Chanukah is for Singing!
12/30/2024 11:03:34 AM
For the past 20 years, we have been treated to the constant creative output of American and Israeli acapella groups releasing song parodies about Chanukah, Passover and Purim.
From Six13, an acapella group out of New York founded in 2003 to the Maccabeats, who got their start in 2007 at Yeshiva University, to newcomer rapper Koshadilz, there are new offerings to enjoy.
On the Israeli side, playful song parodies understandably and heartbreakingly come to a halt since October 2023. One exception is a new group, Beat-do’s who came out with a very short medley of Israeli Chanukah songs. Israel is above all else a child-centered society and starting on the first day of Chanukah, the two million of Israel’s school children will be on vacation. Parents will be looking for entertainment and fun for the little ones and Israel‘s entertainment industry is happy to oblige with plays, parties, festivities and musicals for all ages.
Six13 and the Maccabeats have both opted to base their song parody on the movie adaptation of Wicked, which hit the big screen on Thanksgiving. Not only did both of the groups pick the same musical, they also picked the same song, Defying Gravity, an anthem of rebellion, empowerment, and self assertion that really strikes a cord in the Jewish psyche this year. Eschewing humor, costumes and theatrics, both groups share simple, moving versions of their songs that evoke both the horrors we have been through and the resilience that has enabled us to persist and keep the flame of faith, hope and positivity alight.
Please check out both songs, perhaps as you light the Menorah for the first time- whether by Defining Destiny (Six13’s version) or We’ll Rise Above (Maccabeats), While you’re checking out amazing Chanukah music- download Adath Shalom’s own Karen Kamenetsky’s beautiful original album, With This Flame!
Chag Sameach