Father and son performing together at Lincoln Center — 2006
The Cantorial Dynasty
The Hershtik family represents one of the most remarkable musical lineages in Jewish history. Spanning fourteen unbroken generations, the dynasty has carried the sacred tradition of cantorial music from generation to generation, preserving and advancing the art of Jewish liturgical song through centuries of change.
Netanel Hershtik is the current bearer of this tradition. His father, the legendary Cantor Naftali Hershtik, served as chief cantor of the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem from 1981 to 2009 — nearly three decades in one of the world's most acoustically celebrated and spiritually significant synagogues.
Cantor Naftali Hershtik (1946–2024)
Naftali Hershtik was born in 1946 and rose to become one of the most celebrated cantors of his generation. His tenure at the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem established it as a global destination for those seeking the highest expression of cantorial art. His recordings and live performances influenced an entire generation of cantors worldwide.
In 1984, Naftali co-founded the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, an institution dedicated to preserving and teaching the art of cantorial music. The institute trained a generation of prominent cantors, ensuring that the traditions of hazanut would continue to flourish. Among its graduates are some of today's most accomplished cantors, including his own son Netanel.
Naftali Hershtik passed away in August 2024 at the age of 77, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy. His influence on cantorial music is immeasurable, and his artistic spirit lives on through his sons and the countless cantors he trained and inspired.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
Netanel's cantorial style is a masterful blend of his own artistic originality and his father's inspiring influence and signature cantorial tradition. At The Hampton Synagogue in New York, Rabbi Marc Schneier together with Netanel and Maestro Yitzchak Haimov regard the magnificent legacy of the late Cantor Naftali Hershtik at the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem as a model to emulate.
Worshippers from across the United States, Israel, and around the world flock to The Hampton Synagogue each summer to hear and be inspired by the prayer and song. Together, they are forging the cantorial legacy of the present and the future.