CHANCES, NEGRIL — On December 29, 2024, Chabad of Jamaica will host Jamaica’s first-ever ‘One Love, One Light’ music festival at Chances Beach in Negril.

Open to the public, this special event will have 1,000 visitors and locals come together for a night of unity and music.

The concert will be headlined by The Maccabeats, a world-renowned a capella group known for their hit song Candlelight.

“We are so blessed to have the world-famous Maccabeats in Jamaica for the very first time sharing their amazing talent with us,” said Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, Chabad of Jamaica’s director. “This concert is a unique opportunity to promote diversity and understanding among people of all ages, backgrounds and religions.”

The One Love, One Light concert will also feature a Hanukkah celebration and menorah lighting.

Hanukkah is an 8-day Jewish festival which commemorates the rededication of the ancient temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after being defiled by the Syrian-Greek army in 167 BCE. The holiday is celebrated by lighting a menorah, singing holiday songs and eating traditional foods such as potato pancakes, jelly donuts, and chocolate gelt. Guests will have the opportunity to eat traditional Kosher Hanukkah foods at the concert.

Concert proceeds will go to support Chabad of Jamaica’s disaster relief initiatives. Chabad supplies water, food, medicine and other essential supplies to communities ravaged by natural disasters such as Hurricane Beryl. These programmes have helped thousands of people all over Jamaica and these activities will be bolstered by funds raised at the concert.

Each concert-goer will also receive a small yellow charity box called an ARK that encourages people to give charity regularly. ARK stands for Acts of Random Kindness and distributing the box is part of Chabad of Jamaica’s ethical education programme which encourages people to increase their acts of goodness and kindness to create a better and kinder world.