1. Yidcore: Punk Rock Chanukah Song

Adam Sandler took Jewish holiday music to the next level with “The Chanukah Song,” but Yidcore one-upped Sandler with this parody—and circumcised him in the (arguably NSFW) music video. Yidcore proudly recalled the many prominent Jews in punk rock. Yidcore declared, “Joey Ramone ate matzoh at the seder/Just like Richard Hell and most of the Dictators.” Sure the Maccabees are important, but this is an important history lesson too.

2. Golem: Freydele

Golem is a klezmer-rock band with a punk edge. The first few times I heard “Freydele” live, I was blown away that Golem had come up with such a catchy, poppy, dance-y song. Just like most songs that meet that description, there’s some rapping in Yiddish. The lyrics discuss a maydele, named Freydele, who plays with her dreydele.

3. Shira: Hanukkah Song

Although Shiragirl was a punk rock band, as a solo artist Shira focused more on dance music, while still incorporating punk-inspired distorted guitar. “Hanukkah Song” mentions the oil that lasted for eight nights, latkes, chocolate gelt, and doughnuts. The lyrics include a tutorial on how to play dreidel. As far as Chanukah songs go, it’s all encompassing in discussing both the historical and celebratory aspects of the holiday.

4. Schmekel: I’ll Be Your Maccabee

Schmekel frequently relied on Jewish holidays as a familiar, resonant vehicle to discuss the transgender Jewish experience, (Remember all their High Holy Day songs?). Singer/guitarist Lucian Kahn explained that “I’ll Be Your Maccabee” was about “a young, Jewish, trans guy who goes to a Hanukkah party” and tries to seduce “a very handsome, Christian, non-trans guy.” The song includes a keyboard interlude of the more traditional Hanukkah ditty “Maoz Tzur.”

5. The Schleps: Maoz Tzur

If you’re looking for a full version of “Maoz Tzur” (Rock of Ages), The Schleps recorded a 37-second “koshercore” rendition. For Hanukkah 2008, JDub Records (z”l) featured the song on their blog and “predict[ed] that koshercore will finally take off in 2009 (maybe).” Koshercore did not hit the big time in 2009 or, as of press time, ever, but Jews are good at waiting.

6. Gefilte Fuck: Dreidel Song

Gefilte Fuck’s “Dreidel Song” is a medley of “I Have a Little Dreidel” and “Hanukkah, O Hanukkah.” Front man Howard Hallis recalled that he and the band’s guitarist thought it would be “really funny to take some of these old songs” and “make them punk rock style, because there are some really lovely melodies there that can be bastardized and put into the punk rock format.”

7. Electric Menorah: Charmonica for Chanuka

Brett Singer played guitar in a hardcore band under the stage name Bozo Foreskin. He had the idea of “Bozo Foreskin years later exploring his Jewish roots,” so he formed the one-man band Electric Menorah. Electric Menorah released the EP Chanucore, which consisted of three songs uploaded to MySpace. After a Passocore detour, Electric Menorah returned with “Charmonica for Chanuka.” Singer began the song by chanting “Shin! Hey! Gimmel! Nun!” before saying, “Shin sucks. Gimme Gimmel!”

8. Gangsta Rabbi: My Last Chanukah

Finish up your Chanukah with some end-of-life music. Steve “Gangsta Rabbi” Lieberman is battling cancer and finds it difficult to keep making music, but he hasn’t given up. He’s working on his 30th album (68th if you count his 38 cassette recordings), The King of Jewish Punk. He included “My Last Chanukah” on 2014’s Cancer Ward, but it wasn’t his last Festival of Lights. In a July interview, the Gangsta Rabbi had a unique take on his health situation. He wondered, “Has the God of Israel written a scorching rocker for me to play in Heaven—but not until I get there?”

You can learn more about all eight artists in my book, Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk.

Photo of Shira: Andrina Farago, Hair/Makeup: Paul Mojica

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The 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah was full of fantastic films and celebrity appearances. From among the more than 100 movies and countless screenings scheduled, here are the top five Jewish moments:

1. The Way, Way Back (Premieres)

While discussing her role as a water park employee in this hilarious comedy, actress Maya Rudolph said at a Q-and-A session, “I’m usually a funny person, but when it comes to this movie, I’m a kvelling Jew.”

2. Fill the Void (Spotlight)

In this Judaism-centric film from Orthodox director Rama Burshtein, Shira is devastated by the death of her sister during childbirth and must decide whether she wants to marry her widower, a decision which would be acceptable, if the rabbi approves, in her ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv community.

3. Kill Your Darlings (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Daniel Radcliffe’s Allen Ginsberg arrives at Columbia University in 1943 and meets his roommate, who asks him, “Are you Jewish? I’m getting really good at being able to tell.” Later, a sexual encounter in the library produces a similar statement from the librarian.

4. Afternoon Delight (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

In Jill Soloway’s first feature-length project, Kathryn Hahn’s Rachel gets drunk while hanging out with her fellow JCC moms and lets slip the derogatory nickname she and her friends have for one especially religious member of their group: Kosher Amanda. When Rachel confronts her later, Amanda tells her that she doesn’t even keep kosher, since she likes cooking and doing so would prevent her from making some of her favorite dishes.

5. Concussion (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Lesbian mom and new prostitute Abby (Robin Weigert) gets nervous when a client turns out to be someone she knows, citing the fact that she’s on the board of her synagogue as one of her main concerns for being outed.

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