Purim begins this Saturday night, and any other year, that would’ve meant seeing a wealth of Purim parody songs taking on the latest Hollywood blockbuster, or the oeuvre of a popular singer, or a nostalgic throwback to a favorite song.
This year, though, celebrating Purim is complicated for a lot of us, as war still rages in Gaza and over 130 Israeli hostages still haven’t returned home. And so, the flood of Barbie and Taylor Swift Purim parodies never came.
But Jewish a cappella group Six13 did just release a Purim song medley, including one post-October 7 song from Israel titled “Am Yisrael Chai” by Eyal Golan, the popular Mizrahi singer who has been accused of statutory rape (his case was dismissed last year for lack of evidence).
There’s definitely Purim joy in this video. It’s upbeat, with dancing and costumes, but it’s also clearly very different than any of group’s over-the-top holiday parodies and videos from years past. The band collaborates with three Jewish American signers, Simcha Leiner, Eli Marcus and Avi Perets, on this medley of songs, which also features “LaYehudim” and “Im Al Haelech Tov” from Megillat Esther, and an original tune to the Amidah prayer “Al Hanisim,” in which they celebrate the victories of the Jewish battles of lore. Perets then perfectly channels Golan in a song that is all about the Jewish people’s survival.
At a time when many of us are entering this most joyous of Jewish holidays with apprehension, it’s nice to have this energizing tune that doesn’t ignore the current moment, but also celebrates the text of the Book of Esther, and reminds us how important it is to continue these age-old traditions, even in times of grief.
