The annual Flatbush Hatzolah-NYPD baseball game at the Brooklyn Cyclones’ MCU Park began on an awkward note this year.

As spotted by Gothamist, a ragtag group of Hasidic a cappella singers struggled with the national anthem. In a video posted to YouTube, the chorus faces technical and lyrical challenges, with the lead singer relying on a smartphone to get through the words.

Aside: The Cyclones are a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets, whose Citi Field played home to the Asifa, a rally against the dangers of the Internet in May 2012.

Lest we perpetrate a myth that Jews don’t know their patriotic hymns, let the record show that in 1941, a group of 132 child refugees from Portugal sang The Star-Spangled Banner fresh off the boat. To be fair, they were coached in advance “by missionaries returning from their abortive voyage aboard the Zemsam.”

A freilichen Fourth of July.

h/t to my former colleague and Rockower Award-winner Dvora

Adam Soclof is JTA’s Associate Director of Outreach and Partnerships and coordinates presentations and advertising/marketing opportunities for the news agency. A digital archives enthusiast, Adam has authored more than 300 blog posts for The JTA Archive Blog and was responsible for its social media presence and weekly newsletter, This Week in Jewish History. Adam has presented at several conferences in the form of game shows, interactive social media campaigns and Powerpoint presentations. Follow him on Twitter: @hypersem