In the battle for the No. 1 Christmas hit on the United Kingdom’s charts this season, rising British pop star Lauren Rose is being given an outside chance at outdoing challengers not with renditions of “Joy to the World” or “Silver Bells,” but with her own interpretation of the traditional Hebrew folk song “Hava Nagila.”

When representatives from Marble Hill Productions heard Rose’s demo, they immediately prepared to release the single “Hava Nagila (Baby Let’s Dance)” on December 17, in time for the high-profile holiday sales period. The song threw Rose, 17, into competition against the contestants from the popular television show “The X Factor,” Britain’s version of “American Idol.” The winner of that show will also release a single in time for Christmas.

Several British gambling Web sites gave Rose’s song a 1-in-66 chance of taking the top spot.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Interested in the Jewish ditty’s 100th birthday, this year, Rose initially revamped and recorded an English version of “Hava Nagila” as a Hanukkah present for her grandfather.

“I’ve grown up with my extended family celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas, so if a Jewish song could be top of the Christmas charts, it would be a great way of bringing everyone together,” Rose said in a press release.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount