Jewish a cappella sensation Six13, known for their creative and entertaining Hanukkah parodies, has once again brightened the Festival of Lights. This year, their newest video channels the magic of the Broadway and big screen hit “Wicked,” bringing a dazzling new theme to their repertoire. Among the talented group members is St. Louis’ own Lior Melnick, a proud contributor to these musical celebrations of Jewish culture.
Reflecting on this year’s release, Melnick shared, “We know it’s been a hard year for Jews nation- and world-wide. Our video this year starts with these challenging times but reminds Jews everywhere that, like Elphaba, if you know what you stand for, you can define your own destiny. We hope Jews are heartened by this message and are inspired to celebrate their Jewish identities and live their lives proudly.”
As the group drops their 2024 video, it’s the perfect time to look back at Six13’s standout Hanukkah creations since 2018. Each year, their videos capture the spirit of Hanukkah with clever lyrics, stunning vocal harmonies and plenty of Jewish pride.
From “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “Taylor Swift”: A Six13 timeline
For more than a decade, Six13 has been combining humor, harmony and Hanukkah. Here’s a quick rewind of their Hanukkah video highlights since 2018:
- 2018 – “Bohemian Chanukah”
Channeling Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Six13 put a rock opera spin on Hanukkah that had Freddie Mercury fans singing along.
- 2019 – “The Force is With Us This Hanukkah”
Star Wars meets dreidels in this lightsaber-ready parody that still has fans saying, “May the lights be with you.”
- 2020 – “A Lion King Chanukah”
During the pandemic, the group lifted spirits with a “Hakuna Matata”-inspired tribute to Jewish perseverance and joy.
- 2021 – “Elton Johnukah”
Featuring “Candle in the Wind” and other hits, this was Hanukkah, but make it Elton.
- 2022 – “West Side Chanukah Story”
Jets? Sharks? Latkes? Sufganiyot? Doesn’t matter where your allegiance lies: finding the light is always worth the fight — for all #eightnights!
- 2023 – “Era-lution of Taylor Swift”
A medley of 14 Taylor Swift songs, including hits like “Shake It Off,” all cleverly rewritten for Hanukkah themes.
