On May 8, Matisyahu will be performing an acoustic concert, “A Night of Resilience,” in Beverly Hills. The show is going to benefit If You Heard What I Heard, a nonprofit initiative that films the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors telling their grandparents’ stories.
The singer, who has been touring around the U.S. to promote his latest EP “Hold the Fire,” has faced show cancelations due to security concerns over anti-Israel protesters. At some venues, workers refused to come in because of Matisyahu’s vocal support of the Jewish state.
For Carolyn Siegel, founder of If You Heard What I Heard, it was important to collaborate with Matisyahu because of these cancelations. “Matisyahu has been the target of hate, which is very disturbing,” she said. “His message is one of strength, hope and resilience, which our organization also stands for. They are intrinsic in every story on our site. Who better to team up with than Matisyahu, with whom we share the same values? Showing support for this Jewish artist, this Zionist who has had to face hate recently, is really important for us.”
Siegel, a grandchild of Holocaust survivors herself, has recorded 54 interviews since launching in 2021. People like Scooter Braun and Josh Gad have shared their stories. “Recording these stories gives our interviewees a different perspective on what their grandparents went through,” Siegel said. “It gives them the tools to figure out how they’re going to share their story with their kids when their kids are old enough, and it inspires them to make sure the world never forgets.”
At press time, the venue for “A Night of Resilience” has not been announced, but tickets start at $54. Sponsorships are available for $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000. All proceeds from the show will benefit If You Heard What I Heard, and will be used to record more stories to ensure they aren’t forgotten. This is important, since the number of Holocaust survivors still alive is dwindling.
And If You Heard What I Heard’s work has made an impact. Siegel told the Journal about the organization’s education advisor, who recently had a situation where “she caught a student drawing a swastika, but instead of going the disciplinary route, she instead shared two of our interviews with him,” she said. “At the end, he was visibly moved by hearing these stories and genuinely apologized. That’s one piece of the value of our work. We’re educating today’s generation not just so they won’t forget, but also because we can instill more kindness and empathy for all groups.”
“Seeing the amount of antisemitism and threats towards Israel today, we’re having this concert to celebrate our resilience as a people.”
What Siegel wants to do with the concert is inspire Jews, showing them that no matter what has happened to the Jewish people throughout history, they have survived. “On May 8, we are coming off of Yom HaShoah, the commemoration of our near destruction as a people in modern times,” said Siegel. “We’re going into Yom Ha’atzmaut, which is a celebration of Israel’s independence. Seeing the amount of antisemitism and threats towards Israel today, we’re having this concert to celebrate our resilience as a people.” She continued, “I hope everyone walks away feeling inspired, by Matisyahu and by our work, and take it upon themselves to make sure the world never forgets.”
For tickets to “A Night of Resilience”, visit http://Ifyouheardwhatiheard.com/Matisyahu.
