NEW YORK (VINnews) — Charedi Singer Lipa Schmeltzer has suffered cancellations from several communities in the US which did not approve of his entertaining the IDF soldiers deployed near Gaza.
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In a viral clip released last week, Schmeltzer can be seen dancing for the troops in his inimicable manner, and the soldiers responding and dancing with him. Yet apparently for some communities who distance themselves from Israel and from Zionist ideology, this was too much to swallow and they decided to cancel their contracts with the popular singer.
American ultra-Orthodox singer and entertainer, Lipa Schmeltzer, showing IDF combat soldiers how to do it Schmeltzer style 😂❤️🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/jYR3jeYepV
— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) November 20, 2023
One of the events was due to take place last Thursday in the Satmar community in New York. In an attempt to mollify his critics, Schmeltzer went to the tomb of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, and said that “The Jews in Eretz Yisrael have suffered greatly recently, I know that there are different opinions in Judaism, but I have my mission, I went to Eretz Yisrael to make Jews happy, I saw people without hands, without feet from the war, my mission is to make people’s hearts rejoice.
“Yesterday I was supposed to sing at an event and it was cancelled because I made Jews happy in Eretz Yisrael. I will continue to cheer brokenhearted Jews and to bring them closer. If this is my sacrifice that I lose Parnasah from it, when I come upstairs I will see that it is only a profit and not a real loss.”
I’ve always been a fan of Lipa’s music, but now I’m a fan of Lipa himself. It takes courage to stand up to the establishment even when the establishment is clearly wrong.
His acts of chesed are made even greater by the fact that others are challenging him. We stand be behind you Lipa. Keep up your amazing work!
I will not hire him now because I do not have the kind of money one must have to hire a celebrity singer, but if I were a rich man, I would hire him so quickly!
I do not believe Lipa was trying to pacify anyone – he was trying to publicize without calling out who what was going on and asking other entertainers (see the rest of his post and reel) not to be pressured even at the “cost” of their livelihood. That is what a great person Lipa is! Am Yisroel Chai – continue your good work Lipa.
One of the main components on the decision of our enemies VICIOUS attack was the lock of Achdus between us, flush them down deep on the ground
ANYONE that is trying to divide us you are making a Big mistake choosing your/family own faith
NEVER AGAIN
NEVER AGAIN
NEVER AGAIN
Sinas chinam. What is it with you people during this ays tzaaras? These anti zionists make me sick. I get that you don’t support political Zionism but Israel is the center of Judaism in the world and at war. So please stop with the baseless hatred.
Disgusting.
Real Sinas Chinam
bUt SAtmaR conDEMns neturei karta. Right. theyre one and the same. they just disagree a little in how they should voice it
He’s a big boy. He understands, or should understand, that whatever it is that he does will face criticism from others. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again. Not everyone loves him 100%. That is the way of the world.
Do you think MBD never faced criticism? If you think so, you’re not old enough. And what about Avrohom Fried? The people in KJ have to listen to his music, quietly on headphones, making sure that nobody hears it.
Score one for achdus l’vatala
Avraham Avinu went to war with the four kings to save his nephew Lot.
Yaakov Avinu’s sons fought their enemies in Shechem
Moshe Rabbeinu transmitted the mitzvos of going out to war which Hashem taught him to teach Bnei Yisrael.
Yehoshua was a warrior leading the people to conquer Eretz Yisroel.
All the Shoftim, including Shimshon, went to war against the Seven nations to conquer Eretz Yisrael.
David Hamelech was a warrior who fought the Plishtim throughout his life.
All the Kings in Sefer Melachim went to war against our enemies.
The Maccabim went to war against the Misyavnim.
I do not remembering one time in the entire Tanach when our manhigim told the people to learn Torah and say Tehillim instead of going out to battle and that they were holier than the soldiers who were giving up their lives.
Can anyone tell me where this idea came from?
Lipa we love you and support you. You are bringing sanity and achdut. We owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude. Anyone against our soldiers and against supporting our defending ourselves is not a religious jew – “they should change their name to Adolf Hitler” – Rabbi YY Jacobson.
Why mix personal life with business ? Are all the other people in the venues 100% kosher like you feel they should be ?
Just wait a little while till anti-Semitism gets unbearable in the United States and all the Jews from Kiryas Yoel and Williamsburg are desperately trying to get on flights to escape to the evil Zionist state. They will be following the footsteps of the Satmar Rebbe who was saved by the Zionists during the Holocaust but he never acknowledged or showed appreciation to them for saving his life.
Showing love to an injured fellow Yid is part of our mandate as frum Yidden. Not doing that because of another’s personal politics is part of the Satan’s mandate. People who start with the whole tziyoni thing are under the control of the Satan. Shame on them.
Is there a clause in the contract that he may not entertain Jewish soldiers?
Schmeltzer is the epidemy of a publicity hound. Many years ago there was a letter from THE most respected Rabbonim not to attend his concert. He loved the attention even it was negative. And there is nothing wrong for anyone to cancel him if he does things that’s contrary to Satmars beliefs. There are plenty of Chausidis who are pro the IDF I am sure he will get jobs by them. Good luck, Schmeltzer.