Music Video: Lipa’s Feel Good Chanukah Song

Lipa Schmeltzer stars in his latest music video “Believe in a Miracle”, a feel-good Chanukah themed song about the festival of lights.

by Sandy Eller

Once again, producer Danny Finkelman has teamed up with superstar Lipa Schmeltzer for a feel-good Chanukah video that captures the overwhelming joy and wonder of this most special of holidays. Together with composer and executive producer Cecelia Margules, the trio presents Believe In A Miracle, an enthusiastic anthem to the Festival of Lights, as well as an exuberant reminder that even during difficult times, miracles are all around us on a daily basis.

“Like so many others, all three of us were adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy, and our brothers in Israel have also been living under very trying circumstances,” said Finkelman. “Yet despite the very serious difficulties that Jews worldwide have been facing in recent weeks, we found ourselves surrounded by miracles both large and small”

“As we celebrate Chanukah” said Margules. “We want everyone to bask not only in the glow of the Chanukah candles but also in the knowledge that our mission here is to turn the darkness into light, and that is the biggest miracle of them all”

A dazzling show of lights, combined with dancing and music that captures the magic of Chanukah, Believe In A Miracle also carries a timely message about strong family values as well as the importance of sharing the light of Judaism with everyone around us. Produced by Finkelman and Mauricio Arenas, and music by Ruli Ezrachi ‘Believe In A Miracle’ features cameo appearances by Yossi Piamenta, Yanky Katina and Choni Goldman.

Lyrics:

Since the days of Matisyahu
I’m inspired here and now
As I battle my oppressor
Overwhelming me to pieces.
Am I an actor, a common factor,
Or just a spiritual nuclear reactor
The more money you spend the more you lose it
Sharing a light is how to use it
The light increases

נס גדול היה שם
נס גדול היה
נס גדול היה שם
נס גדול יהיה
Miracles Miracles
נס גדול
חנוכה חג טוב

;חינוך Chanukah is
Which means education
Out society needs illumination
Illumination begins at home
Is this the peace before the storm
As I’m buying all these chachkes
I’m munching on the Latkes
It’s inflated, long awaited
This has got to be expressed and articulated.

By the miracles we’re excited
Candles are ignited
Keeps us all united
Sorry, gotta go party,
So you can join me in my Ferrari, hey
Hello, hello, I can’t be tardy
Are you joining the Chanukah party

Do you believe in a miracle
I believe in a miracle
Who believes in a miracle
We believe in a miracle

52 Comments

  • opposite of Chanuka

    Sorry but this video stands against all that Chanuka stands for. Chanuka is about the Yidden not learning the goyishe ways …….

  • comment 4

    I have to applaud Crownheights.info for publishing even plodding comments to the video (unlike the other website who so far only published favorable comments). I am very concerned for our kids. Enough said.

  • Take the Rebbe out of this

    The greatest disgrace of all is how they inject the Rebbe as a prop (3:47 of video) of this very goyish film. Something tells me that I know why he didn’t use the skverer Rebbe as his prop. They would raise quite a stink… Why should we tolerate it? By the way, I believe by now he is 100% vulnerable to go completely fry. Someone has to reach him (isn’t Chabad good at that?) before another of the youth’s “heroes” fry out.

  • Disgusted

    Totally unimpressed!
    Its going from bad to worse!
    Very surprised that COL even put it up
    Its goyishe all the way through, from the word go
    So bad for our kids, so what are we supposed to do? Ban our kids from COL
    Shame on you lipa, youre gettting totally out of hand. How sad!!:(

  • The Rebbe?

    What is he doing putting our Rebbe in the background!!
    Wheres his Rebbe? Maybe because he would be totally shocked at this so called Chanukah video, so he kept him out of it!

  • To Danny Finkelman

    This is not Lipas fault its the producer! as far as lipa is concerned lubavitch” is the way to go and feel comf w going modern yet still have rebbe pic in his trashy video. now the PRODUCER Danny Finkelman should have guided him in a diff way!! not to bring this trash in our community.

    lipas days are over for many reasons..(he only had one day to me when he put out his 1st cd, thats it)

  • Happy parent

    Get real, niggunim are not attracking the youth no matter how holy and beautiful they are.
    הידים ידי עשיו והקול קול ליפא
    There are some powerful messages in this song which some would never get otherwise.

  • Naftali

    Why get so upset. He made a simple mistake. He thinks its Purim!!!! I just can’t figure out why he would light Licht on Purim

  • Disgusted

    To number 17

    Theres a happy medium. if niggunim arent attracting our youth, as you say, then there are always many other decent, yet catchy songs/tunes etc, that would please everyone, besides this low life so called ‘music’ its a case of knowing ones boundaries, and limitations and yet staying within the fences;
    Such videos do not only attract our youth , but they detract them from getting anywhere at all in life

  • danny finkelman your a sick man

    sick, awful, shame on you lipa, danny finkelman and anyone else twisted enough to be in this garbage.

  • Lighten up people

    It is a style of music, kind of hip hop, but the music and message are written by Yidden. In every culture the Jews were in they took from it as well as enriched the host country with Yiddishkeit. Today is no different.

  • Take the Rebbe out of this (continued)

    It says that “al tigue b’mishichoy” = “eilu tinokois shel beis rabban”. If this were the ‘Maccabeats’, I would have virtually no problem with the video. Why? Because it’s understood that the Modern Orthodox come from a modern background and don’t share our chassidishe tradition (i.e. they don’t know better)…. But Lipa DOES come from our chassidishe tradition (albeit skver), and so he is transmitting to our youth that hefkeiris is the new standard. His beard is his business, but when he acts like a goy, sings like a goy, and uses footage imagery that doesn’t pass the shulchan aruch’s guidelines of tznius, we must voice our protest publicly, because he released this video publicly.

    We are not abandoning Lipa, Lipa abandoned us. Please come back to us. We miss the real Lipa.

  • Thank you ch.info

    thanks for sharing the comments of criticism of this video. The other website, deeply censored the comments to only show the pro lipa ones, yet you didn’t. Thank you for that (incidentally, the other website’s son appears as a prop in the video, who wouldv’e thunk!?!)

  • Lipa Ain-t Klipa

    Wheres his Rebbe?

    Lipa left Skvere years ago. He does his own thing and he’s very close to the Chabad mashpiim in Monsey (especially R’ Gancz).

  • rochel

    to #23:
    The irony is that the Maccabeats videos are way more clean and wholesome. And that’s because contrary to your assertion that they ‘don’t know better’, the reality is that their videos aren’t family friendly by accident….they know more than you think when it comes to Frumkeit and make sure that they reflect Jewish values.

    Lipa,on the other hand, reflects a phenomenon that is fairly prevalent in CH, and that is that it’s clear he has two very conflicting identities: His American, goyish identity in which he’s emulating American music videos with the dance moves, and then there’s his Chassidish identity where he is all decked out in his garb having a Heimish Chanukah party.

    So while the video may be upsetting, I think that it unfortunately is dead-on in capturing so much of what has become ‘normal’.

  • PR Mayvin

    As immature as Danny Finkelman is, his PR must be acknowledged. As decedent as we have become, I am sure even he realized that there would be an up roar ( I hope it only get louder) for putting the Reebi into such filth. So to prevent any such back lash, he puts in Mikas loud mouth kids and Kabum no negative comments.

  • Dannny How ?

    We need to ask who is the Dany Finkelman. I am told he was the “brains” behind the Jewish kids got talent show last year which offended so many people.

  • to #4 and #15

    very very well said and yes
    thank you to crownheights.info
    for putting up comments that don’t agree
    with this chilul Hashem video

  • Chabad is not modern orthodoxy

    I’m all for Chabad being mekarev every yid, with langeh payis or with tattoos… but we shouldn’t see is as a strength that we are attracting rejects of other sects. That’s called bottom feeders. The Rebbe certainly wasn’t a bottom feeder. The Rebbe had a strength to make people enamored with his spiritually dynamic chassidus, not attract those who lost their place in their sects due to compromise.

    I don’t think Lipa was too good for Skver that he left them. He left them (if it’s indeed true that he severed his status as a skver chossid) [in my estimation] due to their stringent standards of Frumkeit. If we become the new magnet of all chaseeedishe, modern orthodox – wannabees, ochen vey tsu unz.

  • Dangerous for kids chinuch

    Do you realize what a danger such a video is?
    Worse then regular goyishe hip-hop.
    When a kid sees a hip-hop video (for whatever reason…) at least he knows its not the Jewish way…
    Here LIpa mixes the two – shtreimel & Hip-hop the kids think THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE STYLE..
    Do you realize:
    1) FOCUSING on a lady putting on makeup -not that she is in the background but thats what they want you to see..(even for a milisecond..) is totally against everything halacha!!!
    2) Goyishe dancers!! NEVER MIND THE style…
    3) Do you realize the Ferari shtcick is from the Hip-Hop BLING Blang culture MONEY MONEY… is that what you want your kids to get involved with??!!!
    DONT KID YOURSELF… EVERY VIDEO FRAME LEAVES AN EFFECT!!!
    (YES and I do realize THE OTHER SITE is only writing GOOD reviews!! SHAME ON THEM!!

  • To Danny Finkelman

    You are corrupting the hearts and minds of Lubavitch Youth. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you just want to feel good about yourself that you are a “director”?

    Take your trash to Hollywood, it has no place here. You are Mammosh a filthy Menuval.

  • don-t blame Lipa

    The video director decides and comes up with what to put in the video. Finkelman and COL are to blame.
    Lipa is innocent and assumes that if lubavticher’s are okay with it it must be okay.
    Thankfully the overwhelming negative response on this website will maybe have an effect to return their hearts to their roots.

  • To number 20

    There are many other decent yet catchy tunes/songs? WTH are you saying? People have issues with Jewish music in general, it just plain sucks. I agree this song’s lame but at least it satisfies some people that aren’t allowed to listen to non-Jewish music and hate Jewish music. BMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • what happened

    this is very sad!! what happened to us as a great nation…
    this is not music or talrent

  • BIG DEAL

    So now he’s frying out a LITTLE.He’s no more satmir(wtvr he is) Now he’s Lubavitch!!

  • let him take an example

    Avrohom Fried, and MBD have been singing for the “youth” for years and years now! NEVER have either of them allowed themselves to go down to this level of music, NEVER have they been critiscized or commented on in this way, the way the community at large have done now. Avremel and MBD are respected and admired by one and all; their sincerity and ehlichkeit appeals to everyone, and shines through in all their songs and concerts.
    Its sad that we have come to this now

  • Shame Lipa

    I remember when MAtsiyaho was jewish… I think now i could say i remember when Lipa was jewish…..

    SHAME ON YOU LIPA FOR COMING DOWN SO LOW

  • Who won?

    I look at this video and wonder- DID THE JEWS WIN OR THE GREEKS?
    wishing all an inspired Chanukah.

  • First they came...

    First they came for the Rabbonim,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Rav.

    Then they came for the Mashpi’im,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Mashpia.

    Then they came for the Chabad Lite,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Chabad Lite.

    Then they came for me,
    and there was no one left to speak for me.

  • Miri B.

    Hypocrites relax…
    When u bring your kids to a Lubavitcher wedding and see all these women some with impressive last names that are not dressed according to the code if law. Do u also go wild?
    Yes there are women in there. And they are tzniusdik.. (Last time I checked)
    Women are at a Chanukah party
    Is there a problem??

  • Vayechi

    I love the freedom of expression!

    This shows that we can express ourselves for how we want and leave it up to you to decide if you enjoy the entertainment or not.

    Simple.

  • To all the religious zealots out there

    Why are you watching music videos and posting on an Internet site? Why don’t you learn a sicha or something? Aren’t you bittle Torah? Uh, but you watch so you can knock these artists down, very good of you. Look in the mirror instead and shut off your computers if you are so holy!

  • Chabad Jew

    people its about time you realize the difference between this site and the other tabloid site. Getting your news from “that” site is like reading the Russian “Pravda”. The same way Pravda censored, so is the other so called Lubavitch web site heavily cencored. They want to give you a certain image of what Lubavitch is -and they succeeded doing just that

  • Lipa Lipa Yo, Cecliia Nyne

    The one to blame for the creepy beat and cheap words is Cecelia Margulies, whom I had the misfortune of meeting once. She is basically a wealthy “Modern Orthodox” housewife who has the time and money to pretend she is a composer and lyricist. This is not the first time she has laid an egg. Her husband has contacts in the music world so he helps to promote her “career” (probably to keep her hands out of his business.)

    Lipa does not pretend to be anything else but a commercial performer. I hope he made some GELT on this one because he does a lot of good things to help those who are falling.