Lin-Manuel Miranda sang in Hebrew in a Jewish a capella group in college
Published February 26, 2018
Lin-Manuel Miranda at The Public Theater in New York City, Feb. 20, 2018 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
(JTA) — You may have known that Lin-Manuel Miranda, Broadway darling and creator of the musical “Hamilton,” sang a “Fiddler On The Roof” song at his wedding party.
But did you know that he was also in a Jewish a capella group in college?
On Sunday, Wesleyan student Lisa Stein posted a video of Miranda singing the old-school Israeli song “Hinei Ba Hashalom” as a member of the Mazel Tones — yes, the Mazel Tones — during his time at Wesleyan University.
Hey @Lin_Manuel, the new Mazel Tones need a rockin soloist! You interested? @wesleyan_upic.twitter.com/4SxTKiJNy6
— Lisa Stein (@singingcellist) February 25, 2018
Miranda retweeted the video 45 minutes later.
Oh dip my old hine ba hashalom solo https://t.co/deh3n4nKHw
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 25, 2018
Many fellow tweeters were surprised at the video and had some kind words.
I am Jewish and speak Hebrew as my first language and you did a great job right there👏❤️😂
— Noam Aviram (@NoamPAviram) February 26, 2018
In that pic you can totally pass for an MOT
— Erica (@EROHealthComms) February 25, 2018
(MOT is short for “member of the tribe.”)
Stein later posted a photoshopped image of Miranda wearing a kippah to entice students to audition for the a capella group.
Come to our concert at Wesfest 😉 pic.twitter.com/9ZNDo6Ga2f
— Lisa Stein (@singingcellist) February 25, 2018
Miranda, who is mostly of Puerto Rican descent, has long been a friend of the Jewish community. He told the New Yorker a few years ago that while attending the selective Hunter College Elementary School in Manhattan most of his friends were Jewish. Before making it big on Broadway, he helped pay his rent by performing at bar and bat mitzvahs. In 2016, he appeared in a fundraising video for Yeshiva University — a school that gave him an honorary doctorate in 2009.
