From Mayim Bialik in the kitchen to Six13 in the desert, this holiday is already lit
By AMY SPIROThe Six13 group in 'A Lion King Passover.'(photo credit: screenshot)
It's Passover - which means time for matzah, four cups of wine, and viral videos.And 2019 has not disappointed when it comes to new and hilarious video clips for the holiday.1. "A Lion King Passover"First up is a new video from the well-known acapella crew Six13. After holiday hits like "Uptown Passover," and "Seder Crew," the all-male group released "A Lion King Passover" this year. Capitalizing on the upcoming release of a new Lion King film this summer, the group mashed together three of the best-known songs from the movie, "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" and "Hakuna Matata." Alternating between several settings, the group sings about "the Seder tonight," how they "just can't wait to be free" and "I'm eating a matzah." With their signature high production value, catchy lyrics and infectious cheer, Six13 has produced yet another sure-to-be classic. Since it was released two weeks ago, the video has been viewed more than one million times on YouTube and Facebook.2. "Your Kitniyot"Satirical national-religious Hebrew singing group UnderDos is back this year with a Passover video unlike any other. Titled "Your Kitniyot," the song is set to the tune of the popular Omer Adam song "Haverot Shelach" (Your Friends)."Where are you all your kitniyot," the group sings, referring to the grains, seeds and legumes that Sefardi Jews eat on Passover but Ashkenazi Jews do not. "I need rice in my intestines/ I don't want to see knaidelach/ Why did we even leave Egypt?"The video features one of the group members going to visit his in-laws, who don't eat kitniyot: "It's not that bad/ My wife says/ One meal and it's over/ When we arrived/ I realized it was too late/ There's nothing on the table."
Since the video was released 10 days ago, it has been viewed close to 500,000 times online.3. Passover Matzo Taste TestRhett and Link, the comedy duo behind Good Mythical Morning, are known for some of their daring culinary experiments. The two friends, who are two of the most watched YouTube personalities on the planet, tried something a little more traditional this year: Matzah. On Friday, the duo uploaded a "Passover Matzo Taste Test" video along with two other friends where they tried out six different types of the classic unleavened bread."Flavorless," said Rhett of the traditional Streit's matzah. "Unsalted: bad idea." Link chimed in: "This is horrible. This is bad guys."Although their friend Josh, who is Jewish, jumped in with a defense of the cracker: "It's not supposed to be great. It's supposed to hold you together in the desert... you wanna taste the suffering."4. Kids Try Passover SederHiho Kids, a popular YouTube channel featuring children trying and discussing new things, has gotten in the Passover spirit this year. The company's team of adventurous kids tried out wine, matzah, a shankbone, a hardboiled egg, parsley dipped in salt water and horseradish sauce, before hunting for the afikomen."This looks like a cracker except it has a burnt side," exclaimed one kid about matzah. "It kind of tastes like nothing." The haroset was more popular: "I think it tastes like apple pie."Kids say the darndest things.5. Cooking with Mayim: Passover EditionBig Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik loves to take to social media to discuss her Jewish observance, and Passover is no exception. For the holiday this year, the actress posted a new video from her kitchen featuring some of the dishes she'll be making this Passover."I bet you think I'm gonna make gefilte fish and matzo balls," Bialik says at the start of the video. "Well you're wrong. Today I'm gonna make two Passover dishes that you probably never thought could exist: matzah lasagna and apricot matzah balls, as a side dish." In the 12-minute video, Bialik walks her fans through the two different recipes, in the video sponsored by Manischewitz."Thank you Manischewitz for inspiring me to take old traditions which are so important to me and transform them into something new and modern, which I cannot wait to share with all of my guests at Passover," she concludes.
