B’nai B’rith International President Robert B. Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin sent a letter to the Royal Concertgebouw condemning its discriminatory cancellation of a Hanukkah concert over Cantor Shai Abramson’s participation. We urged the Concertgebouw to reverse this decision immediately and allow the concert to proceed as planned. Read the letter below, or in PDF format here.

Dear Mr. Boer,

On behalf of B’nai B’rith International’s members and supporters across the United States and around the world, we write to express our outrage over the Royal Concertgebouw’s bigoted decision to cancel a Hanukkah concert because of the participation of Cantor Shai Abramson. Cantor Abramson’s affiliation with the Israel Defense Forces has no bearing on his performance in the Hanukkah event and should not be used as an excuse to carry out a discriminatory boycott.

The notion that the concert hall would cancel a Jewish holiday celebration and insist that the organizing foundation replace a religious leader who was scheduled to perform at the event is shockingly offensive. The fact that Royal Concertgebouw director Simon Reinink said that Cantor Abramson’s presence would be “against our mission” suggests that that mission has more to do with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel than with artistic or religious freedom, which is what the Hanukkah event is about.

We insist, in the name of decency and human rights, that the ban on Cantor Abramson be lifted and the concert be allowed to proceed as planned.

Respectfully,

Robert B. Spitzer, President                          Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO