Hava Nagila in my wedding playlist - I'm not Jewish

I would not do this. You're right, many Jews and non-Jews alike would consider it cultural appropriation. Just pick another song by them or none (not everyone's favorite songs are suitable for weddings, for a variety of reasons).

View Quoted Comment Lol why did I not think about that! Picking another song. I’ve basically been listening to that song for longer than I learned it was a wedding song (my own ignorance) so it just sunk in this week listening back to my playlist that maybe it wasn’t appropriate. Thank you!

Hava Nagila isn't just for weddings; it's for all kinds of Jewish celebrations. I certainly understand responding to the joy that song represents, but its roots are so tied up in the history of Jews being oppressed over the centuries, that I think the whiff of cultural appropriation would be unavoidable if you played it at your non-Jewish wedding.

Yeah I wouldn't do that. Cultural appropriation.

View Quoted Comment This, 100%. As a Jewish person, I'd be a little thrown if I heard it at a wedding where neither party was Jewish.

Well this is settle for me then! I first discovered the song as The Barry Sisters's big national hit, and having grown up in Italy, only recently learned that it was a more traditional Jewish song with a bigger history than that. Thank you to everyone for your feedback. I might include another song by them that doesn't have religious or cultural important, but in the end, I probably will simply keep it something I play at home on a day off, when I'm having a good time on my own.

Thank you again for the input everyone!

View Quoted Comment

Agreed! As a Jewish person, i would definitely feel weird if there wasn't a traditional horah accompanying the song, though there was the time that my fiancé (also jewish) organized a spontaneuos horah to happen at his non-jewish friend's wedding....