Author Archives: Alexander Fiance

Folk Hymn

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

Echad (“The One”)

The one, every single one

Each one joined and united to the One

Echad yacheed

Oomeyuchad

Jay Rockman is a freshman at USC and a dedicated follower of Jewish religion and tradition. His mother is Israeli, and as a child he learned to speak Hebrew. From grades 6-12 he attend Milken Community School, a prestigious private school in Calabasas, CA that integrates Jewish education into its curriculum. According to Jay, they would often sing Jewish hymns and prayers at assemblies or certain classes; the school would combine both the Hebrew text and the English translation into these short hymns. The third and fourth lines of the hymn are normally written in Hebrew characters, with this version containing the phonetic pronunciation of the words.

“The One” stresses the connection between the people and God. The first line is about to every person in the world (“each and every one”), implying that the hymn applies to people of all race, religion, location, and morality. The second line affirms that all of these unique individuals are ultimately connected to God (“the One”), which also makes the earth’s population “one.” A primary facet of the Hebrew religion is that God’s omnipotence extends to all people, whether they acknowledge Him or not. Likewise, the Jewish religion rejects the notion of Hell, instead stressing that God loves everyone, but ultimately rewards those who respect His commands and practice the traditions.

Folk Hymn – Calabasas, California

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

K’ol ha’olam (“The Whole World”)

The whole world is a very narrow bridge

And the most important part is not to be afraid

K’ol ha’olam kooloh gesher tzar m’od

Veha’eekar lo l’fached k’lal

Jay Rockman is a freshman at USC and a dedicated follower of Jewish religion and tradition. His mother is Israeli, and as a child he learned to speak Hebrew. From grades 6-12 he attend Milken Community School, a prestigious private school in Calabasas, CA that integrates Jewish education into its curriculum. According to Jay, they would often sing Jewish hymns and prayers at assemblies or certain classes; the school would combine both the Hebrew text and the English translation into these short hymns. The third and fourth lines of the hymn are normally written in Hebrew characters, with this version containing the phonetic pronunciation of the words.

“The Whole World” stresses the importance of maintaining faith and focus amidst a potentially demanding or distracting world. This narrow bridge is a metaphor for the complexities and details of life; falling off the bridge refers to the ease with which one can be lead astray in life. If one is afraid to face the world and is constantly worried about what lies beneath the bridge, he/she will always be distracted by this fear. However, through faith in God (which alleviates fear), one can resist life’s many temptations and vices, and center their efforts on loving their family and doing good deeds for others (known as “tzedakkah,” this is one of the most important facets of the Jewish faith).

Chant

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 15, 2007
Primary Language: English

Kappa Alpha Theta Door Chant

Boom boom they’ll be nothing but Theta

Boom boom for the one I love

Boom boom they’ll be nothing but Theta

And the twin stars up above

Cuz there’s a Theta kite for every girl that’s’ right

And two twin stars shinning down so bright

Boom boom they’ll be nothing but Theta

I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be a be a with a Theta now

Right here at USC

We wear our black and gold

For everyone to see

So if you’re thinking, hey hey what should I do?

Just remember, Theta loves you!

Kristin Boyert pledged the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at Southern Methodist University in Fall 2003 and transferred to the University of Southern California two years later.  She is now an active member of Theta at USC and has focused a lot of effort on philanthropies and rush. The Theta door chant is performed at rush to draw in and impress potential members of the sorority. The “door chant” aspect involves the sisters arranging themselves to completely fill the doors and windows and choreographing their hair and hands in unison to the tune.

The door chant is designed to make the prospective members feel wanted  (“they’ll be nothing but Theta”) while proclaiming their love for the sorority (“for the one I love”). The idea behind the door chant is to overwhelm the prospects with enthusiasm and passion, hoping to inspire the girls to join with a concentrated, united routine. It also reveals the symbols of the sorority, which are the twin stars and the kite. However, the song warns that not all girls are a correct fit for the sorority, and rush is often extremely competitive (Theta is one of the most coveted sororities at USC). Unfortunately, this song represents a very superficial process, designed to judge girls based solely on their résumés and first impressions. Still, rush is an incredible process in that it unites the entire house (often over 200 people) behind a common cause of recruiting the best girls for the future.

Song

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 15, 2007
Primary Language: English

Kappa Alpha Theta Sisterhood Song

We are the best

We are the K A T

We make up

The best sorority

You can try

But you can’t match the fun

Cuz Kappa Alpha Theta’s always number one!

We got swing

No one else is better

And we’re always hot no matter what the weather

We the top the list

The cream of the crop

Kappa Alpha Theta is the top!

She’s a Kappa Alpha Theta

Cute little lass

She’s a Kappa Alpha Theta

Notice her class

She’s a Kappa Alpha Theta

Doin’ it right

She’s a Kappa Alpha Theta

Wearin’ her kite, yeah!

Kristin Boyert pledged the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at Southern Methodist University in Fall 2003 and transferred to the University of Southern California two years later.  She is now an active member of Theta at USC and has focused a lot of effort on philanthropies and rush. The Theta sisterhood song is recited at special events such as bid night in order to generate excitement. This song, however, was much more prominent at Southern Methodist and is not sang very often at USC.

Unlike the songs at rush that are humbly designed to impress girls, this song is a declaration of superiority, aimed at making the new initiates excited about their new status within the sorority. It describes the Thetas as well-balanced girls (class, attractive, fun) who are the envy of the other sororities and coveted by the men. While it is understandable that sororities have tremendous pride and tradition, songs like this help to explain the resentment that often develops between members of different sororities. Although girls may feel like their association to the group makes them superior to others, the reality is that any two girls could have easily ended up in the same sorority during rush. As a USC Greek, I have directly seen this out-group bias (and have sometimes been guilty of it myself), and while I have tremendous faith in the Greek system, this song certainly indicates the resentment potentially fostered amongst the row.

Hymn – Calabasas, California

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

V’Shamru

And the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath,

To make the Sabbath an eternal covenant for their generations.

V’shamru v’nei Yisarel et ha’shabbat

La’asot et ha’shabbat l’dorotam b’rit olam

Jay Rockman is a freshman at USC and a dedicated follower of Jewish religion and tradition. His mother is Israeli, and as a child he learned to speak Hebrew. From grades 6-12 he attend Milken Community School, a prestigious private school in Calabasas, CA that integrates Jewish education into its curriculum. According to Jay, they would often sing Jewish hymns and prayers at assemblies or certain classes; the school would combine both the Hebrew text and the English translation into these short hymns. The third and fourth lines of the hymn are normally written in Hebrew characters, with this version containing the phonetic pronunciation of the words.

“V’Shamru” speaks of the Sabbath as an obligation, mandating that it will be passed down eternally throughout the generations. The past conceptions of the Sabbath (known as “Shabbat”) required that people refrain from laborious activities, such as kindling a fire (which obviously required much more effort hundreds of years ago). However, the modern conception suggests that people should refrain from using electrical appliances or driving cars on Friday night or Saturday until sundown. Obviously, only devout Jews follows these strict guidelines, and more casual followers (such as Jay’s family) try to view Shabbat as a recuperation day, avoiding stressful commitments or laborious tasks. The Sabbath is intended to mirror the period during which God created the Earth; according to the Torah, He spent six days creating, and on the seventh day He rested. The hymn also implies that most people (non-Jews) will not keep the Sabbath, but that is the responsibility of the Jewish people to maintain its sanctity.