Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu. Photo: Provided

Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu opened up exclusively to The Algemeiner about releasing a new song on Thursday inspired by a Hasidic discourse, getting back to songwriting, how he tackles antisemitism, and his continued love and support for Israel.

Matisyahu’s new song and its release date both hold a special connection to the Orthodox Chabad movement. Thursday’s date on the Hebrew calendar, 10 Shevat, is the day that Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn died (January 28, 1950). Before his passing, he wrote a famous Hasidic discourse titled “Basi L’Gani” (also spelled “Bati Legani” or “Basi Legani”), which translates in English to “Enter my Garden.” The Hebrew date 10 Shevat is also the day that The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, assumed leadership of Chabad — as well as when Matisyahu’s youngest son will turn three years old.

Matisyahu’s new song pays homage to that Hasidic discourse and is aptly titled “Basi L’gani.” The singer-songwriter, 45, wrote the track almost two years ago, prior to the Israel-Hamas war, but was waiting for the appropriate time to release it following the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, he told The Algemeiner. “Basi L’gani” is the first of a group of songs that Matisyahu recorded before the war and is hoping to now release.

Many of the lyrics in Matisyahu’s new song are taken from the original Hasidic discourse. The track opens with him singing: “Come enter my garden/ my sister/ my bride. It’s been a long coming/ and you been out all night. Rise in the morning/shine your light.”

“Like knowledge from the tree/ won’t you build for me/ a sanctuary/ a place for us to be,” he later sings. “And if I go/ and if I stay/when you look back/and you move into the day/ listen to these words/let me guide you on your way. I just want to be the oars in your boat along the way.”

The cover art for Matisyahu’s new song “Basi L’gani.” Photo: Sosha Bentolila.

Born Matthew Paul Miller, Matisyahu grew up in White Plains in Westchester County, outside of New York City, and went to yeshiva in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He used to go from his yeshiva to perform at clubs and then return back to the school. He currently lives in New York with his family.

Since the start of his career, the father of six has been singing about wanting Moshiach now (“King Without a Crown”), for there to be no more wars (“One Day”) and his connection to Israel (“Jerusalem”). His more recent songs address antisemitism (“Ascent”) and he repeats the phrase “Am Israel Chai” (“The nation of Israel lives”) in his most recent song “The Fathers Live” with Remedy.

Matisyahu admitted that he has not done much songwriting since the start of the Gaza war but is hoping to get back to it again soon.

“I’m interested to start writing again,” he told The Algemeiner. “Obviously there is a lot to say, a lot of intensity, a lot of inspiration, and a lot going on. The next batch of songs is gonna probably be a bit more on the intense side, kind of like ‘Ascent’ and ‘Father’s Live’ … I wanna be releasing music constantly now. The idea of writing 20 songs and holding them for a year, and then releasing a whole album, is a little bit of an old school way of doing things. So from this point on, starting with ‘Basligani,’ I’m going to be releasing a song every three weeks or so. I’ll do that for about 15 songs and then I’ll start my writing process again.”

When asked what will inspire his new music, he said life experiences and “in particular what’s happened with the Jewish people and Israel, the hostages being released, and all those images we see of those girls being paraded through Gaza. All that stuff builds up like a well inside of me, and when I’m writing my rhymes, a lot of that stuff is going to come out now.”

At The Algemeiner‘s 11th annual “J100” gala last month, where Matisyahu was honored with the “Warrior For Truth” award, he spoke about reconnecting with his Jewish identity and faith after the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Matisyahu has a son who lives in Israel and said his second son might be moving there as well. The singer has visited the Jewish state twice since the Hamas atrocities. During one visit, he filmed the music video for “Ascent” at communities in southern Israel infiltrated by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack and at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, where 364 people were killed. The music video also features footage from the attack, including clips of the abductions of Shiri Bibas with her children, and some scenes show Matisyahu with relatives of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

Since the start of the war, Matisyahu has performed shows in Israel for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and at a benefit concert to support the families of the hostages. He met personally with families of hostages and survivors of the attack at the Nova music festival, and visited communities ravaged by Hamas-led terrorists on Oct. 7. He told The Algemeiner that visiting Israel during the war was “an extremely powerful experience” that impacted what his focus has been over the last year.

“I’m feeling a sort of responsibility to speak out about, sing about it, and remind people what’s going on. After speaking with those people and hearing their stories firsthand and experiencing the emotion with those people, that changes you and it really affected me,” he said.

“Israel has always been a special place to me, but obviously now more than ever,” the musician added. “I feel this very deep connection to Israel and Israelis. In times past, maybe there has been more of a separation or a cultural disconnect … but I’ve always loved going. I’ve always loved the people. It’s always felt like home. It’s that special feeling that a Jew has when they go to Israel of just feeling surrounded by family and we don’t feel that anywhere else in the world. Especially now, how much more powerful is that — to have a place, to have a family, a country, and really this strong interconnectedness and support for each other. For a long time for me it’s felt like real Judaism is happening in Israel.”

Photo: Provided

The “Fireproof” singer has been vocal in the past about how his solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people has negatively impacted his career in the last 16 months. He has talked about being dropped by his manager and having a number of his scheduled concerts canceled because of his support for the Jewish state. Mere days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, he criticized celebrities for being “too afraid” to voice support for Israel because of how it might affect their social image or career. Even before the war, he has faced backlash from supporters of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS)movement against Israel.

Still, he said he never thought to stay silent about his solidarity with Israel, even if it would be safer for his career.

“In my career, which has been like over 20, I’ve very rarely taken the safe route,” he said. “For example, shaving my beard, a lot of people thought, ‘Well that’s how everyone knows you and it’s your image.’ But it was irrelevant to me because I’ve always believed in myself, my art, and my music, and I have to do what’s important and authentic to me. And being Jewish and my love of Israel has really been at the core of who I am for quite some time. It’s a big part of who Matisyahu is.”

“When I decided to not be as religious and to shave my beard, to me that wasn’t becoming less Jewish,” he explained. “Just like I stepped into the religion — I wasn’t raised that way — I’ve always just tried to be fluid with what I feel and what feels real to me. The second Oct. 7 happened, I knew immediately that I was going to be outspoken and lean into my Jewish-ness; lean into that zealot Matisyahu, punk rock, Hasidic spirit, because it’s a big part of who I am.”

Matisyahu was raised in a household that followed Reconstructionist Judaism. He later decided to start living a Hasidic lifestyle, and at the start of his musical career, he had a long beard, sidelocks, and wore a yarmulke on stage. In 2011, however, he posted a photo on social media showing himself clean shaven and without a yarmulke, along with the caption: “No more Hassidic reggae superstar.”

In 2014, Matisyahu spoke to The Algemeiner about his religious transformation and decision to step away from the Hasidic movement, saying it was simply a “natural progression” taking place in his life. He also said it was hurtful to see how some people stopped being a fan of his music simply because he no longer looked like a Hasidic Orthodox Jew. He said at the time: “It was really hard for me because it turns out these people were not really fans of my music.”

When asked if his current advocacy of Israel has impacted his fanbase, Matisyahu said, “I think I still have those core fans who may or may not be Jewish … But I definitely feel a much stronger support from the Jewish community and from Jews feeling how important it is to be outspoken, defending Jews. A lot of people really deeply respect that, and a lot of those people have either come back to a show or maybe have listened to some of the newer music when they may not have listened to me for years and years. And I welcome it.”

The singer continued, “It’s nice to feel that connection again with Jews, and unfortunately, it’s weird how it takes sometimes something really bad to happen to bring us together. But I feel the support and it feels nice.”

Matisyahu said that leaning into Judaism “in a big way” has helped him cope with antisemitism, and that it’s been “soothing for the soul.” In the last year, he stopped playing concerts on Friday night in honor of Shabbat and started putting on tefillin “from time to time.” He also tries to respect Shabbat by lighting candles on Friday night or spending time with family and turning off his cellphone. Another thing that has been helpful in combating antisemitism is “being around other Jews,” he noted.

“And the art — having the outlet of the music, the writing, and performing,” Matisyahu added. “Having an outlet to express myself — my feelings, my pain, hope, and joy. All of it. Not everyone is a singer, but everyone has something that they can be creative and pour their emotions into.”

“We have to acknowledge that we’re broken, we’re hurt, that this has been a painful experience and it’s not over,” he explained. “At the same time, [there’s] the joy of the hostages coming back and the way that the nation of Israel and the Jewish people have come together.”

The post Matisyahu to Release New Song ‘Basi L’gani,’ Discusses Return to Writing Music and Israel Feeling ‘Like Home’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Illustrative: Anti-Israel students protest at Columbia University in New York City. Photo: Reuters/Jeenah Moon

Nearly 200 Columbia University faculty have signed an open letter urging administrative officials to at last enact policies which address the scourge of antisemitism and disruption on the campus, an issue that remains unresolved despite its continuing to keep the school locked in a state of crisis.

“In response to civil rights violations and calls for violence being made against Jews on Columbia’s property, we cannot stress enough the need to implement measures of safety immediately. Toward this end, we’ve provided you with the list below of our recommendations” said the letter, addressed to interim university president Katrina Armstrong and shared with the public on Monday. “We truly appreciate your statement that ‘we have to do what’s best for our students,’ as well as the recent suspension and barring of those involved in disrupting a Jewish studies class. Unfortunately, the systemic antisemitism and anti-Western indoctrination at Columbia University continue.”

The letter went on to enumerate 10 policies the university can implement right now to correct the campus climate, including adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which is widely used by governments and private entities around the world, banning the wearing of face masks which conceal the identities of those who commit violence and destroy school property, and expelling students who, for the purpose of furthering an extremist political agenda, occupy buildings and invade classrooms.

Joseph Massad — an anti-Zionist professor who in 2023 cheered the Hamas-led terrorists who murdered young people attending the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 in southern Israel as “the air force of the Palestinian resistance” — also emerged as a key area of concern of the letter, as he remains permitted to teach the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his courses. At least one professor has resigned in protest of Massad’s good standing with the administration. In doing so, he denounced Massad’s presence on campus as “a complete abandonment of academic integrity and unbiased scholarship.”

“Immediately relieve Joseph Massad of his teaching responsibilities with Columbia students,” the letter continued. “Investigate Massad’s actions to determine if he violated Title VI, and, if substantiated, immediately dismiss him from Columbia University. Remove from positions of leadership and curriculum all Columbia faculty who have violated university policies, including regarding antisemitism, such as professors who have participated in the encampment or who called for violence. Hold accountable faculty who publicly supported calls for violence, including in ways that violate Title VI.”

Lastly, the letter addressed the outstanding case of Professor Shai Davidai, a high-profile Jewish civil rights activist whom the university has allegedly persecuted by investigating him over spurious accusations and suspending his access to campus for emotively criticizing the coddling of primarily left-wing students who endorse terrorism, anti-Jewish violence, and the dissolution of Western civilization.

“Reinstate Professor Shai Davidai’s access to campus,” it said.

As The Algemeiner has previously reported, Columbia University remains one of the most hostile campuses for Jews employed by or enrolled in an institution of higher education. Since Oct. 7, 2023, it has produced several examples of campus antisemitism, including a student who proclaimed that Zionist Jews deserve to be murdered and are lucky he is not doing so himself, brutal gang-assaults on Jewish students, and administrative officials who, outraged at the notion that Jews organized to resist anti-Zionism, participated in a group chat in which each member took turns sharing antisemitic tropes that described Jews as privileged and grafting.

Amid these incidents, the university has struggled to discipline members of the anti-Zionist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which just this month committed an act of infrastructural sabotage by flooding the toilets of the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) with concrete. Numerous reports indicate the attack may be the premeditated result of planning sessions which took place many months ago at an event held by Alpha Delta Phi (ADP) — a literary society, according to the Washington Free Beacon. During the event, the Free Beacon reported, ADP distributed literature dedicated to “aspiring revolutionaries” who wish to commit seditious acts. Additionally, a presentation was given in which complete instructions for the exact kind of attack which struck Columbia were shared with students.

That was not CUAD’s only alleged violation of school rules as well as the penal law of New York State.

In April, its members commandeered a section of campus and, after declaring it a “liberated zone,” lit flares and chanted pro-Hamas and anti-American slogans, according to reports. When the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrived to disperse the unauthorized gathering, hundreds of students reportedly amassed around them to prevent the restoration of order.

“Yes, we’re all Hamas, pig!” one protester was filmed screaming during the fracas, which saw some verbal skirmishes between pro-Zionist and anti-Zionist partisans. “Long live Hamas!” said others who filmed themselves dancing and praising the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization. “Kill another soldier!” they also shouted.

In September, during the university’s convocation ceremony, CUAD distributed literature calling on students to join the Palestinian terrorist group’s movement to destroy Israel.

“This booklet is part of a coordinated and intentional effort to uphold the principles of the thawabit and the Palestinian resistance movement overall by transmitting the words of the resistance directly,” said a pamphlet distributed by CUAD, a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) spinoff, to incoming freshmen. “This material aims to build popular support for the Palestinian war of national liberation, a war which is waged through armed struggle.”

Other sections of the pamphlet were explicitly Islamist, invoking the name of “Allah, the most gracious” and referring to Hamas as the “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Proclaiming, “Glory to Gaza that gave hope to the oppressed, that humiliated the ‘invincible’ Zionist army,” it said its purpose was to build an army of Muslims worldwide.

After almost two years of being accused of cravenly ignoring unlawful and discriminatory behavior, Columbia University has recently made steps towards holding lawbreakers accountable. Earlier this month, it banned from its campus multiple, and suspended another, masked individuals who disrupted an active class last monh and proceeded to utter pro-Hamas statements while distributing antisemitic literature.

The agitators had stormed into Professor Avi Shilon’s course, titled “History of Modern Israel,” on the first day of classes of the new semester last Tuesday. Clad in keffiyehs, which were wrapped on their faces to conceal their identities, they read prepared remarks which described the course as “Zionist and imperialist” and a “normalization of genocide.”As part of their performance, which they appeared to film, they dropped flyers, one of which contained an illustration of a lifted boot preparing to trample a Star of David. Next to the drawing was a message that said, “Crush Zionism.”

Citing these incidents and more, Monday’s letter called on the university to adopt its recommendations “without delay.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post ‘Systemic Antisemitism’: Columbia University Jewish Community Urges Policies on Campus Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Supporters of Hamas gather in Berlin. Photo: Reuters/M. Golejewski

Participants in an anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstration in Germany this past weekend called for Jews to be executed or handed over to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, sparking outrage among German leaders.

Under the slogan “Hands off the West Bank,” protesters, mostly of Arab descent, marched through Berlin from Alexanderplatz to Potsdamer Platz on Saturday, German media reported.

“Anyone with a weapon should use it to shoot Jews or hand them over to Hamas!” the marchers chanted loudly several times, according to the German tabloid newspaper Bild. Up to 280 activists reportedly participated in the demonstration.

„Wer eine Waffe hat, soll damit Juden erschießen oder sie der Hamas übergeben“ – lautstark und ungeniert skandiert. Empört sich die Politik? Gehen die „Guten“ jetzt auf die Straße? Oder bleibt der antifaschistische Kampf wieder selektiv?
pic.twitter.com/00T4nj2tlL

— Ahmad Mansour (@AhmadMansour__) February 1, 2025

In response, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner is now pushing for an initiative to potentially ban protests that incite violence.

“If a movement consistently promotes violence and hatred, the Berlin police will consider banning these protests,” Wegner told Bild. “Inciting hatred and calling for terrorism are not acts of free speech, but criminal offenses. The safety and protection of Jews are my highest priority.”

“When I hear such misanthropic and antisemitic slogans at the demonstrations in Berlin, it deeply shocks me,” Wegner continued. “In this instance, the police and judiciary of Berlin will take action against the alleged offenders with the full force of the rule of law.”

On Saturday, however, it appears that law enforcement did little to intervene.

According to the Berlin police, the demonstration on Saturday involved “statements potentially punishable by law for supporting terrorist organizations banned in Germany.”

Police are currently reviewing the footage of the protest, with the documentation being handled by the State Security Service.

“Due to language barriers and the level of noise associated with the event, a clear translation could not be made for an immediate assessment,” the police said in a post on X/Twitter.

Bei einer Versammlung in #Mitte kam es heute Abend zu möglicherweise strafbaren Ausrufen für in Deutschland verbotene Terrororganisationen. Aufgrund der Sprachbarrieren und der mit dem Aufzugsgeschehen einhergehenden Lautstärke konnte nicht an allen Stellen eine durchgängige… pic.twitter.com/zn5jnVVqom

— Polizei Berlin (@polizeiberlin) February 1, 2025

According to Bild, only three individuals were temporarily detained to confirm their identities, and two defamation complaints have been filed so far.

Peter Langer, secretary general of the center-right Berlin Free Democratic Party (FDP), condemned the weekend demonstration, stressing that the police should be given the authority to quickly disperse protests that essentially promote terrorist propaganda.

“Kai Wegner must finally turn his grand words into actions,” Langer said. “I expect him to present a concrete plan on how they intend to stop this issue.”

Last year, Berlin experienced a record number of antisemitic incidents, with the total for the first six months of 2024 exceeding the entire count for 2023.

Germany’s Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) documented 1,383 antisemitic incidents in Berlin from January to June, averaging nearly eight per day.

The figure compiled by RIAS, a federally-funded body, was a significant increase from the 1,270 antisemitic outrages tallied in 2023 and the highest count for a single year since RIAS began monitoring antisemitic incidents in 2015.

Of the 1,383 incidents documented in the first half of last year, two were cases of “extreme violence,” another 23 were attacks (six of which were against children), and 37 were targeted acts of property damage, including 21 acts involving memorials.

Like many countries around the world, Germany has seen a major spike in antisemitic incidents following Hamas’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.

During the Oct. 7 onslaught, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists killed 1,200 people, wounded thousands more, and took 251 hostages to Gaza while committing widespread sexual violence, making it the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.

The post ‘Shoot Jews or Hand Them Over to Hamas!’: Antisemitic Demonstration, Police Inaction in Berlin Spark Outrage first appeared on Algemeiner.com.