Video of Soccer-Playing Rabbis Goes Viral, Logs More Than 100,000 Views

A clip of rabbis playing soccer has gone viral, logging more than 100,000 views since hitting the Internet over the July 4 weekend. And even after the close of the 2010 World Cup – Spain’s national team bested Holland last Sunday – the video, which was filmed in February at the Cape Town Stadium made famous by several World Cup matches, continues to log thousands of more views each day.

“Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think that this video would develop such a following,” said Rabbi Asher Deren, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of the West Coast in Cape Town’s Table View section, who commissioned the video in advance of the Chabad Centre of Cape Town’s annual dinner. “It generated quite a buzz immediately after its initial showing here, but we had no idea that the subject matter would resonate with so many people worldwide.”

Produced by South African filmmaker Shawn Levin, “Reaching Goals” can be viewed on the Jewish.tv portal on the Chabad.org website, on the Arutz 7 online news site, and through its own Facebook page. It uses soccer as a backdrop to highlight the growth of Chabad in South Africa’s second-most populous city and the power of individuals to effect spiritual change.

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“This video is unbelievable,” said Rael Levitt, a successful Cape Town businessman known for his embrace of social media in the corporate world. “What makes it a hit is that it’s fun and funny. It’s lighthearted, but it’s also topical.”

Levitt pointed out that he’d seen the video several times after numerous people e-mailed him about it. He’s also among those encouraging others to view the piece.

“I’ve got it through Facebook,” he said, “through YouTube, through a million different channels.”

Appearing alongside a team of Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis sporting their Shabbat-best are the red-clad members of the Ikapa Sporting Football Club, a local soccer team. The players received unprecedented access to the stadium: They were the only group allowed to be on the pitch prior to the World Cup.

“No one else has been allowed on since, except for the qualifying teams and those who participated in our test events,” said Purshoth Chetty, CEO of Cape Town Stadium. “Not ESPN, not other international media.”