Famed Amsterdam Concert Hall Cancels Hanukkah Concert Over Lead Singer’s Ties to Israeli Army

Shiryn Ghermezian

A view of the Concertgebouw building in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Aug. 26, 2024. Photo: Jakub Porzycki via Reuters Connect

The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam has canceled its annual Hanukkah concert because of the performance’s lead singer, Shai Abramson, and his ties to the Israeli military, the famed concert hall announced on Sunday.

Concertgebouw said it made the “difficult decision” to terminate its agreement with the Hanukkah Concert Foundation regarding the Dec. 14 event after organizers were unable to agree on an alternative lead singer for the performance, which will take place on the eve of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

“Making this decision was extremely difficult,” said Managing Director Simon Reinink in a released statement. “Only in very exceptional cases do we make an exception to our important principle of artistic freedom. To our great sadness, such an exception is now taking place. The planned performance of the chief cantor of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is contrary to our mission: to connect people with music.”

Abramson serves as the chief cantor for the IDF and has performed at Israeli military ceremonies. The Concertgebouw claimed in a statement on Sunday that Abramson “has an important role” in the IDF and “represents the IDF in official matters.” It described his as a “visible representative” of the Israeli military, which it described as “actively involved in a controversial war.”

The Hanukkah Concert Foundation called the decision a violation of religious freedom and said it will take legal action, according to the Dutch publication NL Times. The foundation also defended Abramson, saying in a released statement that he “is an independent musician and, like many Israeli citizens, a reservist.”

“His participation in national ceremonies does not make him a manager, spokesperson, or representative official of the Israeli military, despite repeated suggestions to the contrary by the Concertgebouw,” the foundation added. “We cannot and will not comply with a limitation on religious freedom and this isolating and polarizing action. The Concertgebouw is essentially asking: replace your religious leader. That is not their authority.” The foundation also stated that Concertgebouw’s decision furthers “the isolation in which the Jewish community feels it is being pushed in today’s climate.”

The concert hall in Amsterdam said it had been in discussions with the Hanukkah Concert Foundation since the summer about the upcoming performance and asked the foundation “several” times to replace Abramson with another singer, but the foundation refused. “Unfortunately, no other solution was found. The Concertgebouw was then forced to terminate the agreement with the foundation,” the venue explained on Sunday.

“The Concertgebouw understands the position of the foundation and that this issue is extremely sensitive for the foundation,” the concert hall said, adding that it “remains open to a different interpretation of the concert by the foundation. In a time of increasing antisemitism, we find it important to emphasize that Het Concertgebouw will always remain a place where the Jewish community is welcome.”

Zvi Aviner-Vapni, Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, called the cancellation of the Dec. 14 performance “shameful and appalling” in a post on X. He explained that military service is mandatory in Israel and that “by excluding an artist for his service, they betray their own stated mission to unite through music.”

“This hypocrisy and discrimination are not culture. It looks more like caving in to some hateful crowd,” he added, referring to pressure from anti-Israel groups to cancel the performance.