Netanel Hershtik

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, 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. at 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. In 2005, he was appointed cantor of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York, founded and led by Rabbi Marc Schneier. Now marking two decades in this role, the synagogue's services are broadcast on JBS TV every Shabbat, reaching over 200,000 viewers across America.

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 to feature a cantorial role — receiving critical acclaim from The Guardian, The Times, and The Independent. In 2017, he recorded The New York Cantors PBS special in Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue, watched by millions of 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.