David Hershkowitz, a soloist in the Miami Boys Choir at the beginning of the 2000s, has released a new song titled "You", which he dedicated to his wife.
Hershkowitz became famous recently after his former choir opened a TikTok account, bringing their songs to millions who had never heard their music.
One video that was uploaded to the choir's TikTok account became especially viral and even reached veiwers who were far beyond the boundaries of Judaism. The viral video was only 40 seconds long, and it showed four of the choir's former soloists performing the song "Yerushalayim". The video reached 12.5 million views and hundreds of thousands of shares and duets on the platform.
In October Israel National News spoke with David Hershkowitz, one of the Miami Boys Choir soloists who can be seen rocking the stage in the viral TikTok video.
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 with 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.