David Herskowitz of the Miami Boys' Choir, which has garnered widespread coverage over the group's 2007 music video production of "Yerushalayim," told Arutz-7 INN about his experience growing up as a religious youth in Miami, of joining the music group, and of his plans for the future.

David says he first heard a video of the choir was uploaded to TikTok towards the end of August, and "knew it was getting some action" about two weeks later, when "everyone started texting me videos of it." "This is really exciting," he says.

"99% of the people watching these videos are probably not Jewish," he points out, "so when they see religious Jewish kids performing and giving it their all, it's not what they expect. When they see how exciting Jewish music really is, they really buy into it."

"I've seen pictures of me on people's shower curtains, their pillows, and bedsheets and if that's what you want to wear, go ahead," he relates.

On the topic of his newly-gained status, David says people look at him differently in Israel. "People in Jerusalem definitely recognize me - whether it's walking down Ben Yehuda street or the shuk. In America, there's a little more privacy," points out the newly-famous child star.

David says his experience in the band provided him the confidence he would need later in life. "It allowed me to feel comfortable in front of others without being too nervous," he says.

"The one thing that really stands out to me is that out of the millions of views, there have been...like one or two antisemitic comments. Who would have thought that a song about Jerusalem would go viral and there wouldn't be any [negative feedback?]," asks David.

David urges people to be proud of their Jewish identity. "If you stay true to yourself, and put out stuff that really represents you, and that you put your heart and soul into, people will accept it," points out the newly-found star.

Herskowitz was five when his father took him to see the Miami Boys Choir (MBC) in concert. The group had already been in existence for nearly a quarter-century since being founded in Miami in 1977 by an Orthodox composer and musical director named Yerachmiel Begun. Begun moved the group to New York City in 1980 but kept the Miami name.

Since Herskowitz’s father knew Begun when they were younger, the two were invited backstage, and that was when Herskowitz told his father he would sing in the choir one day. He joined the group when he was 10 or 11 and stayed until he graduated — members leave around 14, when their voices get too deep to fit into the songs. During those years, he toured widely and appeared on some of the group’s recorded albums — there are currently 32 in the discography.