FIRST ON FOX: Jewish American singer and rapper Matisyahu will hold a concert Monday evening at Columbia University and be joined virtually by Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby, to galvanize Jewish students as antisemitism continues to spread across college campuses, Fox News Digital has learned.
“Antisemitism has been around for thousands of years. It’s the oldest form of hate and discrimination that’s still being practiced today. It’s not going anywhere. So what’s happening right now is not that antisemitism is rising. It’s just coming out,” Tishby said in a video previewed by Fox News Digital.
The Israel on Campus Coalition is sponsoring a live concert on the campus at 8 p.m. Monday, which will feature Matisyahu, who is known for his reggae, rap and beatbox-influenced songs such as “King Without a Crown” or “One Day.” Tishby will also deliver a special message to students in the video previewed by Fox News Digital, highlighting how Jews have historically prevailed over hate.
The ICC describes itself as an organization that works to “inspire” American college students and pro-Israel college groups to “see Israel as a source of pride and empower them to stand up for Israel on campus.”
Noa Tishby reads from her book “ISRAEL: A simple Guide” during a launch event on April 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. ( Rich Fury/Getty Images for Wolman Wealth Management)
Matisyahu said that after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, he asked himself how he can best serve the Jewish community in the face of tragedy and antisemitism, according to the video previewed by Fox News Digital, which will be broadcast during the musician’s live concert Monday.
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“And I think that’s in creating music and playing shows for people right now, especially for my Jews, for my fellow people, brothers and sisters. … Immediately when I saw what’s happening on campuses, I felt somehow connected to that, and then I needed to be a part of it,” he continued.
Matisyahu appears to promote “Undercurrent” during the BUILD Series at Build Studio on May 18, 2017 in New York City. (Donna Ward/Getty Images)
The ICC’s CEO Jacob Baime described in comment to Fox News Digital that the Matisyahu concert is intended to lift the spirits of Jewish students as they cope with antisemitism and hate.
ICC CEO Jacob Baime at the 2023 ICC National Leadership Summit (ICC)
“ICC and our partners are doing all we can to support Jewish students and their friends as they confront an unprecedented wave of hate on college campuses,” Baime said.
Matisyahu’s message to students stressed that he, and likely many other Jews in the U.S., feel a sense of isolation and loneliness sparked by the war and the subsequent pro-Palestine protests on American streets calling for the elimination of Israel.
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“The most challenging thing that I guess I’m dealing with right now — which I think a lot of people are dealing with — is the feeling of being alone, being singled out, or just a feeling of being misunderstood. But not just in… some kind of like smaller way… in a way where our lives are at stake,” Matisyahu told Tishby in the video previewed by Fox.
Columbia students participate in a rally in support of Palestine at Columbia University on October 12, 2023 in New York City. A counter rally in support of Israel was also held by students across the lawn. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The singer said that as he works through the feelings of loneliness, he feels inspired by how Jews worldwide have connected and bonded since the outbreak of the war.
“The thing that feels the most inspiring is the feeling of being connected and being connected to our… people. Which is unbelievable and miraculous,” he said.
Protests have broken out on college campuses and cities across the nation in support of Palestine, which has included graffiti reading “Death to Israel” and “Glory to our Martyrs,” protesters ripping down posters showing Jews who have been kidnapped by Hamas, and even an elderly Jewish man in California dying after a reported confrontation with a pro-Palestine protester.
Reggae singer Matisyahu performs onstage during day 1 of the One Love Cali Reggae Festival at The Queen Mary on February 10, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
On Columbia’s campus, the university suspended two pro-Palestine student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, last week for repeatedly violating university rules regarding campus events. The issue came to a head last Thursday when the groups organized a walkout that demanded the university call Israel’s actions against Gaza following Oct. 7 a “genocide.”
Noa Tishby during “The Island”, New York City Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater. (Gregory Pace/FilmMagic)
Tishby, who previously served as Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism and has appeared on TV shows such as “Nip/Tuck” and “Big Love’, said in the video for students that antisemitism is the “oldest form of hate,” but Jews “always prevail.”
“But what we need to remember is that at the end of the day, we always prevail. We always prevail. There is no other option. … This makes us stronger and makes us more united,” she said.
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The concert will kick off at 8 p.m. and can be streamed on the ICC’s Youtube page.
