Global rap star and businesswoman Nicki Minaj surprised tens of millions of followers on Monday evening at the conclusion of Yom Kippur by posting the traditional Hebrew greeting to her official X account: “Gmar Chatima Tova.” While the tweet was exceptionally brief, its cultural resonance quickly ignited intense curiosity, debate, and backlash across social networks.
While some users openly questioned what prompted the unexpected holiday wish, others directed sharp, bewildered criticism at Minaj: “Since when are you Jewish?”, “What the hell?”, “What happened to you?”, and “Excuse me, what?!”. Conversely, thousands of Jewish and Israeli users were deeply moved by the gesture, flooding the replies with gratitude: “Thank you!”, “We love you Nicki! Come to Israel,” and words of appreciation. Among those responding was freed hostage Rom Braslavski, who affectionately wrote: “We love you.”
This is not the first time Minaj has openly acknowledged Jewish holidays. Last year, on Rosh Hashanah, she shared a photograph of pink flowers on her Instagram profile with the greeting: “Happy Rosh Hashanah.” Once again, her direct acknowledgment of a major Jewish holiday drew immediate global attention and sparked intense online discussion.