The Menorah Hora Remix (2021 Version)
A Singalong & Dancealong Lyric by Adam Powers with family writing credits
Don’t worry friends, I know Chanukkah is over I had just written two more things I never shared here. Call it a miracle if you will, to find an unexpected source of energy inside to keep going…
One of the defining parts of my family’s Chanukah celebration, be it zoomed or in-person, is a little dance we do to a didactic 5-line singalong song my Mom has so ritualized into our traditions, that the flow feels glued onto the end of your traditional Chanukah prayers (technically, it goes nightly prayers > then trying to stumble through remembering the lyrics to Rock of Ages > THEN The Menorah Hora > then I’ll read a poem). It’s a simple rhyme and moveset that goes:
First you jump out 📤
Then you jump in 📥
You turn like a dreidel - go SPIN SPIN SPIN! 🌀
Shine like a Shamash, tall and thin 🙆🌟
Doing the Menorah Hora 💃
It’s honestly the perfect bit for my family, who loves a silly performance moment on top of a chance to shake it off and dance. When growing up in Texas as the token jew in gradeschool, Mom would come to school and teach Chanukkah to classmates. Beyond dreidels and chocolate gelt, the Menorah Hora was THEE showstopping educational moment. Thus it’s become my yearly tradition to take the 5 lines of dance and singalong, work those as the chorus of a song lyric, and build out a whole story song with some inversions from the original. Writing credits of course, start with my Mom for providing the foundational chorus lines. This year my brother gets a writing credit for giving me the “Renewable Hora” lines remixed chorus if you can believe that wasn’t from me.
I had planned to share this with some short video tik-tokish demo of at least one of the chorus dances, but alas have found no dance volunteers. Next year~
The Menorah Hora Remix (2021 Version)
Every year we do this dance, which I’ll get to in a bit
A jewish jig at first glance, well- you’ll get the gist
Mom taught us young, then taught all our friends along
It’s a simple singalong and dance-along song
It goes:
💃
"First you jump out
Then you jump in
You turn like a dreidel -
Go SPIN SPIN SPIN!
Shine like a Shamash: tall and thin
Doing the Menorah Horah"
🕎
You’ve got it now, you’re a natural at this
This time in each turn, give it your chutzpah and kitsch
Sure you feel silly, dancing and singing along
But each move joins a chorus line where you belong
💃
First we jump out
Then we jump in
We turn like a dreidel
Go SPIN SPIN SPIN!
Shine like a Shamash: tall and thin
Doing the Menorah Hora
🕎
[DJ VOICE] REMIX-IT
You can also quick step out
With your hips - give a little spin
Dreidel turn your heel for another quick step
With those hips, spin spin spin!
Shine bright with Afro-Cuban energy within
Doing the Menorah Rumba
✡️
First you point out
Then out point in
Plank like a panel, solar for the win
Turn like a wind turbine, tall and thin
Doing the Renewable Hora
🕎
Now out you slide
Then you slide in
You crawl like a dreidel to the side
Line dancing, spin spin spin!
Freestyle like a Shamash, go-off then
Doing the Menorah Slide
🔯
How jewish is that?
First being out -
Then being in
Turn your dreidel with the world: spin til you win
Shamash-shine your brightest -
You too can Remix the Menorah Hora
💃
Chanukah, Oh Chanukah!
Come Light and Adulation
Miraculous Renewable Phenomena
Dedication, Oh Dedication!
🕎
Chanukah, Ohhh Chanukah
Come Light, Come Menorah
Come Party, Come Together
Come on, all now, Menorah Horah:
💃
First We jump out
Then We jump in
We turn like a dreidel
Go SPIN SPIN SPIN!
Shine like a Shamash: tall and thin
Doing the Menorah Horah.
🕎
— Adam Powers
Here then, is the Collected Renewals of Chanukah for this year: