Art of the chazzan revived by Teaneck synagogue
A master of parts
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Cantor Netanel Hershtik |
Born in 1978 in London, where his father served as a cantor of the Fichley Synagogue, Netanel Hershtik grew up in Israel and began singing at age 5 in his father’s synagogue in Jerusalem, along with his older brother, Shraga.
“My first solo was only a word, then I sang a sentence, and then much more. My father gave me confidence,” he said.
As a child, he toured Australia, the United States, and Europe with his father, whom he called his “biggest influence.” Hershtik said he is the 14th member of his family to be a cantor. Among them is his uncle, Chaim Eliezer Hershtik, who lives in Israel.
Hershtik graduated from the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute in 2004 and trained under Chayim Feifel and Raymond Goldstein, among other renowned cantors. He has appeared with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphonet Ra’anana, and performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, and the Casino de Paris. He appeared at the Tel Aviv Opera House in January, where he sang the aria “Che Gelida Manina” from Puccini’s “La Boheme.”
His two studio recordings, “Umusafim Kehilchatam,” a tribute to the traditional Shabbat Mussaf service, and “Tzad Bet’ (Side B), a fusion of jazz, bossa nova, and traditional styles, were produced in 2005.
Hershtik served as combat paramedic in the Israeli army, has a law degree from Sha’arei Mishpat College of Law in Hod HaSharon, Israel, and recently completed his master of law degree at the University of Miami School of Law. He is preparing for the New York State Bar.
The Friday night service will begin at 5:20 p.m. and will feature compositions by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. The Saturday morning service will begin at 9 a.m. and will include, among other works, Leib Glantz’s “Sh’ma Yisroel,” Moshe Gantchoff’s “Retze,” and Sol Zim’s “Avinu Shebashamayim.”
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