Billie Eilish Managers, Eugene Levy honored as Ambassadors for Peace

Recent tirades by Kanye West, now known as Ye, were undoubtedly on the minds of many of the record-shattering 500 guests who gathered at the spacious Beverly Hills home of Columbia Records A&R executive Ben Maddahi’s parents to mark the tenth anniversary of the . Electronic Arts President of Music Steve Schnur, and veteran publishing executive David Renzer founded the organization. They honored a diverse group of people as Ambassadors for Peace in 2022. “Sex and the City”Creator Darren Star. Autumn Rowe is a Grammy-winning performer/songwriter. Billie Eilish managers Brandon Goodman. Danny Rukasin from Best Friends Music. David Zedeck is the UTA global head of music.

The fourth live event organized by the nonprofit — meant to encourage artists to collaborate and bring their talents to Israel as well as combat antisemitism — brought out a who’s who of entertainment executives and creatives, including past honorees Diane Warren, Warner Records CEO/co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck, Virgin Music label and artist services president Jacqueline Saturn and Atlantic Records Group’s EVP of global A&R Aton Ben-Horin.

Warren, an outspoken supporter of Israel who was honored at last year’s ceremony, had some choice expletives to describe her reaction to West’s hateful words. “Antisemitism is always just below the surface and now it’s reared its ugly head again,”She spoke. “Nobody should have anything to do with him. It’s like someone said, he just remixed an old record that’s been around 3,000 years like it’s a new thought. The Holocaust started with words like that.”

Schnur, co-founder of the company, recently published his own. VarietyThe editorial, calling the entertainment industry to account for their initial silence regarding the Ye incident, invoked Judah Maccabee the Jewish Hanukkah soldier to express his continued outrage. “Enough with this rhetoric that spreads like wildfire,”The veteran music executive said so. “He’s one of many continuing to spew using platforms. My response is, hell no. I don’t want to hear it anymore. We need to stand up for not just the Jewish community, but the Black community, Muslims, Asians and the LGBTQ as well. The idea is that art is something that can bring people together. The only thing a Palestinian and Israeli kid might have in common is Rihanna’s music.”

Renzer also noted that the fourth anniversary of 11 Jews being shot at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue was October 27, 2012. “Our message is one of unity, co-existence, anti-hate. Maybe it took something as dramatic and unfortunate as [Ye’s remarks] for it to happen,”This was an addition “record-setting year for the organization in terms of attendance, sponsorship and donations.”

Eugene Levy, comic legend, attributed his fame to the award-winning sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,”Dan and he co-created this community as a way for them to be together. “blind to religion, sex or nationality, a world without bigotry,”He joked about the misspelling (Eugege) of his name on the video display behind him. Then he told how he ran for class president his senior year in high school, and that a poster of his Superman-inspired campaign was displayed to him.“It’s a bird, it’s a plane… it’s Levy’) defaced with “Jew,”and won the election by refusing any form of retraction or backing down.

UTA’s Zedeck defended fellow talent agency CAA’s decision to drop Ye as a client. “We have to be responsible for whom we represent,”He stated. “Freedom of speech may be a legal issue, but not being associated with Ye is a business decision. It’s important to keep music and art separate from politics. This organization has a larger role than just combatting the BDS movement (boycott, divestment sanctions against Israel).”

Interscope vice chairman Steve Berman introduced Best Friends Music’s Brandon Goodman and Danny Rukasin, serenading the latter with “Happy Birthday.”Goodman stated, speaking to Variety “My belief is that art should unite, not divide. Our job is to let our artists speak for themselves through their own experiences.”

Darren Star, called up to the stage “Uncoupled”Joshua Platt, star, recalled teaching a class on TV and film writing at the University of Tel Aviv. “where even the bouncers wish you a ‘Shabbat shalom.’”

“Only by understanding each other can we make the world a better place,”Star made remarks on the red-carpet before the presentation. “Storytelling can transcend politics, creating characters where you can understand their humanity is so important. Art can make all of us understand our common humanity better… It helps build bridges.”

Autumn Rowe, who earned a Grammy for co-writing four songs on Jon Batiste’s album of the year-winning “We Are” — including “Freedom,” which she later performed to wrap the evening — is perhaps the perfect representative for both the CCFP and its sister organization, the Black Jewish Entertainment Alliance. The South-Bronx born singer-songwriter is the daughter of a Black father and Jewish mother, and an activist who has been involved in anti-racism, women’s and creative rights organizations such as Grammys on the Hill, the Women’s March on DC and SONA (Songwriters of North America).

“There are a lot of similarities between Blacks and Jews,”She said she was comparing slavery with Holocaust. “We both have bonds of oppression.”

Her involvement with the CCFP, and the BJEA occurred during a period of introspection when she was locked down in COVID. “It was a big moment for me to pause and reflect on who I wanted to be,”She elaborated. “Which was someone who spoke up for people whose voices weren’t being heard. These organizations helped me do that.”

Asked about West’s comment, her response was swift: she removed all his music from her Serato DJ software. “I felt really hurt by those comments,”Rowe. “He has inspired me as a producer, songwriter and artist. I’ve been a fan for a long time, but I don’t feel like playing music from someone who wants to go ‘def con 3’ on the Jews. I’m over him.”

Ari Ingel, Director of the CCFP, offered his closing argument against the idea of an “irreconcilable” co-existence of Israel and Palestine which has been in place since the country’s very inception in 1948, suggesting a three-prong answer for those present: taking a trip to Israel, encouraging artists to perform there and supporting the organization in its future goals.

“The objective is peace,”Schnur added “Not to divide.”