Can anyone who understands Hebrew tell me what Gavin (Jim Sturgess) was actually singing, because it was obvious from the rabbi's reaction that he was singing something else entirely. I also remember someone saying kaddish for Roy Cohn in Angels in America and it sounded completely different.
"The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest."
As a Jewish Israeli I can tell you that he was mostly making it up as he went along. It was largely bits and pieces of different prayers in Judaism (along with a popular catch phrase from an old traditional Jewish song) and it was nowhere near the mourner's Kadish. I was actually laughing myself silly when that scene came along - although you probably have to be fluent in Hebrew and in Jewish traditions to be in on the joke (-:
shareI certainly cannot understand those languages and don't know the kaddish, but it was pretty clear from the scene that he was making it up. First, he says "sh!t" when the officer announces he is going to be tested. Also, from what the Rabbi says to him afterwards, it is clear that he feels owed a favor.
shareI agree with the last one, it wasn't Kaddish at all. Kaddish is said in Aramaic, not Hebrew.
Yitgaddal w'yitgaddash shemeH rabba
Be'al ma divra chiruteH weyamlich malchuteH
W'yatzmah purkaneH wikarev meshiheH...
W'go...[Aramaic for etc].