Dave Grohl Celebrating Chanukah?

“This year, instead of doing a Christmas song, this year, Greg and I decided to celebrate Hanukkah,” Grohl said. “By recording eight songs by eight famous Jewish artists and releasing one song each night of Hanukkah.”

Ok, obviously I think this is rad because I’m a huge Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters fan… and because I’m a very proud Jew and love to see my culture and heritage being acknowledged and celebrated.

But there’s something deeper going on here too, consciously or not, that I’m just loving. I’ve spoken and shared a lot about the undercurrents of antisemitism that permeate our culture - both from the political right, the political left, and everything in between. And over the last year, I’ve felt it so strongly and painfully especially in the context of everything else happening in the world.

I believe so strongly that music and culture are a way to bridge divides and to bring more cultural understanding and respect. I believe that artists have such a unique power and responsibility to use their influence to drive that change and to make impact that goes far beyond just them and their music. Whether or not it intentional, what Dave and Greg are doing here is bringing the humanity, understanding and recognition of the Jewish voices that have contributed so much to our society. They’re breaking the rules and the norms of just a white Christian-centered society… and saying there are other voices to hear and listen to. Love everything about this!

Happy Chanukah!