Re: The French National Anthem & Napoleon's March

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

My understanding is that the French National Anthem was introduced to his 
(Chabad/Lubavich) hassidim by the late, last rabbi of Lubavich when a large 
group, or perhaps several large groups, of hassidim from France joined their 
Brooklyn community.  He introduced "La Marseillaise," as a wordless niggun, 
to, as I understand it, make them feel at home.

"Napoleon's March," borrowed from (obviously) an earlier French (military) 
melody and also sung as a wordless niggun, is a totally different matter.  
It is also an established Lubavich/Chabad niggun--indeed, much more 
established.

--Robert Cohen


At one point he told us about a very traditional, very old-school Hassidic 
tune, then started to sing it. It was the French national anthem.*

* According to Frank [London], half the Hassidim answer the obvious question 
with "What's France?" and the other half says it was originally a tribute to 
Napoleon's pro-Jewish policies.
>
>yakov.
>trombonist, "Kap'n Klezmer and the Klez Kadets"
>
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