Matisyahu performs at New Year’s Eve/Hanukkah concert in Brooklyn
Nothing but love for singer who has faced cancellations
A man dressed as a giant red dreidel spun and danced during Tuesday’s concert at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Headliner Matisyahu can be seen amid the lights, center rear. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Hundreds of Jewish celebrants gathered at Brooklyn Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday to kick off New Year’s Eve and celebrate Hanukkah with spirited music, dancing and light.
The concert and menorah-lighting were sponsored by Chabad of Brooklyn Heights.
The steps and plaza at Borough Hall were packed with families pushing strollers, dads carrying kids on their shoulders, and youthful fans of the singer Matisyahu, the concert headliner. Matisyahu is associated with the Chabad-Lubavitch sect, headquartered in Crown Heights, and is known for mixing Jewish spirituality with contemporary reggae and hip hop sounds.
The singer has stirred some controversy over the past year due to his strong support of Israel. Two of his concerts were cancelled on his nationwide “Hold the Fire” tour, according to LA Magazine, which published a profile.
Matisyahu denounced the cancellations on X/Twitter, where he declared that he “holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
On Tuesday in Brooklyn, there was nothing but love. A man dressed as a giant dreidel (a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each of its sides) kicked up his heels in front of the stage as Matisyahu sang “Happy Hanukkah” and other tunes with a Jamaican beat. Circles of spinning, multi-colored lights were projected across Borough Hall, and the crowd danced and cheered resoundingly.
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