In the early 1970s while studying in
yeshivah in Toronto, Canada, Yerachmiel Begun created, directed, and recorded three successful albums with the Toronto (Pirchei) Boys Choir. However, in 1976 formed by Yerachmiel Begun as well, the Miami Boys Choir was part of a larger surge in popularity of
Orthodox Jewish choral music. The use of an all-boy choir is related to a common interpretation of
Orthodox Jewish law (
halachah) of
kol isha which they hold prohibits males above the age of majority from listening to non-familial females singing even on audio recordings. While the group was formed in
Miami Beach, Florida, after releasing the first few albums, Begun moved the choir to
New York. Although he retained the "Miami" in the name of the group, subsequent albums were released with boys primarily from the New York/
New Jersey area.
Viral resurgence The Miami Boys Choir experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, after Yerachmiel Begun's son established a
TikTok account and posted clips of the group performing. One clip, a recording of 4 soloists (Yoshi Bender, Akiva Abramowitz, David Herskowitz, and Binyamin Abramowitz) performing an arrangement of
Psalms 125:2 ('Yerushalayim') became a viral sensation. It has accrued over 10.8 million views as of May 5 that year. Users have been known to 'duet' the video offering glowing assessments of the soloists' performances, proclaiming their 'biases' (favorite members) within the group, in the same vein as fans of
Korean idol groups. == Prominent soloists and alumni ==