“B
ack at an earlier stage in my musical career,” says award-winning pianist and conductor LEIB YAACOV RIGLER, today a veteran resident of Jerusalem’s Old City, “I used to tour high schools in the US as a musician and performer. I’d speak to the students and play some songs, leading a 50-minute program.

“One time, I arrived in a small town in Missouri, and the principal came out to the parking lot to meet me — he wanted to warn me about his students. ‘Our kids are a very tough crowd. Last week, we had someone performing and the kids booed him. He left the stage in the middle and had to leave town, so don’t feel bad if things don’t go well.’

“I went in forewarned, but somehow, by acknowledging who these kids were and giving them respect, something clicked. We hit it off, and the performance went great.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 747)