Born in London, England on March 11, 1978, Netanel Hershtik grew up in Jerusalem, Israel, where his father, the legendary Cantor Naftali Hershtik, served as chief cantor of the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem from 1981 to 2009. The fourteenth generation in an unbroken cantorial dynasty, Netanel carries forward one of the most sacred musical lineages in Jewish history.
At age seven, he began performing as a child soloist alongside his father at the Great Synagogue, touring Australia, the United States, and Europe. He attended Horev Yeshiva High School in Jerusalem and Yeshivat Midbarah Ke'eden in Mitzpe Ramon, then served as a combat paramedic in the IDF's Nahal Brigade.
He earned an LL.B. from Sha'arei Mishpat College of Law and an LL.M. from the University of Miami School of Law. In 2004, he graduated from the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute — co-founded by his father in 1984 — studying under cantors Chayim Feifel and Raymond Goldstein. He also received classical vocal training from the internationally acclaimed operatic tenor Neil Shicoff, as well as vocal coaches Vago Ohanian and Oscar Diaz Jr.
In 2005, Netanel was appointed cantor of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York, under the leadership of Rabbi Marc Schneier. Now marking two decades in this role, the synagogue's services are broadcast on JBS TV, reaching over 200,000 weekly viewers across America. Together with Rabbi Schneier and Maestro Yitzchak Haimov, Netanel regards the magnificent legacy of the late Cantor Naftali Hershtik at the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem as a model to emulate.
In June 2018, Netanel made his operatic debut at the Royal Opera House in London in Na'ama Zisser's Mamzer Bastard — the first opera in history to feature a cantorial role. He was cast as David, a neighborhood cantor whose cantorial performances serve as the opera's only arias. The Guardian described him as "superb in his vocal control, and mesmerizing whenever he sings." The Times noted that "Hershtik really cuts through," and The Independent praised the "ringing grace" of his singing.
In December 2017, Netanel recorded The New York Cantors PBS special in Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue. The program premiered on PBS in March 2018 and was broadcast on over 150 PBS stations across the United States, reaching over a million American viewers.
On November 9, 2025, he performed at the Richard Tucker Music Foundation 50th Anniversary Gala in Miami alongside Ryan Speedo Green and Arturo Chacón-Cruz. Beyond the bimah, Netanel practices as a real estate attorney. He is married to Tamira and lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, with their four children.