According to many people who grew up listening to them, a group of Jewish adolescent singers known as the Miami Boys Choir has been a household name in the Orthodox Jewish community for decades. In the past several weeks, however, they have become a worldwide phenomenon.
The choir, which has issued more than 30 albums, largely composed by founder Yerachmiel Begun, became viral on TikTok after Yerachmiel’s 34-year-old son Chananya posted a clip from a 2007 performance of the choir’s Hebrew song “Yerushalayim,” which has amassed 8.8 million views.
Commenters said they fell in love with the catchy melody after hearing it on the platform and have been listening to it “on repeat.”
The four soloists in the video, who are now adults in their late 20s, became TikTok celebrities as thousands of users duetted and evaluated the original clip. One member, David Herskowitz, who is now 27 years old, has created his own TikTok account and produced a number of videos related to the Miami Boys Choir.
Chananya stated that there was a personal story behind the success of a musical group among a new audience that had never heard of them. The son merely wanted to honor his father’s efforts.
He told Insider that he created the group’s TikTok account because his 66-year-old father had little interest in pursuing prospects on the platform. He had always hoped it would go viral, but the song’s enormous success was a surprise.
Chananya’s effort and dedication to the song contributed to its going viral.
The Miami Boys Choir, founded in Miami Beach, Florida in 1977 and conducted by Yerachmiel, is comprised of Jewish youths who have sung a variety of original compositions live across the United States.
TikTok “wasn’t really his world or thing,” the 34-year-old told Insider, but Chananya spotted a pattern of young, brilliant children becoming viral on the network and recognized an opportunity.
As the founder of a creative arts organization, Chananya had less work over the summer months and decided to create a TikTok account for the organization on a volunteer basis.
On August 16, he published the 2007 clip of the choir’s rendition of “Yerushalayim,” which he said had approximately 20,000 views overnight.
In June, Chananya Begun, age 34, created the Miami Boys Choir’s TikTok account.
Chananya Begun
Noting that the video performed relatively well compared to earlier posts, he decided to repost it a few days later, and it went viral. Creators frequently repost the same video several times on TikTok to enhance the likelihood that it will be recommended to users by the platform’s algorithm.
“It was just the second video that I re-posted that got viral. God bless me, I did that! “he said.
The video, titled “Four Miami soloists in 40 seconds,” depicted four lads singing in turn while the rest of the choir, wearing bright shirts and standing in formation, performed a choreographed dance around them.
Because “Yerushalayim” has always held a special place in Chananya’s heart, he was pleased to discover that it was the TikTok upload that propelled the group’s viral popularity.
He told Insider that it is the only song the Miami Boys Choir has ever released that he had a hand in composing, as he wrote the trumpet and saxophone openings.
“The fact that the one that truly went viral was the one in which I participated was such a pleasant surprise,” he remarked.
Chananya stated that through releasing his father’s songs on TikTok, he aims to honor his legacy and message.
Chananya, who is not an official member of the choir, stated that he was pleased to set up the TikTok account to assist his father. “I desired to perform some act for my father. It had the potential to be extraordinarily, extraordinarily good for him “He said to Insider.
“I desired to contribute to the continuation of my father’s legacy. My father has worked so hard for so many years and continues to work hard, so if I could do something to truly blow this thing wide open, I wanted to do it “said Chananya.
According to Chananya, his father was startled to find that his group’s TikTok video had gone viral. He stated, “He and the rest of the family are still struggling to comprehend it.”
Chananya stated that he believes his father’s message of fostering “authenticity and quality” through performance would continue to spread as he continues to post videos of the choir.
“From a religious standpoint, art is compared to God, who produces and gives out of love. Therefore, I believe that if we imitate him and are also exceptional performers, we may alter the world and have a truly positive impact. That is precisely what happened this time, “he replied.
Check out the coverage of Insider’s Digital Culture team for similar articles.
