According to Het Parool the letter was signed by sixty employees; about a quarter of the payroll.
There is a lot going on about the Hanukkah concert because of the cantor, Shai Abrahamson. He is affiliated with the Israeli army, where he sings about the war in Gaza, among other things.
The Concertgebouw first wanted to allow Hanukkah to take place in a modified form, namely without Abrahamson. After the concert organizer did not want to go along with this, it was decided to cancel the concert.
This caused great dissatisfaction among part of the Jewish community. Several pro-Israel organizations accused the concert hall of excluding the Jewish community. There were several demonstrations outside the Concertgebouw.
‘Unbelievable’
Ultimately, the concert was able to go ahead. According to Concertgebouw director Simon Reinink, a compromise had been found, but a compromise in which Abrahamson would still be on stage.
The employees who signed the letter say they are upset about that decision. “It is incomprehensible to us how the Concertgebouw was able to make this turn.”
In addition, they do not understand why the Central Jewish Consultation (CJO) mediated in the search for a solution. “The CJO is by no means a neutral party in this matter,” said the signatories, who pointed out, among other things, that chairman Chanan Hertzberger accused the Concertgebouw of excluding Jews during the Kristallnacht commemoration. According to the employees, the influence that the CJO has acquired sets a ‘dangerous precedent’.