Jewniverse

Jews & Arabs Dancing

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Jews and Arabs really aren’t so different. Just check out their dance moves.

A YouTube user, SpudXXXX, made a short video that mixes together traditional Arabic dancing with traditional Jewish dancing. First, a group of white-caftaned Arab men shimmies back and forth in a synchronized dance. Then the visuals cut to a completely different space: an auditorium where a Hasidic rabbi performs a mitzvah tantz (tantz is Yiddish for dance), and literally hundreds of his followers hop back and forth in synchronization.

Strangely–or, perhaps, fittingly, for an even more exotic cultural mash-up–the Spanish dance song “We No Speak Americano” plays in the background for both dances. Spud offers no explanation or sources for his video–his only comment is, “It’s better than fighting.” Some of the viewer comments also testify to the video’s bizarre spirit of camaraderie: “It should be the only way to settle disputes. Much funkier than war,” writes one fan.

It’s a wacky and funny video, but don’t take our word for it–go watch it now.

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