Cable network VH1 Classic has announced some special programming for September 30th: a non-stop marathon of videos and concerts dedicated to Canada's premiere rock trio, RUSH. They're calling it, of course, Rush Hashana. (I'm not making this up.)Granted, RUSH's lead singer/bass player/keyboardist is a Jewish gent named Geddy Lee. And one of their strongest songs from the 80's ("Red Sector A") was, believe it or not, inspired by Jews who held onto their faith even while imprisoned in concentration camps. (It fit the theme of the album, which was titled Grace Under Pressure.) Still, my friend Noach, who told me about the upcoming marathon, had to wonder: is this good for the Jews?
I think it is. Obviously, I'd hope that as many Jews as possible would spend the day in prayer, celebration, and making worthwhile resolutions. But if that's not going to happen, spending time with a brilliant, contemplative rock band (RUSH has, in thirty years, never done a love ballad) isn't a terrible option, especially for all those who wouldn't have otherwise known about the holiday. And besides, I've never seen VH1 Classic outside a JetBlue flight, so I doubt this will affect that many people.
Then again, if this little experiment gets good ratings... where does it end? What's next? U2 B'Shvat? Simchas Tori Amos? Black Shabbos Hagadol?
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