Nearly 3,000 people packed Jerusalem’s International Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma) Thursday night, Oct. 1, for a sold-out concert headlined by Ishay Ribo, with featured artist Akiva — both longtime YU favorites with deep ties to the University. The crowd sang and danced as the evening moved from exuberant song to moments of reflection, spirituality, and a celebration of Jewish unity. 

Before the music began, Rabbi Doron Perez, President of the World Zionist Organization and Executive Chairman of the Mizrachi World Movement, together with Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael, sponsors of the event, welcomed the crowd. He was followed by Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, who introduced Ribo to rousing applause as “the voice of Israel, who brings together the Jewish people with his spirit, his song and his incredible neshama.”

Hosted by Yeshiva University, the concert brought students, alumni, friends and family together with celebrants from across the country for a night of music and communal connection. For students spending the year in Israel through YU’s S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program, it was another moment that made their year in Israel not simply a year of study, but a year to remember. 

“These are the formative years of our students' lives,” said Rabbi Berman. “At YU, we want those years to be shaped not only by serious learning and growth, but by friendship, joy and unforgettable experiences that remain with them for a lifetime. A night like this is part of that journey.”

The entire evening’s energy reinforced the connection to Israel that Yeshiva University makes an integral part of its students’ lives.

“Yeshiva University is an extraordinary community, and I have always felt a special connection to its students,” said Ribo, who has built a longstanding relationship with the University and its students. “They bring such excitement, warmth and love of Israel. To sing with them in Jerusalem and share this night together was incredibly meaningful.”

Throughout the night, Ribo drew the audience into music that transforms the language, poetry and holiness of Jewish tradition into song, moving between high-energy numbers and moments of reflection and spiritual intensity. Akiva’s own distinctive sound together with a side-by-side performance with Ribo were a masterclass in showmanship.