Ishay Ribo: the first Israeli to perform at iconic Madison Square Garden

An orthodox singer and songwriter has made history as the first Israeli to command centre stage at legendary New York City music venue Madison Square Garden.

Ishay Ribo performed to a crowd of around 15,000, following in the footsteps of icons such as Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones.

Songs included “Lashuv Habaita” (“To Return Home”) and in honour of the religious date of Chai Elul, the most significant date in the Chasidic calendar, he welcomed Orthodox entertainer Avraham Fried to sing with him on stage to rapturous applause.

34-year old Ribo is a Sephardic Jew born in Marseille, France. His parents are from Algeria and Morocco and the family moved to the Israeli West Bank settlement of Kfar Adumim when he was 8.

Ribo released his first album in 2014 and commands fans across the religious spectrum. His 2019 album Elul 5779 features songs from the High Holy Days.