Best Chanukah Music Videos

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Once again, a Jewish holiday is soon upon us - Chanukah - the Miracle of lights.  As with other holidays this Jewish year (see here for Rosh Hashana and here for Sukkot), I got two experts (the Sokol girls ages 6 and 4) to pick their favorite Chanukah music videos. 

Gold Medal

Hey Ya Chanukah (Smooth E)

 

The girls love the song Hey Ya! by Outkast on which this parody is based.  I liked that Manischewitz gets mentioned in the song and Jewish accountants get a nod as well.

Silver Medal

Miracle (Matisyahu)

 

The girls liked the tune, the ice skates and the fact that "Matisyahu looks like Rabbi Bearl [Chabbad Rabbi of Gainesville]".

Bronze Medal

Candlelight (The Maccabeats)

 

The kids like the video style (acapella).

Honorable Mention

The Chanukah Song (Adam Sandler)

 

The kids didn't really like it but Hannah and I have fond memories from when it came out.

My pick

LeeVees - How Do You Spell Channukkahh? from The LeeVees on Vimeo.

Some more thoughts on Chanukah music

Two of the most interesting retellings of the Chanukah story via song are a punk rock chanukah and a heavy metal Chanukah. As my friend Jim Fishkin (an antitrust partner at Dechert and a co-author of mine) told me, "These are not the Chanukah songs of my youth." I do want to point out that Jim grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. Somehow I think that the punk Jewish scene there was not particularly great. On the world of punk and Jews, see this NY Times article from 2009.  Joey Ramone was Jewish (born Jeffry Ross Hyman).  Hyman is not a cool name for a punk rocker.  On Jews in metal, did you know that Anthrax's Scott Ian lights the menorah (born Scott Ian Rosenfeld)?  Of course, the Jewishness of Kiss is without question - Gene Simmons (born Chaim Weitz) and Paul Stanley (Stanley Harvey Eisen).