Building Bridges, One Song at a Time

One of the most powerful forces in the universe is music. It can inspire and delight, awe and frighten, topple dictators and transform society. It's a time machine, transporting us to distant places and eras. It can evoke the sights, sounds, and smells of powerful memories. Music even changes us physiologically: when a group of people sing together, their heartbeats, brain waves, and breathing align. Knowing the powerful potential of live music experiences, I started dreaming about the possibility of a Jewish music festival in the city where I live.

Originally, my dream centered around highlighting the many talented Jewish musicians I met after moving to Philadelphia. At the time, I was just starting my solo Jewish music career, creating two albums of Jewish rock and looking for ways to share it with the world. I met Samantha Wittchen and Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz, founders of Philly Music Lab and my eventual partners in building the Philly Jewish Music Festival, at a musicians' networking event. We made plans to grab coffee and discuss how Philly Music Lab could help support my career.

Amid the conversation about my own work, I casually mentioned that there were no communal events highlighting Jewish musicians, and how amazing it would be to have a Jewish music festival in Philly. I had experience putting on small concerts and showcases, but a music festival is a whole lot bigger. It turned out that Philly Music Lab did just that: organizing musical events with a focus on cross-genre artists, particularly those who write and perform within ethnic musical traditions. They loved the idea of creating a Jewish music festival with me. Seven years and one pandemic-inspired hiatus later, the Philly Jewish Music Festival is coming to life on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

Gathering in a large venue to celebrate Jewish music and musicians is about so much more than listening to great music. We're making a statement about the importance of artists' experiences and how their Judaism informs their work. We're also acknowledging the importance of seeing ourselves and our Jewish experiences reflected in music. Something powerful happens at a live music performance: an exchange of energy between performer and audience that leads to a unique experience of those songs that will never happen the same way again. 

In an era when antisemitism fills the headlines, this festival is meant to be more than just the Jewish community coming together to support Jewish music and musicians. It's a bridge to the larger community as well. Our friends and neighbors will experience and celebrate Jewish pride with us. We might not eat the same foods, worship the same way, or agree on issues of politics or society, but we can jam together.

When we first started discussing a music festival, Alex and Sam asked me who I'd want to see as the featured performer. My half-joking response was to name my favorite rock band, Green Day. "Great!" they said, "Are they Jewish?" Laughing, I explained they weren't Jewish, and anyway, weren't they too big to hire? Alexandra assured me that she could find their manager. I've talked to a lot of people who have run Jewish music festivals before, but I couldn't think of any who had booked a major artist. The very idea changed the scope of what we might accomplish, how big a venue we might be able to fill, and who we could reach.

If we wanted to reach beyond the Jewish community, we needed a headliner who carried significant name recognition. Someone whose Jewish identity is a large part of their music, but whose career path had brought them the blessings of radio airplay, Grammy recognition, and active touring. We were thrilled to book Matisyahu for our festival, who could draw a big crowd and appeal to a large swath of Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

It may sound like starry-eyed naivete, but bringing in an artist of Matisyahu's caliber was our way of trying to break down the walls of antisemitism. We wanted to find ways to bring people together in a shared experience of discovery and joyfulness. Attendees of all backgrounds will be witnessing authentic Jewish joy, celebrating Jewish music and musicians, and building hometown pride.

We know that we can't stop antisemitism with a music festival. But we can inspire pride in our heritage, celebrate the innovation and spiritual renewal inherent in our musical traditions, and have a great time with our friends and neighbors. And that's a pretty good start.

The Union for Reform Judaism is delighted to sponsor the inaugural Philly Jewish Music Festival on May 17. Go to PhillyJewishMusic.org and use code URJ10 to receive 10% off adult and college student tickets!