Six13, a six-man a cappella vocal group known for revamping popular songs with Jewish-themed lyrics, released a Wicked-themed Hanukkah medley that features a message of hope amid the Jewish people’s darkest days.
The group, based in New York, releases music videos every Hannukkah and Passover, and has featured themes such as Mamma Mia!, Taylor Swift, and Star Wars.
Unlike other years, however, ‘A Wicked Chanukah’ opened with the lines “This year has changed our history, we will never be the same,” as footage from rallies supporting the release of the hostages and hostages being reunited with their families played.
The opening sequence, to the tune of Defying Gravity, melded the original story of Hannukkah with the current ongoing conflict, featuring photos of the Jewish people overcoming adversity through the ages and encouraging Jews globally to live proudly, ‘Defining Destiny.’
The video then segues into the history of Hanukkah to the tune of Popular, as the group shows Galinda and Elphaba how to spin a dreidel and light a menorah – all in shades of pink and green, of course.
Holding space
The song then returns to Defining Destiny for the finale, featuring a photo of a Chanukiah in Nazi Germany, fading into IDF soldiers lighting one inside Gaza just last year, as the group delivers their final message, “No enemy there ever is or was is ever gonna bring us down.”
Many commenters thanked the group for their inclusion of the hostages in their video, saying this year's song made them extremely emotional.
“There is so much power in our shared history and our Jewish identity,” one user wrote, “I wish more people would hold space for that. Am Yisrael Chai, Happy Hannukkah!”