Movie Song of the Week: “Tradition”

Yes, I know. It's not all that original to post a song from the 1971 movie Fiddler on the Roof during Passover, but it's still a good song.

I still remember the way a Hispanic co-worker kept referencing this song after I lent her my Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack CD a few years ago. So much so that it's tempting to argue that it's really a Hispanic song. And given the number of Hispanics of Jewish descent (and the number of Hispanics who may be of Jewish descent but might never know for sure), that's not as silly an argument as it might seem. And even if such Hispanics didn't exist, it's not as if we Hispanics know nothing of discrimination or persecution.

Anyway, even for those of us who have no Sephardi ancestors (at least none that we know of), it's still a good song. Maybe it's not as famous as “If I Were a Rich Man” or “Matchmaker,” but it's still worth listening to and has a message that all humans -- not just Jews or Hispanics -- can appreciate.

Enjoy: