Mishpacha Junior: Hello Mr. Barbi. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Meir Barbi: I live in Modiin in central Israel with my wife and three beautiful children. Although I was born blind I am a musician. My handicap hasn’t stopped me from achieving my dreams. Of course I can’t ignore my blindness but I never let it become the issue of my life.

MJ: When did your parents realize you couldn’t see?

Meir Barbi: I was diagnosed as blind when I was a baby of six months. It was hard for my family and siblings — I’m the fifth in a family of six children — to accept this. Since I could see a tiny bit they kept asking me if I could see this or that and trying to prove I could see. Netivot where I was born didn’t have the facilities to deal with blind children so I only started kindergarten when I was four accompanied by my older brother David. I was different in other ways too: I have a good memory and I was able to remember every detail that the teacher taught — right down to the tones she used!