74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeArts-EntertainmentEventsJewish Rapper Nissim Black Lights Up the Last Night of Hanukkah

Jewish Rapper Nissim Black Lights Up the Last Night of Hanukkah

Nissim Black raps to the audience with one of his songs. (Photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)

A Hanukkah celebration featuring renowned rapper Nissim Black gave hundreds of residents on St. Thomas the chance to celebrate and learn more about the Jewish Festival of Lights.

At 5 p.m. Sunday, as the cruise ships left the port, Black started completing the last few sound checks as he waited for people to make their way to the Fort Christian parking lot where the concert, hosted by Chabad of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was held. Heads turned across the street as Black started vocalizing on stage, preparing for his performance, and giving the crowd a sneak peek of the songs that were to come.

A member of the Jewish community is wrapped in religious garb by staff to join them in prayer. (Photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)

Meanwhile, homemade donuts and water were given out as people filled in. Bonham Geller was received in celebration of his bar mitzvah. Other people got into prayer tefillin and leather straps around their arms and prayed. While waiting for Black to start his performance, members of the Jewish community exchanged last names and origins of their ancestry, with many discovering previously unknown linkages and shared history.

Dancing and singing along to the words of Nissim Black as the audience celebrates the last day of Hanukkah on Sunday on St. Thomas. (Photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)

Black asked the audience to come forward as he began his performance. As the audience moved quickly to the front of the stage, Black instantly got everyone moving. Kids could be seen rapping along as the artist performed on stage. Family members danced with joy together, and strangers came amongst one another as though they were longtime friends. The smiles that could be seen on everyone’s face, from young to old, were priceless. Black has made his music so masterfully that it can cross the boundaries of age and be enjoyable to all. The beat, the lyrics, the whole vibe, just made everyone want to dance to it and celebrate the colorful history behind the holiday.

Lighting the Hanukkah menorah to close the ceremony on the last day of the holiday. (Photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)

As the sunlight started to disappear and the night started to wind down, Black gave one more exhilarating song to close his performance. Faces lit up as the audience swayed to the music. Kids could be seen smiling and looking into the crowd as they danced to the songs. To close off the concert and bring the celebration to a close, Chabad representatives led a prayer and lit the Hanukkah menorah.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.