Weekly Kibbitz
Orthodox Pop Star Ishay Ribo Will Be First Israeli
to Headline Madison Square Garden
The Orthodox singer Ishay Ribo, whose music has
attracted a diverse audience of religious and secular
Israeli fans, will be the first Israeli artist to headline a
concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

“I’ve been keeping this inside for a long time,
and more than once I pinched myself to check if I
was dreaming or if this is real,” Ribo wrote on his
Facebook page on May 15. “It seems that both
answers are correct, thank God.”
At a time when Israeli society is deeply divided
by political and religious fault lines, Ribo, 34, has
achieved crossover appeal by blending religiously
themed lyrics with pop melodies and is a leading
voice in Israel’s “faithful pop” genre. One of his
songs, “Sibat Hasibot,” was the most-played song
on the country’s radio stations in 2021, according to
a recent New York Times profile.

Born in Marseille, France, to parents from Algeria
and Morocco, Ribo’s family moved to the Israeli West
Bank settlement of Kfar Adumim when he was 8. He
grew up in a haredi Orthodox family and was first
exposed to secular music when it played over the
speakers during bus rides to school.

Ribo self-released his first album in 2014, and
four of his five albums have reached gold certi-
fication, each selling more than 15,000 copies Ishay Ribo, the Israeli singer-songwriter whose faith pop
in the Israeli music market. He has performed music has united religious and secular audiences, is set to
perform at Madison Square Garden in September.

alongside popular Israeli musicians such as
Shlomo Artzi and Idan Raichel, and has drawn
some backlash from Orthodox Israelis.

sensibilities of the Greenwich Village folk scene and,
The poster for Ribo’s show at the iconic 20,000- later, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood
seat New York City venue, which is scheduled for — and the Miami Boys Choir, an American musical
Sept. 3, highlights his religious identity. The concert group founded in the 1970s that recently had a song
is advertised with a photo of Ribo in silhouette, go viral on TikTok.

performing in front of a crowd full of flashing phone
Nor is Ribo the first Orthodox singer to plan
cameras. Block letters spell out his name in gold, a concert at Madison Square Garden. In 2008,
above Hebrew text reading “Elul 5783,” — the month a Chasidic charity concert was planned for the
and year of the show on the Jewish calendar. One of stadium, to be headlined by singer Lipa Schmeltzer,
the partners in the show’s production is Bnei Akiva, but Schmeltzer ultimately dropped out of the event
the religious Zionist youth group.

after a group of 33 rabbis signed a decree saying the
Ribo is not the first Orthodox Jewish musician concert would cause “ribaldry and lightheadedness”
to have captured the attention of secular listen- and “strip the youth of every shred of fear of heaven
ers. Other such performers include Rabbi Shlomo and [lower] them into a pit of destruction.”
Carlebach — who blended liturgical lyrics with the
— Jackie Hajdenberg | JTA.org
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local
As Summer Approaches, Jewish-owned
Restaurants Expand
My Loup, a French restaurant opened along-
side her fiance chef Alex Kemp, is an homage
to Kemp’s French Canadian heritage and the
couple’s fine dining training.

roves of Philadelphia Jews on their
Compared to Her Place, which has a set
way down the shore make a stop at
menu, My Loup has a more traditional service
the Kibitz Room for an old school-
and menu structure.

style overstuffed sandwich or provisions for the
“We wanted something a little bigger and
weekend, at least according to the Cherry Hill,
more classic from a restaurant standpoint — we
New Jersey, deli owner Neil Parish.

always envisioned a gorgeous bar and a serious
The Kibitz Room gets a chunk of its business
vibe pulsing throughout the dining room that’s
from the Philadelphia area, so it only made
somehow a party, but also feels like your grand-
sense for the deli to find a new home there. Last
ma’s house but also your favorite corner pub,”
month, Parish signed a lease for a 3,750 square-
Shulman said.

foot retail storefront in Montgomery Township,
Shulman and Kemp may primarily cook French
where the Kibitz Room will expand.

food, but their cooking is inspired by Jewish
Parish hopes to cut the ribbon on the new
Essen bakery chef Tova du Plessis said the Fishtown
roots. location at PA-309 and Witchwood Drive this
location of the Jewish bakery is projected to open later
“I love working American Jewish food touches
time next year. His son, Brandon Parish, will take
this fall.

into the food we do,” Shulman said. “Alex and I
care of the family business at the Montgomery
will be at a Passover seder eating charoset and
Township location.

then the next day make a chicken liver toast with
The Kibitz Room isn’t the only Jewish-owned
charoset. We use a lot of smoked fish and draw
restaurant business expanding. CookNSolo,
a ton of inspiration from classic Jewish deli food.”
helmed by Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov,
CookNSolo’s recent changes also reflect a
will expand hummusiya Dizengoff into a full-ser-
return to familiar foods. While Abe Fisher and
vice restaurant in July, taking over the space of
Merkaz will close next month, Dizengoff will
Abe Fisher. A new Goldie location will replace
expand and incorporate pita sandwiches and
Merkaz. The restaurants will join My Loup, a
mezze salads found in Merkaz, in addition to
French restaurant opened in May by 2023
its new dinner and bar services at 1605-1627
James Beard Award finalist chef Amanda
Sansom St. The Goldie menu in Merkaz’ 1218
Shulman, who opened Her Place Supper Club
Sansom St. location, will continue to serve
in June 2021.

falafel and tahina milkshakes.

Chef Nick Liberato and Mike Dalewitz will
Restaurant expansions don’t always go
move their New York-style deli The Borscht
according to plan. Essen North, the Fishtown
Belt from Stockton, New Jersey, to Newtown.

expansion of South Philadelphia-based Jewish
The deli, first opened in 2021, will reside at the
bakery Essen, was projected to open this spring.

Village South Shopping Center. It opened on
Amanda Shulman and fiance Alex Kemp opened My
Loup, a French Canadian restaurant, in May.

Chef and owner Tova du Plessis said that due to
May 30.

personal reasons, the location will likely open in
Philadelphia eaters have demonstrated
the fall after the High Holidays.

a hunger for both traditional and innovative
The Fishtown bakery will stretch in size to accom-
dishes. In its new location, Kibitz Room will expand the area, where Brandon Parish will keep the deli’s
modate the bakery’s production, which includes
its brunch menu to include takes on eggs Benedict mainstay deli case and add additional tables.

At 29, Brandon Parish feels ready to take over the orders for national shipping through Gold Belly. Du
and its dessert menu to serve ice cream. Brandon
Parish plans to hire an executive chef to oversee the family business. During the peak of the pandemic, Plessis wants to serve sandwiches and bagels in a
changes, but the heart of the deli will stay the same. he helped shift the deli’s business model to accom- cafe-like atmosphere.

“We do plan to freshen up the brand a little bit.

“I like to say we put it on steroids. We do some modate takeout orders. Neil Parish has been in the
different things,” Neil Parish said. “But the core is deli business since age 14, and his son followed a We also will experiment with some new recipes and
just expand out on the menu that we have already,”
similar path.

always traditional Jewish delicatessen.”
“Ever since I was nine or 10 years old, I’ve always she said. “And who knows? Maybe the future is more
The Kibitz Room’s new storefront is located within
a three-story, mixed-use building. Compared to the been there,” Brandon Parish said. “I just always Essen locations.” ■
Cherry Hill location’s 2000-square-foot space, the wanted to be there. I never want to really leave.”
Shulman represents young talent in Center City. srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com
Montgomery Township location is almost double
Sasha Rogelberg | Staff Writer
Photo by Neal Santos
Photo by Mike Prince
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