Menachem Toker on the Major Competition: "We've Received Thousands of Inquiries, But Only One Contestant Will Be Selected"

This upcoming Motzei Shabbat, it's going to happen: at eleven o'clock at night, another stage of the 'The Next Voice from Jerusalem' competition will take place. The competition is managed by Radio Kol Chai in collaboration with Hidabroot. As mentioned, it will be possible to watch the next stage of the competition on Motzei Shabbat, and also participate in rating the participants.

"This is a singing competition," explains broadcaster Menachem Toker, who hosts the program. "We held this competition in the first season about two years ago, with the aim of allowing the listeners to compete among themselves in singing and enabling us to choose the next voice.

"We didn't randomly choose to focus just on the field of singing," he notes, "since the culture of singing resonates with everyone from various sectors, and it can include many different styles. There are the songs of the Levites and eastern songs, there are songs customary among rabbis, there are songs from gatherings, and there are melodies. We want to include all these styles in the competition."

He also notes: "When talking about music, it's important to know that over the last few years, the field of singing has significantly developed in the religious and Haredi sector. There are children, young men, and also many adults seeking a way to break out with their singing skills, and it's this opportunity that we want to provide them with."

Heading into the Competition

In the current competition, Toker notes that thousands of inquiries have already arrived, from which auditions were conducted for dozens of participants. "We've had a huge range of contestants, from all styles and audiences. Among others, we discovered a participant who in the first season tried his luck and 'fell.' Now he has decided to try again. Another participant who came to the auditions is a blind man who sings incredibly well and has good chances to advance to the next stages. We also have a contestant who arrived just when his father was undergoing a liver transplant, and the songs he sings are sung with such emotion, alongside crying and pleas. There is another contestant from a very famous family in the Gur Hasidic community, and more, and more, a vast variety of contestants."

Toker notes that it's interesting to see that there are those who a few years ago wouldn't dare to expose themselves to the camera and microphone, but after the first program held two years ago, many overcame their shyness, and they are ready and even willing to take this step.

According to him, many participants see the competition as an opportunity to leap forward and enter the Haredi music industry. "Following the first season in which eventually singer Motti Rotman was chosen for his very moving voice, there were at least ten more singers who became very well-known to the public due to the competition. Today they regularly perform at weddings and earn a living from the industry. Among them are Moshe Klein Haddad, Reuven Becker, Yossi Cohen, and many others."

Reveal to us the backstage - what are the considerations that guide you in choosing?

"We have professional considerations, of course, we check and look for musical accuracy, heartfelt singing, a pleasant voice, and professionalism. We are looking for someone who will move us. But we completely involve the audience in the choice as well. Viewers are definitely invited to help us, to follow the competitors, and to decide with us who will be 'The Next Voice.'"

When is the winner of the current competition expected to be chosen?

"It's going to happen this summer, after all the stages of the competition are completed."

Is it still possible to join the competition as a contestant?

"I'm sorry," Toker disappoints, "This season is already closed for new entries, but I promise that there will be, with Hashem's help, a third season to which all participants can flock."