SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 33
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emple Israel clergy and staff like
to be inclusive when it comes
to activities, and so they made
a five-minute video celebrating Sukkot
to be shared online by Jewish people
everywhere.
Sukkah is the video that gets the
spotlight as it aims attention on the
structure that is at the center of the
holiday. The video features a parody of
a pop song, fun dancing and comedy
interactions with all to be enjoyed for free
beginning the day after Yom Kippur.
The video remains available during the
holiday, Sept. 29-Oct. 6, and afterward
through sites such as YouTube and
Facebook.
“We want to spread the joy of Sukkot,”
said Cantor Michael Smolash, who
developed and participated in the video
with Cantor Neil Michaels and Maya
Grinboim, director of music production
for the temple.
“The whole idea of Sukkot is that it
takes place as the most joyous holiday in
the Jewish calendar. After getting through
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah and the
repentance linked to that, this video is all
about joy,” Smolash said.
“This video is taking a very popular
song and showing how you can celebrate
to have fun, be a little silly, dance and be
together in the sukkah.”
The music is from the song “Sugar”
by Maroon 5, and the new lyrics are
by Smolash, Grinboim and Canadian
comedian Simon Rakoff, who polished the
final lyrics. Rakoff is known personally to
Smolash because the comedian is a cousin
of Smolash’s wife.
Part of making the video was to appeal
to all ages, and the musicians helping
with that included Larry Prentiss on
electric bass, Steve Nolton on drums and
percussion, and Bryan Pope on electric
guitars and synth.
“Little kids will like it,” Smolash said.
“
Adults will get more of the jokes, and
teenagers will dig the Maroon 5 song.”
The following shows how lyrics were
changed from the original song:
Original Lyrics
I don’t wanna be needing your love.
I just wanna be deep in your love.
And it’s killing me when you’re away.
Ooh, baby.
’Cause I really don’t care where you
are
I just wanna be there where you are.
And I gotta get one little taste.
Parody Lyrics
I don’t care if there’s bamboo on top
Or if it’s covered in natural schach.
When I’m in it, it shows me the truth.
Ooh baby.
’Cause I love me the way that it feels
And I’m gonna eat all of my meals
Sittin’ under that sweet little booth.
There is a chorus that serves as a
reminder of the spiritual visitors explained
as being part of the holiday:
“I’ll soak up the unseen and welcome all
those ushpizin (visitors).”
This will be the 10th music video that
Temple Israel has produced. It is funded by
Carol and Herbert Lawson so no money
had to come from the temple treasury. The
earlier videos were based on holidays and
prayers, and one has had about 1 million
viewers.
“The cast of the Sukkot video includes
Neil and me as well as the rabbis and
congregants,” Smolash said. “
At Temple
Israel, we want our community and
beyond to celebrate Sukkot and be happy
and have fun in a way that is free for
everyone.”
The video is part of the Temple Israel
holiday celebration titled “Sukkahpalooza”
with programming on each day of the
Sukkot holiday as well as beyond. It runs
Sept. 28-Oct. 8. Activities begin with
Sukkot decorating and move into services
and parties. A calendar of events is on the
Temple Israel website (temple-israel.org).
Cantor Smolash began working on this
holiday video during the pandemic, put it
away and pulled it out again to finalize.
“We decided it was going to be a
great project for this year,” Smolash
OUR COMMUNITY
SUKKOT
Temple Israel produces fun Sukkot video
featuring a parody of a pop song.
Some Sukkot Fun
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Cantors Neil Michaels
and Michael Smolash
continued on page 35