What was it like for Jewish Rapper to perform on Hanukkah in 2025? [Kosha Dillz]
Indie rapper and filmmaker Kosha Dillz writes about how much has changed since October 7th and more recent events, and the enduring power of music during the toughest times.
What was it like for Jewish Rapper on Hanukkah in 2025?
by Rami Even-Esh, aka Kosha Dillz, a BIllboard Charting artist with a new film Bring The Family Home”
Not sure what to say but it surely is interesting to experience what a Jewish musician is going through. Usually our time on Hanukkah is spent how it is supposed to be spent; enjoyed and thriving as our “Coachella Week” of the Christmas season for others.
My songs “The Hanukkah Song ft. Nissim Black” and “Dreidel Dreidel” are tiny hits for me, middle schools, and the parents’ WhatsApp chats. While the music industry shuts down, ours starts. We have all our streams and I even release “8 is great” songs with Sesame Street sidekicks (see Monty Pickle) and perform everywhere you can imagine.
What does that look like? 2 shows a day, from late night “latke vodka” experiences where I rap after a deejay unnaturally plays Euro House music, to $200 high end kosher restaurant event comedy shows in Queens, to Hannukcon (the Jewish SatanCon of NYC) where I headline ofcourse alongside dancing dreidels and Yiddish Rockstars @ Littlefield NYC this past sunday Sunday.
“It’s the public free ones and we still have to perform while people are afraid to come. I am played 4 of these last week and they all could’ve been targeted.”
The most popular community Chanukah events are public and free menorah lightings with Chabad houses, which are the local free synagogues of the guys who walk around NYC asking “excuse me, are you jewish?” questions. This was the event that was attacked on night 1 in Bondi Beach where 15 people were murdered. It’s the public free ones and we still have to perform while people are afraid to come. I am played 4 of these last week and they all could’ve been targeted.
Chabad houses exist in every facet of the world, from India to Anchorage Alaska (the chosen frozen) and in between. All in all there are about 90,000 Chabadniks, whose main goal is to spread kindness and joy (by doing mitzvahs , a commandment in the Torah.) If they give you Hanukkah candles, they get a mitzvah point. If they wrap you in tefillin , a prayer with leather straps on the arm for men over 13, they get a mitzvah point. So these guys are ofcourse the most publicly jewish and susceptible to attack. The running joke is that if there is a deserted island, there is most likely a Chabad house there for the random jewish communities that travel there. We can guarantee there will always be a budget for a Hanukkah event.
As of recently, the Jewish musician community has gotten booked for an overwhelming amount of grief events. After October 7th, a lot of the events needed songs of inspiration and resilience for our friends and relatives who were hostages. Hanukkah is the first time a holiday of joy has really been destroyed in such capacity. How do we navigate making people happy and party after being murdered, when all we want to do is just have a “normal” show
“People are afraid.”
Last year I performed at Menorah in the D, where thousands of Michigan Jewish residents come to downtown Detroit. Name another event with latkes, donuts, kids in baby carriages and snipers on a roof to watch rabbis and community members light the Chanukiah? On Monday night December 14th, I played for Chabad of Loudoun in Ashburn , VA in 18 degrees outside an Alamo Drafthouse and Kia dealership. 4 guards in all black with pistols on stage stood beside me as I rapped for 75 people next to 6 other officers. Usually that event has 400. People are afraid. Does 50 cent have 4 armed guards with guns on stage? Does Wu Tang have that?
Dec 15 I played Brooklyn Borough Hall for nearly 500 some people with Zusha. Scores of police and extra security existed. Why so many at my show than any other rap show? Matisyahu did 2 nights at Brooklyn Bowl this week. Why does a Jewish reggae show have more cops outside than any other show? Have you noticed how Menorahs are chained to the walls in public spaces ? Now take a look at the Christmas trees in public. Are they chained to anything?
“We are all connected…”
In the front row at Brooklyn Borough Hall on December 15th , I noticed some people singing every word to my “Dreidel Dreidel” song. This girl’s brother was shot in Australia, so I made a light hearted video for him. Another person said his friend was shot. I got a message from a follower that a Texan Aggie rabbi also had his son shot. My older brother’s friend’s cousin was killed. Kinda seems like I’m explaining distant Hollywood connections, but in proximity to knowing how we are all connected to the Bondi massacre..
My last gigs on the 21st also were in response to vandalism in Jackson Heights. A Chabad community member told me their Dec 14th menorah lighting was defaced so they added an “solidarity” event on the 21st. Who did they call to perform? Me. They feel I give them the inspiration to stand up. With a song called “Dreidel Dreidel” and an Adam Sandler remix? Sure. I’m available! And I rocked it. I even performed for an Imam who showed up in solidarity. The entire area was blocked off by police as per usual
This. isn’t normal. But then again, it is our normal. And it begs to pose this question to my fellow musicians and music industry members; Does this ever happen to you when performing for kids shows and will you say something for your fellow acts and include them in regular music industry opportunities?
Read more from Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz on Hypebot here.
Rami Even-Esh, aka Kosha Dillz is a BIllboard Charting artist with a new film called “Bring The Family Home” which he has raised nearly 100k on Kickstarter. When he isn’t doing hanukkah events, he is filming interviews, recording songs, and touring all over, or even rapping outside MSG at Phish shows in the coming week. Check his website and substack.
