Freezing Hands, Heated Hearts

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or the singers and musicians who warmed up the 92,000-strong crowd at the Siyum HaShas despite the freezing temperatures at the outdoor MetLife stadium last Wednesday, it was an experience of unity and passion.

“I looked around, and I couldn’t see anyone just standing still. Everyone — every single guy there — was moving, dancing. So I just sang, danced, and screamed along with them,” says Shloime Daskal. “The energy was incredible. It wasn’t about any of our particular voices, although I think they blended and harmonized beautifully. Before I started singing, I was shivering. By the time I finished, I was perspiring.”

Daskal joined together with Reb Abish Brodt, whose well-known hartzige voice has enhanced the past few Siyumim, Baruch Levine, and Shloime Gertner. They were accompanied by Shloime Dachs’s orchestra, Chilu Posen with the Mezamrim CHOIR, and the Yingerlach children’s choir.

The day at MetLife began with a rehearsal at 7:30 a.m. The group had practiced together on-site the day before as well. “I can’t explain to you how cold it was when we arrived in the stadium early in the morning,” says Shloime Daskal. “The temperatures were in the low thirties. My feet were numb and it was hard to touch the metal of the mics. But it’s like if someone is a good driver, he can drive not only in good weather, but when it’s snowing too.”