Rapper puts in a good word for Israel at Wits

American Jewish rapper Noah Shufutinsky, also known as Westside Gravy, prioritises Judaism and love for Israel in his music because it’s a fundamental part of his identity.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies brought Shufutinsky to South Africa to assist the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) to combat Israeli Apartheid Week, renamed Israel Advocacy Week, from 7 to 12 March.

Shufutinsky spent two days on campus in Johannesburg, assisting students to educate their classmates about the complexities of the Middle East and combat the false narratives that they had been fed.

He said his campus experience was enlightening, and many of the students he interacted with were misinformed or uninformed about what was going on in Israel, but were open to hearing the facts.

“With the majority of the people I’ve encountered, even if they start the conversation with very inflammatory statements, you see that they are misinformed and are open to listening,” he said. “Those who have been misinformed or uninformed walk up and want to know more about what has been going on and the facts, and they have been receptive to listening to me and SAUJS students.”

However, some said inflammatory things about Israel, showing an intention to intimidate Jewish students. “They weren’t successful in this endeavour,” he said, “because when I’m talking to them, I have the facts and personal experiences that they aren’t able to refute.”

Shufutinsky believes Israel Advocacy Week at Wits was productive largely because of SAUJS students. “Even when they are faced with difficult questions and challenges and sometimes those who don’t have good intentions and are coming up to the SAUJS tent to try and derail conversations, the Jewish students have the tools they need to stay calm and open to dialogue. This showcases the best our community has to offer,” he said.

As well as spending time on campus, Shufutinsky also spoke to students at Yeshiva Boys and Girls High Schools, King David Linksfield, and King David Victory Park.

Shufutinsky was raised in San Diego, California, by an African American, Sephardi mother and an Ashkenazi, Russian Jewish father. He spent a lot of his childhood moving around the United States as his father served in the navy.

“There were times when I was the only Jewish voice,” he said. “Sometimes that was intimidating, but at the end of the day, I was raised with the values that every Jewish person has, and the ability and responsibility to tell their story, and we can influence other people.”

This is why he didn’t shy away from his Jewish identity when he embarked on his rap career under the name Westside Gravy in middle school. “I generally rap about stuff that’s important to me, and Judaism is an important aspect of that,” Shufutinsky said.

For example, his song, Stereotypes, mocks the antisemitic and black stereotypes and prejudice he has had to deal with.

Over the years, Shufutinsky brought in different aspects of his Jewish identity as they became more influential in his life. When he was 18, and visited Israel for the first time, the country started to appear more frequently in his music.

Shufutinsky discovered his passion for Israel advocacy when he first heard of nonprofit organisation StandWithUs when he was in high school in 2014. “StandWithUs gave me all the tools I needed to have conversations about the false narratives on social media,” he said.

He started working for the organisation after making aliya after graduating from university. Since then, he has been able to blend the two worlds of his work and music together seamlessly. “Some of my songs about Israel blend with the work I do in my passion for Israel education,” he said.

His song, Diaspora, criticises Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) coalition-led efforts to delegitimise Israel through the lyrics, “And all that BDS campaigning? We’ve dealt with worse problems than racist associations of students all acting stupid and thinking they’re making differences, picking and choosing truths and not knowing what real resistance is.”

Shufutinsky said his music hadn’t changed as such since 7 October 2023, as he had always rapped about issues relating to Zionism and fighting antisemitism. Rather, it reflected changes in his personal life. “If you listen to my music, you can hear whatever is going on in my personal life,” he said.

One of his songs, From the River to the Sea, released in 2024, talks about the false narratives, and tries to spin them on their head and use them as a tool to start a conversation about what that phrase means about the land and to Jewish people in the diaspora.

Though his music hasn’t necessarily changed, the reaction from the wider hip hop community has. Many of his previous co-collaborators have since shown themselves to be antisemitic by posting images calling for an intifada. “It changed my perception of those I used to think of as collaborators,” he said.

Similarly, there are those in the music industry who have praised Shufutinsky, but won’t go any further in fighting antisemitism. He said, “The response to 7 October from the wider music community isn’t a response of pride, it’s a response of cowardice, and a response that doesn’t support our community,” Shufutinsky said.