Just when we thought the holiday’s couldn’t get any better, we were blessed with a Haim Hanukkah miracle.
HAIM, the band — which consists of sisters Danielle, Alana and Este Haim — posted a new rendition of Adam Sandler’s famous Hanukkah song on Friday. Naturally, we are all kvelling — including Adam Sandler, who shared his support on Twitter.
The iconic trio also has some other exciting things coming, like Alana’s movie debut and and a 2022 North America tour.
This is definitely what dreams are made of.
Needless to say, Danielle, Alana and Este have come a long way from their angsty teen years jamming in their parents’ Southern California living room.
Let’s unpack their Jewish identity:
The basics
Este (35), Danielle (32), and Alana (29) Haim were all born in Los Angeles, California to Mordechai and Donna Haim.
Their dad was once a star soccer player in Israel.
Mordecai (Moti) Haim played for Israel’s Maccabi Jaffa soccer team before meeting Donna and moving to Los Angeles in 1980.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate these adorable family photos:
Here’s how to pronounce their name:
Four-letter words are usually pretty easy to spell, but pronouncing them is another story. Especially when it comes to Hebrew words — “haim” is the Hebrew word for life.
They get asked about it all the time, so here’s the definitive answer:
“People tend to say Hame, which is wrong, or Hime, which will do,” they explained in an interview. But they say it the “proper Israeli way with a second-syllable hop at the end,” High-im. Think “L’Haim” without the “L’.”
Their band was almost called “The Bagel Bitches”
When it came to picking band names, it seems the sisters’ Jewish identity was not up for debate, according to this article. It was either HAIM, which we already know is the Hebrew word for “life,” or the natural runner up: “The Bagel Bitches.”
They grew up listening to Israeli music
Danielle, Alana and Este had a few musical inspirations growing up. From their mom, who sang and played guitar in coffee shops, to their dad, who was apparently really into drumming. But they also grew up listening to Ofra Haza, the “Israeli Madonna,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Apparently, that same article noted, that their first concert was at Canter’s, a Jewish deli in L.A., and they were paid in matzah ball soup (sounds fair to us!).
Their producer is Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechsthaid is one of the most sought-after music producers on the planet, and he’s been working with HAIM since 2012. (That could explain why HAIM’s debut album was so highly anticipated even before anyone had heard of the sisters.)
Rechtshaid has produced or written music for Adele, Beyoncé, and Calvin Harris, just to name a few.
Here he is with Adele after accepting the grammy for Album of the Year.
Rechtshaid is also dating Danielle Haim (power couple vibes). And, because we already know you’re wondering: yes — he is also a member of the tribe.
