The Maccabeats

The Maccabeats were founded in 2007 at Yeshiva University in Manhattan.[1] The group adapted their name from that of the university's sports teams, "The Maccabees".[2][3] The original group was composed of full-time undergraduate students, many of them alumni of Bnei Akiva North America.[4][5] The group sang together privately for the first year, developing their repertoire, and then began appearing at campus events.[6] They eventually hired themselves out to perform at bar mitzvahs, weddings, and other events in the New York Orthodox Jewish community.[4]

The Maccabeats released their first album, Voices from the Heights, in March 2010. This album, funded by a grant from the university,[6] sold about 5,000 copies.[2] In November 2010, they released "Candlelight", a Hanukkah-themed cover of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" with a music video directed by Uri Westrich, a Yeshiva University graduate.[7] The video, a parody of Mike Tompkins' a cappella music video for "Dynamite",[1][8] was intended for the group's target audience in the New York Orthodox Jewish community[3][7] but it quickly went viral, being viewed more than 2 million times in ten days.[2][4] As of December 2018, it had logged more than 14 million views.[9] The song entered Billboard's Comedy Digital Tracks chart at #2 and the Billboard Holiday Digital Songs chart at #19.[10] That same month, the song rose to #1 on the Comedy Digital Tracks chart.[11]

As a result of the video, The Maccabeats received major media coverage and requests for bookings nationwide.[1][3][4][8] In January 2011 they performed at the Knesset.[12] On May 17, 2011, they were invited to sing at the White House's Jewish American Heritage Month gala.[13] President Barack Obama commended "their outstanding performance", in which they performed a barbershop quartet.[1][13] The Maccabeats returned to the White House on December 9, 2015 to perform at the afternoon reception of the White House Hanukkah Party.[14]

The Maccabeats have attracted both Jewish and non-Jewish fans via the Internet and on tour. In addition to the United States, they have performed in China, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, London, and Italy.[1][6][4][15] Members of the group lead Shabbat synagogue services for host communities.[6][12]

As of 2018, the group is no longer officially affiliated with Yeshiva University.[9]

The Maccabeats are best known for their Jewish holiday songs.[1] These cover and parody contemporary hits while adding original lyrics written by group members.[15][16] The lyrics are often educational, recounting the history of the holiday, mentioning pertinent symbols and customs, and using Hebrew phrases known to Jewish celebrants.[3][8][17]

The group has also covered Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", incorporating the Hebrew lyrics of "Lekha Dodi";[5][7] Anna Kendrick's "Cups", set to the Shabbat morning table song "D'ror Yikra"; Ellie Goulding's "Burn"; and Sara Bareilles' "Brave". Their 2014 music video mashup "Home", filmed in New York and Jerusalem, covers songs by One Direction, Andy Grammer, Chris Daughtry, Diddy, and Phillip Phillips.[36]

In January 2016 the group covered James Taylor's "Shed a Little Light" in a joint performance with beatboxing vocal group Naturally 7 in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The music video was filmed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.[1][37][38] Taylor called the performance "one of the best covers of 'Shed a Little Light' I've ever heard".[38]

In September 2020 the group released a COVID-19 lockdown-themed music video in which they covered the traditional Rosh Hashana song "BaShana HaBa'a" with additional original English-language lyrics. The members were individually filmed in their homes accompanied by their young children.[39]

For Hanukkah 2012, the Maccabeats released their first original song, "Shine".[40] "Hanerot Hallalu" ("These Candles") is their bluegrass-inspired rendition of the hymn traditionally sung after lighting the Hanukkah candles.[41] In June 2020 four members of the group released the song "Say Your Name" in honor of African-American police victim George Floyd.[42]

While performing a range of musical styles, the Maccabeats' performance is strictly vocal. Members do beatboxing to imitate synthesizer, drums, and other instruments.[5]

Founding member Julian (Chaim) Horowitz is The Maccabeats' musical director and manager.[6] The group was initially composed of undergraduate students, but by 2012 all members were in graduate school, most of them pursuing studies in fields other than music.[4] Members have continued with the group after entering a profession, marrying, and moving out of New York.[1] While all the members practice together weekly, only half the group travels to live performances, as their music is arranged in seven- and eight-part harmony.[43]

Music video director Uri Westrich is a Yeshiva University graduate. Following the success of his 2010 video for "Candlelight", he left medical school to pursue a career in filmmaking. He has directed all of The Maccabeats' music videos.[44]

The Maccabeats have a "clean-cut" look, performing in white dress shirts, skinny black ties, dress slacks, and knit yarmulkes.[12][20][3] In keeping with the philosophical tenets of Yeshiva University, the group sees its mission as a fulfillment of Torah Umadda (Torah and secular knowledge). In the words of group member Ari Lewis, the group embraces the ideal of "living a life of Torah and Judaism, and simultaneously a successful secular life".[4]

In 2012 four members of The Maccabeats – David Block, Noey Jacobson, Nachum Joel, and Immanuel Shalev – formed the short-lived a cappella group StandFour.[45] In 2014 Jacobson launched a solo career, while still performing with The Maccabeats.[46]

• StandFour

• Official website
• "Candlelight" music video
• "Lekha Dodi" (cover of "Hallelujah")