People from around the world are going for a record when they gather on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day to sing “Hatikvah.”
Jewish communities in Argentina, New York, Ukraine, Moscow, France, Netherlands, London, and San Francisco have registered to break the Guinness world mark for “most people singing a national anthem simultaneously.” Seven venues in Israel also are joining the effort, including 1,000 Canadian participants in the March of the Living.
Israeli President Shimon Peres will sing the opening note of the “Live Hatikvah” event on May 7 at 10:50 p.m. Israel time (3 p.m. EST).
“This is a one-of-a-kind effort,” said Galia Albin, an Israeli businesswoman, a philanthropist and project initiator. “In addition to the hundreds already registered, we expect many others to send videos of their singing after the event.
“The objective of the project,” she added, is to “make sure that Jews around the world, no matter where or of what denomination, know the words to our anthem, understand its contents and significance.”
As part of the official Guinness guidelines, participants must sing the anthem from beginning to end, and know all the words.
