About a month ago, I turned on YouTube to play some Jewish music for my ever-restless quarantine kids. Almost immediately, I noticed a new song posted to the Maccabeats’ channel: “Say Your Name,” a George Floyd tribute.
I thought I liked the Maccabeats before they took a public stand against racism, but was moved by the outward display of allyship by the Orthodox a capella group – especially when I realized it was the only one I could identify in the world of Jewish music. The song wasn’t perfect – for some it said too much, for others, too little – but the group’s willingness to publicize their support for Floyd struck a chord within their Jewish fanbase. In fact, as they see it, it struck several different chords. I had the opportunity to interview the song’s composer and lead singer, Yonatan Shefa, on his perspective.
“We knew that people on both sides of the political aisle might not be completely pleased with [the song],” Shefa shared. “And we were willing to do it anyway…Expressing support shouldn’t be political.”
The response following the song’s release was decidedly mixed, however, and included criticism that the group, who have adapted everything from Justin Bieber to the Broadway hit Hamilton to fit Jewish themes, hadn’t experienced before. According to Shefa, the criticism broke down into two common refrains: “Why didn’t you write a song about [insert the names of tragedies in the Jewish world]?” and minimization of the tragedy based on Floyd’s criminal past.
“First of all, 99% of what we do is about Jewish community and Jewish pride,” said Shefa, who explained that he wrote the song in a burst of about 45 minutes shortly after Floyd’s murder became public. “I found it a little strange that anyone would question whether we prioritize the Jewish community in our overall message as a group. Those incidents clearly affect us on a very personal level. When we read about [the 2018 synagogue shooting in] Pittsburgh, it’s like reading about yourself; I could have been in that synagogue.”
Shefa went on to explain that, for the most part, it wasn’t commentary within the Jewish world after tragedies like Pittsburgh that offered him comfort. What did? “Reading about non-Jews of all backgrounds, races and religions forming protective rings around synagogues…THAT was powerful to me, and made me feel better about the world.” In that same vein, the Maccabeats quickly got on board to perform “Say Your Name” precisely because the moment called for collective support, not simply leaving the outcry to people of color who relate directly to what they saw in the video of Floyd’s murder. As for bringing up Floyd’s past – or that of any victim of police brutality – the Maccabeats addressed this as “[An] ugly, morally repugnant distraction. Neither Jewish nor American values teach that his life be treated as less than any other.”
Shefa’s other concern prior to releasing the song? “It wasn’t about us, obviously,” he said. “We chose to make the song into a semi-lyric video, because we wanted people to focus on the lyrics. At the same time, we also thought the image of a group of religious Jews showing their support should be visible. That was the balance we were trying to strike.”
This week, Zahava Englard Shapiro of the Jewish News Syndicate called Jews who have declared their support for black lives, including hundreds of synagogues, AIPAC, the ADL, and, yes, the Maccabeats, “stupid and desperate” for pandering to “people who don’t like them.” The Maccabeats eloquently dismiss this hate-filled approach: “We don’t fight for the rights and dignity of marginalized communities for the sake of reciprocity; we do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
And lest you worry that Shefa regrets not simply staying silent: “Despite the negative comments on the song, I would certainly do it again. The fact that there was pushback affirms that it was important… [because] having to feel discomfort is the catalyst for actual change.”
Yasher koach to that.