Who helped advance these popular entertainers with an unforgettable yet enduring gesture?

YANKY DASKAL: Singer

It was my older brother-in-law, Avrumi Weiss, who brought me in to sing in the Vizhnitz choir in Bnei Brak when I was just a little boy of eight. Avrumi is a very talented singer in his own right. He was one of the first to introduce the concept of singers at chassidish weddings in Israel — 40 years ago, it was usually just a band or a couple of musicians, and he was a very early wedding singer. The choir sang every Shabbos in Vizhnitz, and singing in the presence of the Rebbe, the Yeshuos Moshe, was a very powerful experience for me. We also occasionally sang at events in the cheder and the yeshivah, such as the dedication of a new building. For me, those early days in the children’s choir were the beginning.

PINCHAS BICHLER: Malchus Choir

My good friend, Rabbi Yosef Moshe Kahane of the L’chaim Tish productions, believed in me in the early years and brought me in to work as a producer on some of his projects. My friend Yossi Gil has always given me great advice. And I’m ever grateful to the editors at Hamevaser Hebrew newspaper. They gave me my first platform as editor of their weekly music column, which has been running for eight years.

CHAYALA NEUHAUS: Singer and songwriter

I was still in elementary school, around 11 years old, when I wrote my first song. In those days, my “recording studio” setup consisted of me at the piano with my trusty handheld tape recorder (which I still have!). To make a long story short, the song was picked up by one of the New York area high schools, and that officially launched my songwriting career. It was simple, nothing too fancy, but it had heart and a catchy chorus that was well received. This gave me the push to keep composing and writing. Then, Tobi Einhorn and Chavi Klein started bringing me in to play at some high school events. That was huge. I’ll never forget playing for the senior graduation as an eighth grader and feeling undersized and quite out of place! But my parents get the overall credit. They always took me seriously, although most parents would have laughed at an 11-year-old composer. They listened to every song, encouraged me to take every opportunity, and their confidence in me drove me to keep at it.

Eitan Katz: Singer and composer

When my first CD, L’maancha, came out, Yochi Briskman took me to a couple of shows around the East Coast. I have such gratitude for that, and especially as Yochi, a top-flight producer, always let me do my own thing. He never attempted to push me into any mold — he just hired me to perform as myself. Looking back, those early tours definitely helped launch my career.

Dovy Meisels: Singer and guitarist

The first person to give me a mic was Yehuda Green. Seven years ago, I was playing guitar professionally, but shy about singing on stage. I was playing for Yehuda at a big Chol Hamoed Pesach event for hotel guests, when, in mid-concert, he called me up to sing with him. I was taken by surprise, but I sang — and I give Yehuda credit for pushing my career a step ahead.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 815)