Dancing Gangnam Style opposite the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City (screen capture/YouTube)
In a new homegrown YouTube video, Korean pop star Psy’s super-hit “Gangnam Style” gets an Israeli makeover, as performers from New Spirit and The Hebrew University Student Union bring a unique Jerusalem twist to the song and dance routine that has enthralled millions across the world.
The Jerusalem version of the video, which was loaded onto YouTube on Wednesday, had been viewed nearly 40,000 times by Saturday night — impressive, but still with a way to go to match the original, which — with 510 million views — is one of the 10 most watched YouTube videos of all time.
The local video, titled “Jerusalem Syndrome Gangnam Style,” was produced by the two groups to mark the beginning of the new academic year in Israel, which starts Sunday.
Jerusalemites dance to the beat of Gangnam Style in the city’s central Zion Square (screen capture/YouTube)
The clip follows young dancer Josef Condiotti as he visits famous sites around the city and sweeps passerbys into festive dance along with him. It was shot in several key locations in the city, including opposite the Western Wall, outside the Old City, in the Mahaneh Yehuda open market, aboard a light rail train carriage, in the city’s central Zion Square and on the Hebrew University campus.
Josef Condiotti and Chen Perez dance outside the Old City walls (screen capture/YouTube)
Viewers who watch the entire video get to see a cameo appearance by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at the end.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat makes a surprise appearance at the end of the clip (screen capture/YouTube)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
