A concert by an Israeli singer close to Harvard’s campus triggered an anti-Israel protest.
The concert, set up by Harvard Chabad, featured Israeli singer Ishay Ribo and was meant to “lift the spirits of Israeli and Jewish students suffering from Jew-hate on college campuses,” according to an Instagram post from the group.
The event was also meant to help with getting funds for Israel, wrote The Harvard Crimson.
Employees from The Sinclair, a “live-music venue” at Harvard Square that served as the host for the event, boycotted the show and protested outside the building.
One employee of The Sinclair said:
“None of us had wanted this to happen. It’s just a bummer that it didn’t matter to them. Now the gem that The Sinclair is has to be stained with something like this, and it f***ing sucks because it wasn’t in any of our hands.”
To keep the concert going as scheduled despite the boycott, non-Sinclair workers were reportedly brought to help, with Chabad Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi saying:
“We’re very grateful . . . to The Sinclair management and ownership for working with us to seek solutions, alternative solutions, to allow the event to go on.”
Harvard Chabad wrote in response to the protest:
“Jew-hate and anti-Israel voices are targeting Harvard Chabad and Israeli artist, Ishay Ribo. Ishay is a man who embodies profound love and peace. . . . Love, peace, and music will prevail. Though there are no concert proceeds to speak of at this time, should there be, it will absolutely go to the healing and rebuilding of Israel, who is recovering from and fighting off an enemy seeking its destruction,” as seen from the group’s Instagram.
Harvard Chabad shared with Campus Reform, Harvard Chabad said both concert times were sold out, despite the protesters “spewing lies and conspiracies against the Jewish people and Isreal.”
”Harvard Chabad succeeded in creating an electrifying evening of unity, solidarity, and love with Israeli artist, Ishay Ribo,” said Harvard Chabad.
“The purpose of this musical and cultural experience was to lift the spirits of Israeli and Jewish students on campus who have been subjected to much hate and vitriol over the last several months. From the joy and outpouring of gratitude we received from our community, it was clear that love, solidarity, and music prevailed.”
”Any proceeds of the concert will indeed go to the healing and rebuilding of Israel, including to the hostages and their families, victims of rape, and the rebuilding of homes, hospitals, and kindergartens intentionally targeted by Hamas terrorists,” the group added.
Campus Reform has reported on several anti-Semitic controversies that affected Harvard in the past several months.
On March 7, Harvard’s Kennedy School hosted a professor who previously called Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre “just a normal human struggle 4 #Freedom.”
On Feb. 20, several Harvard alumni sued the school, alleging that the Ivy League university “despicably failed to address, prevent, and rectify the prevalence of antisemitism, hate, and discrimination on its campus.”
On Feb. 12, the Kennedy School hosted a UN official who said at the event: “[S]aying that the motivation [for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack] was anti-Semitism is wrong and dangerous. . . . the argument is that this attack was launched as a way to break the occupation, against the apartheid”
Campus Reform reached out to The Sinclair for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
