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Organizers described the evening as a turning point for Jewish cultural life in North America.
By Shula Rosen
More than 14,000 people filled the hillsides of the Catskills this week for a landmark event: the first large-scale Jewish concert ever staged at the site of Woodstock.
Israeli singer Ishay Ribo headlined the gathering, bringing his Yamim Ba’im production to one of the world’s most storied venues.
Organizers described the evening as a turning point for Jewish cultural life in North America.
“This was not just a concert—it was history in the making,” said Davidson Artist Management, which partnered with Bnei Akiva of the United States and Canada to produce the show.
Their goal, they said, was to place Jewish music on the same world stage that once hosted artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
The festival-style evening drew audiences from across the United States, Canada, and Israel.
Families arrived early to picnic on the grass, shop for souvenirs, and sample kosher food offerings.
By sunset, the lawns and pavilion had become a vibrant mosaic of Jewish communities, religious and secular alike, coming together in a shared celebration.
The program blended contemporary Jewish music with classic communal anthems, featuring Ribo alongside guest performers including Zusha, Avraham Fried, and Shmuel.
Highlights included mass sing-alongs of Ten Li Tefila and Aderabe, moments in which thousands of voices joined together in harmony.
For many, the setting itself carried symbolic weight. Bethel Woods, remembered worldwide as the birthplace of the counterculture movement, became—at least for one night—a gathering place for Jewish unity and pride.
The image of thousands of concertgoers singing Hebrew lyrics on Woodstock’s legendary stage underscored a broader message: Jewish music has arrived on a global cultural platform.
As the show closed with the title track Yamim Ba’im, performed partly in English for the first time, Ribo urged the audience to “fly back home.” The crowd’s response, organizers said, showed that Jewish music can both honor its roots and resonate far beyond them.
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