First report from the Jewish A Cappella Competition

(Note:  An earlier version of this post incorrectly said there were approximately 650 audience members).

On Saturday, April 2, over 850 Jews gathered (we get a dollar each time this phrase is used) at Adas Israel Synagogue for DC’s first ever Jewish a cappella competition: Kol HaOlam.

There’s tons to report, but here’s this for starters.

Nine groups from different colleges competed.  They each performed two songs (linked below).  One song had to be in Hebrew, and one had to be about Judaism in some sense (see rules).

Awards were given for:

1) Crowd vote (via text message)  –   Shabbatones, Univ of Pennsylvania
2) Best solo performance — Tizmoret, Queens College
3) Best song composition — “Hunger,” Staam, Washington University
4) Best group — 3rd place, Shabbatones (UPenn); 2nd place, Kol Sasson (UMaryland); 1st place, Tizmoret (Queens College)

I agreed with the host that all the groups were fantastic, but my overall pick goes to Kol Sasson (UMaryland), and my favorite song of the evening was “Bar Mitzvah” by Jewish Fella A Cappella (Brandeis, first song).

Many thanks to Elie Greenberg and Adas YP for arranging this excellent event!

Songs in order of appearance. My sincere apologies to Chutzpah of Georgetown University for somehow losing one of their songs. Sorry!

• Kaskeset, SUNY Binghamton, First Song
• Kaskeset, SUNY Binghamton, Second Song
• Chutzpah, Georgetown University, First Song
• Kol Sasson, University of Maryland, First Song
• Kol Sasson, University of Maryland, Second Song
• Jewish Fella A Cappella, Brandeis University, First Song
• Jewish Fella A Cappella, Brandeis University, Second Song
• Rak Shalom, University of Maryland, First Song
• Rak Shalom, University of Maryland, Second Song
• Shabbatones, University of Pennsylvania, First Song
• Shabbatones, University of Pennsylvania, Second Song
• Mezumenet, University of Maryland, First Song
• Mezumenet, University of Maryland, Second Song
• Staam, Washington University in St. Louis, First Song
• Staam, Washington University in St. Louis, Second Song
• Tizmoret, Queens College, First Song
• Tizmoret, Queens College, Second Song