Matisyahu at MTV Event

Hillel Students Rock with Matisyahu at MTV Event

September 12, 2005 Fifty students from Hillels around the greater New York metro area took a break from the studies last week to attend a special performance by Matisyahu, a Chasidic reggae singer, at the MTV studios in New York. The event was presented by MTV's diversity team and mtvU, the campus division of MTV.

Students came from Columbia University, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Touro College, Baruch College and Sarah Lawrence College to enjoy Matisyahu's short set of reggae-influenced, faith-inspired songs. mtvU VJ Gardner Loulan, host of the mtvU program "Dean's List," then hosted a question-and-answer session with the students in the audience, in which Matisyahu spoke about everything from his musical influences to becoming a Chasidic Jew.

"It was amazing to see that such a sincerely religious man like Matisyahu is able to communicate to a general audience through his music. He is a talented musician, by any standards, and is particularly brilliant at beat-boxing," said Queens College student Sarah Lipman.

"I also thought that someone like him who is very passionate about both music and his religion represented the Jewish people well in the question-and-answer session," added Judah Guber, also from Queens College.

Matisyahu, who has performed at many Hillel conferences and campuses throughout the past year, will be touring throughout the United States this fall. Visit his Web site at www.hasidicreggae.com to view his upcoming schedule.

(taken from hillel.org)