them by giving them Jewish lyrics.
The Maccabeats have performed at Madison Square Garden and at dozens of university campuses all across the United States, and they recently sang at the annual World Bnei Akiva annual conference in Israel
Below are the lyrics of its new Purim song, written by David Block and Immanuel Shalev.
Stand stand for a tale so grand
Shushan is the place where it all began
The hidden miracle
One man, second in command
Slay all the Jews was his wicked plan
A scheme so miserable
He chose a day for the disaster
It’s ironic what came after
He didn’t know a girl named Esther
Would turn it upside down
So raise your glass if you can see the hidden meaning
It's right in front of you
We will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story
V'nahafoch hu (it was turned upside down)
Won’t you come on and come on and raise your glass
just come on and come on and raise your glass
Esther became the queen
Cuz’ G-d was pulling strings from behind the scenes
She wore the royal crown
Three days the Jews just prayed,
Queen Esther risked her life went to save the day
She took Haman down
The streets were filled with celebration
Everyone ate Hamantashen
Jubilation for the nation
Ken tihiyeh lanu… (So should it be for us)
So raise your glass if you can see the hidden meaning
It's right in front of you
We will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story
V'nahafoch hu
Won’t you come on and come on and raise your glass
Just come on and come on and raise your glass
So get your costumes on
Make noise and drown out Haman
Don’t drink like a fool
And remember and remember
What the day’s about…
So raise your glass if you see G-d in hidden places,
He's right in front of you,
We will never be never be anything but proud to tell our story
V'nahafoch hu
So raise your glass if you can see the hidden meaning,
It's right in front of you,
We will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story
V'nahafoch hu
Won’t you come on and come on and raise your glass
just come on and come on and raise your glass…