The Miami Boys Choir: A History

Our story begins in 1973, where  a 16-year-old native New Yorker   Yerachmiel Begun was studying at the  Ner Israel Yeshivah in Toronto, Canada. That year, he composed his very first  song, “Ata Echod” for the group Simchatone,   marking the humble beginning of what  would become a legendary musical journey.  Quickly gaining recognition, Yerachmiel  found his place in the Toronto Pirchei Choir,   writing 9 out of 12 tracks for their debut  album. While not the choir's official director,   he held an assistant conductor role, and  the arrangements—crafted by the legendary   Yisroel Lamm—helped bring his music to life. That same year, Yerachmiel also contributed   two songs—“Hashem Uzi” and “Kol  B’romo, Al Tiro”—to the Camp   S’dei Chemed album Im Eshkochaich Yerushalayim. Building on that early success, in 1974 he   composed 7 tracks for the Kol Salonika  3 album, which featured star soloist   David Buzaglo, the standout voice of  the Toronto Boys Choir at the time.   One song in particular, “Shesulim,” made  a lasting impression—and was even featured   in the 2024 One Voice “Hall of Fame Medley,”  performed by Yerachmiel alongside Eli Marcus. In 1976 the second Toronto Boys Choir album  was released. Yerachmiel composed 6 out of   its 12 tracks, alongside an unlikely composer - 9  year old Baruch Wolfe a choir member at the time.   He composed and sang “Lev Tahor”, singing  of “the spirit of G-d within each of us,   and of the purity of heart that we must attain”. That same year marked a turning point for  Yerachmiel because he moved from Toronto   to Miami Beach in Florida. Given the  success he found with the Toronto choir,   he formed his own group “The Miami Choir Boys” and  quickly began performing with them and attracting   attention. The following year he released  “Victory Entebbe”, an album inspired by the   Entebbe operation that occurred just the year  before. Featuring voices like Yitzchok Jeret,   Michoel Feureisen, Zev Scherl, and Meyer  Cavell, and again arranged by Yisroel Lamm,   the album introduced a more mature and  orchestrated style to Jewish boys' choir music.   It also marked the first recording appearance of  future public figure and alumnus Shmuel Boteach. But this was only the first of many albums  to come by this infamous group. In 1978,   Miami Meets Toronto was released, which brought  together his two beloved and renowned choirs, each   with their own distinct style and accent. Side A  of the CD featured The Miami Choir boys (“Miami”   through to “Listen Nations”) and Side B was sung  by Toronto Pirchei (“Toronto” through to “Hava”). Later that year Yerachmiel wrote one final  composition for the Toronto Boys Choir,   which featured on the lesser known Volume 3.  This track was titled Boruch Hagever and sung by   Messod Shriqui and Shmilu Birnbaum, the younger  brother of Nussi Birnbaum who was a prominent   soloist on the second Toronto album. This song had  originally been composed for Kol Hakovod in 1976. Although the track initially flew under the radar,  it resurfaced in 1979 on the Miami Live album,   this time powerfully delivered by  a more seasoned Yitzchok Jeret,   one of the original Miami Choir Boys from  the first Miami album. It wouldn’t be until   the second Miami Experience in 1992, when Ari  Goldwag would sing the version that resonated   with listeners the most. This also rang true  for the track Hoshiva which again gained   more significant attention when revamped  and incorporated into that same concert. By 1980, Yerachmiel had returned  to his hometown of Brooklyn,   New York, where he once again founded a new  iteration of the choir. Despite the move,   the name “Miami” remained—an homage to the roots  and the reputation already built in Florida. The following year, the album Judaea was  released—every song composed by Yerachmiel   himself. This album features the original  “Hand of Hashem” sung by Gershon Veroba,   who also lends his vocals to the majority of the  other tracks. Veroba came back to sing this live   in the First Miami Experience in 1991and again for  the 3rd Miami Experience in 1993 which featured a   medley of songs from Judaea. Hand of Hashem  was later sang in 2010 and incorporated into   the 2011 Me Lahashem Ailai concert video which  featured performances across a 3 year span.  Outside of his work with the choirs, Yerachmiel  also contributed compositions to numerous other   Jewish artists and projects—including the  1981 album Memories by Mordechai Ben David.  During the five-year gap in new MBC albums  following Miami Live, another famed alumnus had   his Miami ride – Shloime Dachs, (1979-1982). Dachs  was a member of all 3 main choirs of that time,   MBC, Tzlil V’zemer and Amudai Shaish Boys Choir.  In fact he sang alongside B’syata D’shmaya star   soloist Jonathan Paley on the first Tzlil  V’zemer album, though unfortunately he   did not get the chance to sing on any Miami  albums having joined fairly promptly after   Miami live in 1979 and leaving 2 years before  B’syata D’shmaya would be released in 1984.  By this point, the group had officially  transitioned from The Miami Choir Boys to   the name we all recognize today: The Miami Boys Choir.