And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl Book-Release Party
Joe’s Pub; Dec. 11; $20
Roger Bennett and Josh Kun’s new work is a compendium of forgotten Jewish musical innovators from the fifties and sixties. This event, hosted by Jackie Hoffman alongside the New York Times’ Jon Caramanica and Fader’s Julianne Shepherd, brings some of these overlooked acts back to the stage for the first time in decades.
Hanukkah Festival
92nd Street Y; Dec. 14; $20
This internationally flavored festival for the little ones has an African musical safari and a puppet show set in Prague. There’s also olive-oil pressing and ceramics, an antiquated homage to the heroic Judah Maccabi.
Yo La Tengo
Maxwell’s; Dec. 21-28; $30
New Jersey’s prodigal indie-rock progeny have, of course, already sold out their annual eight-night Hanukkah run, but select tickets may be available at Hoboken’s Tunes and the East Village’s Other Music.
The World’s Largest Menorah
Fifth Ave. and 59th St.; Dec. 21–28
The giant menorah—the unsung hero of the city’s ridiculously oversize holiday symbols—is back! Enjoy all 32 feet of its warm, majestic (but sadly, technically not miraculous) glow.
Festival of Lights
Webster Hall and Music Hall of Williamsburg; Dec. 21–30; $35
Matisyahu, the Hasidic dub king with a fervent cult following, brings his Festival of Lights back for a third year. He’ll be playing eight nights (but not in a row—Sabbaths are off, of course) in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, along with a rotating cast of opening acts including jam-set favorites Easy All Stars, Hanukkah-specific rockers the Levees, and ascendant (and part-Jewish!) M.C. Asher Roth.
Heeb Storytelling
Joe’s Pub; Dec. 23; $20
The third night of Hanukkah brings the latest edition of Heeb Storytelling, the irreverent Jewish culture magazine’s live series that sets a seven-minute limit on its participants.
Jelvis
Highline Ballroom; Dec. 25; $19.77
Jelvis presents “A Jew-El Tide” Christmas, a reimagining of the standard Elvis impersonation that offers all manners of blasphemy. Get down and funky as the Kosher King cranks out classic cuts like “Blue Suede Yarmulke” and “Little Shiksa” while shaking around in his Star of David–plastered jumpsuit.