Nice Jewish gymnast Raisman stuns at Olympics

Yesterday’s Olympics included a few stunners, among them Alexandra Raisman bumping Jordyn Weiber from the women’s gymnastics team finals. (I know this only because my wife loves gymnastics. Honestly.) It was Raisman’s final event—the floor routine—that jumped her ahead of Weiber.

And what song did this “nice Jewish girl from Massachusetts” perform to? “Hava Nagila.”

From Haaretz:

Raisman is certainly not the only gymnast to utilize the catchy tune - it has been a favorite over the years and is a proven crowd-pleaser with gymnastics fans. But she may very well be the first Jewish gymnast to do so - and if all goes well and American hopes are realized, she might be the first to ride the Hava Nagila train to an Olympic medal.

Read the rest here, and a 2011 JTA story about why Raisman has chosen the song.