The Hanukkah concert on December 14 in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam will go ahead after all. The Concertgebouw and the Chanukah Concert Foundation disagreed about whether cantor Shai Abramson, who also works for the Israeli army, could participate. The Concertgebouw and the foundation have now reached a compromise on this.
In one joint statement the foundation and the theater reported on Wednesday that a Hanukkah concert “for everyone, young and old” will take place in the afternoon, without Abramson. Two private concerts with Abramson will then take place in the evening. “The Concertgebouw will donate the proceeds from this rental to a charity that promotes social cohesion in the city.”
The Concertgebouw had initially canceled the Hanukkah concert because Abramson is also the cantor at ceremonies of the Israeli army, which is “actively involved in a controversial war.” The foundation refused to replace him. The issue then threatened to result in a lawsuit. But that, the statement said, would not be good for anyone. “Not for The Concertgebouw, not for the Foundation and certainly not for the city of Amsterdam.” The organizations agree that the “increasing tension” over the issue must be stopped.
However, the Concertgebouw remains of the opinion that Abramson cannot in principle perform in the Concertgebouw, “because of his symbolic role with the IDF, which is involved in a war that divides our society.” And “the Chanukah Concert Foundation continues to hold on to his arrival, because of his voice and his role as a religious pastor, which have a deep spiritual meaning for many.”
Both parties can now live with private concerts. Last Friday, the director of the Concertgebouw told NRC that – even though the Chanukah Concert Foundation is an external party – “the outside world still sees one Concertgebouw”. “Tenant or not, it is our stage.” With a “military representative on stage”, the interests of the Concertgebouw would be damaged.
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The Concertgebouw canceled a Hanukkah concert and had to deal with Israel. ‘If it had gone ahead, you would have heard the other side’
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