"I Am Disabled, Confined to a Wheelchair, Yet I Still Inspire Others"

A few months ago: A large rally took place in Rabin Square, attended by many disabled individuals who had one request from the government – to increase the disability pension to the level of the minimum wage, to allow them to live with dignity.

Yair Shriki was also there. Yair, a 27-year-old suffering from cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair, who is also a talented musician, took the stage intending to perform his song 'My Demons', which he wrote and composed. However, before beginning to sing, he chose to share directly and candidly with the audience the challenges he faces as a disabled person.

"You don't have to look far to explain this," he told them simply, "because just on the way here, when I wanted to reach the rally, I tried to get on a bus, but it just didn't stop for me."

He went on to explain how being disabled in Israel is not easy, but despite this, he began to sing, aiming to uplift the attendees and tell them that regardless of difficulties, one can always continue to sing and give thanks.

All Thanks to Mom

When speaking with Yair, it's impossible not to admire the strength he possesses. "My cerebral palsy is congenital," Yair describes himself, "I was born prematurely, weighing less than a kilogram, and due to a lack of oxygen, my brain's movement center was damaged. This means that physically, I am confined to a wheelchair, and my hands also do not function perfectly."

But if this sounds like a difficult starting point for a life full of challenges, it turns out Yair never allowed his disability to overcome his joy of life and creativity. "I believe that precisely because of what I lack physically, I learned to look at things more internally and less externally. I managed to distance myself from nonsense and stick only to the good things."

What gives you these strengths?

"The main figure from whom I've drawn strength all along is my mother," he replies, "Mom is the most dominant figure in my life's journey. She never gave up and always told me that even in the hospital, the doctors explained to her that I wouldn't play soccer, in other words, implying that I wouldn't walk, but she responded: 'Fine, so he won't play soccer, but he'll be wise and learn many other things and do whatever he wants in life.' She continued to convey this attitude to me all along the way. You could say that only thanks to her, I am who I am. Every note in my art, every word written on the page, every melody that comes from my soul – they are her inspiration and for her. I feel that Hashem gave me this talent, and this is my way to give back to her for everything she's invested in me."

A Challenging Childhood

Nevertheless, even though Yair insists that all along he grew up as a regular child, he admits he had to overcome many challenges. In his early years, he attended the 'Step Forward' association kindergarten, an association that helps children with cerebral palsy learn how to move and overcome their physical difficulties, tailored to each one's level and abilities. Later on, when he attended elementary school, he studied at Eshkolot School in Rishon LeZion. "I studied in a regular class with the help of an assistant," he recounts, "The school had an amazing principal who really supported me. She once even told me that if there wouldn't be special needs students integrating into the school, then she would simply close it down and wouldn't let it operate anymore. It was very important for her to advance me, and she continuously provided for anything I needed. I completely remember her kindness."

Did you feel different from your friends?

"Honestly, at school I wasn't miserable, but after elementary, when I was in seventh grade, they tried integrating me into a regular junior high in Herzliya, and that attempt didn’t really succeed. I think they just couldn’t accommodate me there, neither the teachers nor the students. I remember a friend once telling me, naturally and with complete innocence, that he didn’t think I could ever have children, because of my condition."

And how did you feel?

"I wasn't angry at him, nor was I offended. But I understood I live in a world where there simply isn’t awareness, not just towards me, but in general. People are very comfortable respecting those who are around them and similar to them, but when there is someone different, it's hard to know how to act towards him. And right here, from this situation, I learned to know myself and understand – sure, externally I may look different, but I have advantages that others don't."

One of those advantages is, for example, writing, which Yair became attached to from a young age. "Since I was a sixth grader, I've been writing," he shares, "and to this day I've written more than 1,200 songs. I even have a direction for a long book and intend to advance it soon."

The World of Music

In contrast to the society that struggled to embrace the creative and different child, it turns out there was indeed a place that embraced Yair all along. That place is the world of music. "Even when I was a small child, I would sing and drum throughout the afternoon," he recounts, "I also loved going to singer performances, and even at a very young age, I attended Shlomi Shabbat's concert and did everything to get the mic so I could sing and perform with him. In the end, he had no choice, and we really did have a duet."

Over the years, his singing and instrumental hobby only developed and never stopped. "Music is part of my life," Yair explains, "it is part of my daily routine. In recent years, I have particularly specialized in it, establishing a home studio and learning about music production."

Does your disability limit you in any way during the creative process?

"Regarding composing songs and writing lyrics, it doesn’t limit me, but clearly, physically, producing each song takes me longer than it does a regular musician. I'll give an example: as I compose, I don’t play instruments; instead, I sing the melody that comes to mind, and then I create the instruments through the computer. For instance, if I need a piano, I move it using the keyboard and place it accordingly. This takes a lot of time, much more than someone who can just sit physically at a piano and play at any speed they want. I have to go through a very laborious process."

Despite this, Yair does not think of giving up. Recently, he began working on his debut album titled 'Walking While Sitting'. "The title is a hint to myself," he explains, "because I don’t walk physically, but I walk in spirit."

Yair notes that for the album's first song, he wrote and composed it himself, with production and mix done by a dear friend named Haim Motela, who also sings the chorus. "Besides this song, I'm producing the rest of the album with an amazing teacher of mine named Kobi Naim."

What are the themes of the other songs?

"My songs cover a variety of topics. Some relate to my personal life and describe what it's like to live in such a physical state, but there are also songs about the state of the country and generational gaps. I frequently address this because I see my parents, who are in their 60s, and the current generation. Many of my songs are also tied to Judaism. I know that because many of my songs relate to Judaism, I might lose some audiences, but that doesn’t scare me. It's important for me to bring songs with substance. I believe music should be deep, so that after someone hears it, something of it stays in their heart and influences them, whether it's their worldview or in their soul, or just to make them feel good and show them the way."

When will the album be released?

"For me, the album would have been out long ago, but unfortunately, production costs are very high, and everything is progressing slowly. I also don’t want to compromise on the album's high quality and need substantial funds for this. So I'm still preparing some of the songs."

He emphasizes: "The music I create is not for fame. Some people write music to have it played everywhere and to become stars. For me, it's really not like that. My goal is to make people smile, give them strength, and I think that's the role I've been given. Every melody and arrangement I release, I feel, doesn't belong to me but to Hashem. I'm merely bringing this act to light, hoping to help people reach deeper places in their psyche and help them."

He also has another dream: "I dream of getting married and establishing a home," he says. "Everyone asks me if I want a woman in the same condition as mine, and I tell them it doesn’t matter to me at all if she is similar to me or what exactly her disability is. What matters to me is her inner character. If she is a woman with good qualities, whom I can talk to, and my inner world won’t scare her away – then I'm ready to walk together until the end of our lives. Of course, I understand it has to be reciprocal, and that I accept her as she is. It's not simple, but I hope and wholeheartedly believe that Hashem will send me the one who suits me best."

Letter to Hashem:

My Demons:

Musical arrangement and production: Aviran Levi, Yaniv Barmelli, and Itay Amoyal