Bracha Jaffe, mother of five — including toddler twin boys — is a nurse practitioner and star singer

I was five and a half years old when I started piano lessons on our secondhand baby grand. For three years, I practiced diligently, and when my father saw I was serious about playing, he took me to the store and purchased the beautiful upright piano I use until today.

Both my parents are musical — my father plays the trumpet and has a beautiful voice; my mother plays accordion and integrates music into ordinary days. A beloved teacher, she was always teaching her students songs about the time of year, various concepts, Yiddishkeit.

A Dream Is Born

As I got older, it was trendy to audition  for a frum girls’ choir. I auditioned for a popular all-girls children’s choir — and was passed over. It was a low blow to my self-esteem, but I picked myself up and auditioned for Malky Giniger. Malky was accepting a select few girls into her choir and I was one of those chosen.

Malky was a role model for me. I remember watching her perform with Kinneret at a concert, and being overwhelmed by the beauty of their performances.

On a high after watching them perform, I did something completely unheard of 20-something years ago: I asked my parents for voice lessons. They’ve always been my most stalwart supporters, and they agreed. That’s how I went from being a girl with a pretty voice to a professionally trained singer.

I started training with Malky, and continued with some of the top vocal coaches in the industry. My voice evolved into something strong; I led choirs in high school, ran kumzitzes, and sang at every possible opportunity.  When I was 16, I spent the summer playing music and singing for the campers at Camp Simcha.

Even with all that, I didn’t know what to do after 12th grade. I wasn’t especially academic and was at a loss. My principal, Rabbi Stern, sat down with me and said, “Bracha, I think you’re going to be a nurse.” And suddenly, everything clicked. Nursing was the natural choice; it fit perfectly with my personality. My hakaras hatov to Rabbi Stern endures until today.