Eric Wang, Senior Photographer

After performing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, Israeli singer-songwriter Ishay Ribo will perform at Toad’s Place on Monday, Sept. 16. The concert is jointly organized by Yale Friends of Israel and Chabad at Yale. 

Ribo has released four studio albums, two of which are gold certified and another that has gone platinum. He has garnered a significant following across different Jewish sects — from Haredi to secular Jewish communities. Himself a Sephardic Orthodox Jew, his widespread popularity has made the singer a unifying cultural force among sometimes clashing Jewish groups, according to Yale Friends of Israel.  

“We’re trying to create a space to bring together members from every sector of the Yale community in a communal experience of unity, of happiness, of celebration,” said Netanel Crispe ’25, board member of Chabad. 

The upcoming performance will not be the first time Ribo will perform for a university community. In March of this year, Chabad at Harvard invited Ribo to perform at a Harvard Square concert venue, The Sinclair.

The concert, which raised funds that would go to “healing and rebuilding of Israel,” according to promotional content for the concert, was met with a boycott from The Sinclair staff, as well as protests from both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters. 

According to the Harvard Crimson, protesting groups included 30 members of The Sinclair staff, who refused to work at the event, as well as Harvard affiliates and Boston-area residents. 

Although the proceeds from Ribo’s concert in Cambridge were intended to fund support for Israel, YFI and Chabad currently plan to use ticket sales to pay the artist and other concert expenses. 

The tickets for the show are highly subsidized. For Yale students, the tickets sell for $7, while the retail price is $72. According to Eventbrite, through which tickets for the event are sold, most of the event’s tickets are already sold. 

Chabad president Noah Silverberg ’26 doesn’t think they “have extra money [to be] donating anywhere.” However, if fundraising becomes a “possibility,” it is something YFI “could discuss,” he said.

Toad’s staff did not respond to a request for comment. 

YFI and Chabad said they hope the singer’s musical focus on bringing unity will dissuade members of the Yale community from engaging in protest. 

Kira Berman ’25 said that amidst the tumultuous and divisive past year, she hopes that this event can bring together people who might not “see eye to eye.” 

“I think people who protest the singer don’t really understand what it’s all about,” said YFI president Kira Berman ’25. “Maybe if they could get tickets for themselves, they could see something quite beautiful.”

Ribo’s performance will begin at 8 p.m., and doors for the event will open at 7:30pm.